The Psychedelic Frontier

Q: The Healing Advocacy Fund has been leading the way in access to psychedelic services in Oregon, and recently released a study with findings from their work. It would be great if you would mention it in your column.

A: Certainly! The Healing Advocacy Fund (HAF) has been at the forefront of expanding access to psilocybin therapy, advocating for safe, affordable and inclusive mental health solutions under Oregon’s regulated psilocybin services program. In collaboration with the Sheri Eckert Foundation and other partners, HAF is breaking new ground by ensuring that vulnerable populations —including low-income and underserved individuals — can access these transformative therapies.

A recent study supported by the Sheri Eckert Foundation, in partnership with HAF, sheds more light on how psilocybin therapy is reshaping mental health care in Oregon. This community-focused initiative not only delivered promising results for low-income individuals struggling with depression but also explored innovative ways to make such treatments affordable and scalable.

The study, led by Dr. Matthew Hicks of the National University of Natural Medicine (NUMN), focused on low-income adults with major depressive disorder — individuals often excluded from conventional mental health services due to economic barriers. The research tested the effectiveness of psilocybin therapy delivered in a group-based model as an affordable alternative to traditional one-on-one sessions.

Key highlights of the study include:

Participants experienced significant reductions in depression symptoms, along with improvements in anxiety, sleep, fatigue, and cognitive function.
The group-based therapy format fostered emotional connection and community, with participants reporting feelings of deep insight and interpersonal bonding.
High satisfaction and low dropout rates indicated the feasibility and appeal of this approach.
The model demonstrated potential as a cost-effective, scalable solution to ensure psilocybin therapy is accessible to broader populations.

The study involved 19 participants, all of whom were Medicaid-eligible. Each participant completed two preparatory sessions, two guided psilocybin sessions and two group post-treatment integration sessions. The findings suggest psilocybin therapy could become a more viable option for marginalized groups when delivered in a group setting.

Hicks emphasized the significance of accessibility, noting, “Psilocybin therapy remains out of reach for most people. With this project, we wanted to demonstrate that group models offer both cost savings and therapeutic benefits, while focusing on underserved communities.”

The Sheri Eckert Foundation, named in honor of one of the key architects of Oregon’s psilocybin therapy program under Measure 109, continues to champion initiatives that make psilocybin therapy available to individuals who need it most. A cornerstone of their work is the Psilocybin Access Fund (PAF), which provides grants to financially support individuals seeking therapy.

The fund is open to anyone 21 years or older with demonstrable financial need. Priority is given to underserved populations. Grants cover the facilitation costs of psilocybin therapy, which must take place through licensed facilitators or service centers regulated by the Oregon Health Authority (OHA). Their ultimate goal is to create a statewide sliding scale for psilocybin services, ensuring that cost is no longer a barrier to access.

The Sheri Eckert Foundation has gone even further, partnering with Satori Farms PDX, the first licensed provider of psilocybin mushrooms in Oregon, to supply medicine for PAF grantees. This collaboration exemplifies the kind of holistic effort needed to make state-regulated healing truly effective.

This work aligns with the Sheri Eckert Foundation’s Psilocybin Therapy Insurance Initiative, a research-focused effort to accelerate insurance coverage for psilocybin therapy under state-regulated models. By collecting meaningful data and demonstrating the success of Oregon’s framework, these organizations aim to attract more widespread adoption of psychedelic therapy as a reimbursable treatment option.

This year alone, Oregon’s psilocybin program has already served more than 9,000 people, surpassing participation in global clinical trials. It’s a testament to the impact of these initiatives and a signal that psychedelic therapy could be on the cusp of broader acceptance.

Organizations like HAF and the Sheri Eckert Foundation play a vital role in ensuring these therapies are deployed responsibly and inclusively. “Not having money for treatment should never be the barrier to greater health,” said Mark Holloway and David Kahl of the Full Potential Fund, highlighting PAF’s bold leadership in forging solutions.

If Oregon’s model proves anything, it’s this: healing shouldn’t just be for the few — it’s for everyone, and the work happening today is paving the way for a brighter, more inclusive tomorrow.

—Questions are encouraged to be sent to mothermarymyco@gmail.com and free 30-minute consultations for further discussions can be made through her website https://myco.vision

This article appears in the Source August 28, 2025.