BIPOC Community Leaders Retreat
The people who care for communities need care, too.
Henry FieldsFacilitator · Director of Inward Dive
Michele Natarajan, PMHNPPsychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner & Facilitator
The people who care for communities need care, too.
This psilocybin group retreat is designed for BIPOC leaders who seek space to rest, reflect, and reconnect.
Join an intentional community experience centered on principles of resilience, renewal, and care, all within a supportive retreat setting.
Who this retreat is for
This retreat is intended for BIPOC leaders engaged in community-centered work, including:
- BIPOC nonprofit leaders
- Grassroots and movement leaders
- Educators and public servants
- Faith and interfaith leaders
- Environmental and social justice advocates
- Arts and culture organizers
- Community healers and caretakers
- Social impact leaders
No prior psychedelic experience is required. Because space is limited, participation is application-based and scholarship-supported through CLRF.
What participants receive
- Sliding-scale scholarship support of up to $3,300 per person — covering licensed facilitation, lodging at FernLove, and meals
- A 4-night retreat experience in the forests of western Oregon
- Two guided group psilocybin sessions led by experienced facilitators, including preparation and integration sessions
- The opportunity to connect with a cohort of fellow leaders
- Space for rest, reflection, and renewal at FernLove Retreat Center, in a forest just outside Portland, OR
- Opportunities to reconnect with purpose
Your question, answered
How the scholarship works
Every leader who joins this cohort is supported by the Community Leaders Resilience Fund — there isn’t a separate scholarship to win on top of being accepted. Support is sliding-scale and covers up to $3,300 per person, including licensed psilocybin facilitation, four nights of lodging at FernLove, and meals during the retreat.
The amount awarded is based on financial need: some leaders receive full support, others partial. The cohort is also open to leaders who don’t have financial need but want the group experience and the logistical support the Fund provides — a vetted, licensed service center, lodging, and integration support.
Your application is simply your request for support: tell us about your work and your need, and we’ll work out the rest together. The grant does not cover travel to Oregon or the cost of the psilocybin itself.
Is there a deadline to apply?
Here’s the deadline for this retreat
To join this cohort (July 27–31, 2026), please apply by July 13, 2026.
Missed the deadline but still really want to attend? Email us at access@sherieckert.org and we’ll do our best to help.
Why this retreat exists
Space to rest, reflect & reconnect
Many BIPOC leaders carry the emotional weight of caring for others while navigating systemic stress, burnout, grief, isolation, and constant responsibility. Too often, the people holding communities together have little space to rest themselves. This retreat was created as an intentional space for restoration, reflection, and reconnection — grounded in care, community, and resilience.
Rather than focusing on productivity or performance, this retreat centers rest, healing, reflection, and renewal.
The flow of the retreat
A gentle, supported arc
- Arrival & Grounding. Participants arrive, settle into the space, meet the cohort, and begin building shared community agreements.
- Preparation & Intention Setting. Facilitators guide conversations and practices to support emotional preparation, reflection, and clarity of intention.
- Psilocybin Experiences. Participants engage in two guided group psilocybin sessions within Oregon’s legal, state-regulated framework.
- Integration & Reflection. Dedicated time for processing, integration, rest, and connection following the guided journey days.
- Departure. Participants leave with integration resources and continued connection to the CLRF community.
Meet your facilitators
Held with care, by licensed facilitators
Henry Fields is a facilitator and community leader dedicated to creating grounded, supportive spaces for healing, reflection, and transformation. As Director of Inward Dive, his work centers care, authenticity, and community resilience, with a particular focus on supporting people navigating burnout, transition, and personal growth. Henry brings extensive experience in group facilitation and community-centered healing work within Oregon’s state-regulated psilocybin program, guiding each cohort through preparation, the journey days, and integration with steadiness and warmth.
Michele Natarajan is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) with more than twenty years in healthcare and a focus on psychedelic-assisted and trauma-informed care. She earned her Master of Science in Nursing as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner from Charles Drew University and works across a range of modalities — integrative, mindfulness-based, person-centered, and psychedelic-assisted — to support lasting healing. A woman of color, Michele centers cultural sensitivity and a compassionate, nervous-system-aware approach, holding safe and unhurried space for people moving through burnout, anxiety, grief, and trauma so their own strengths can re-emerge at their own pace.
Where healing happens
FernLove
📍 30 acres of Oregon forest · about an hour west of Portland, near Henry Hagg Lake
We are partnered with FernLove as the service center facilitating the journey days as well as the on-site lodging. FernLove is a state-licensed psilocybin service center located in an hour outside of Portland. Set within 30 acres of Oregon forest, Fernlove offers a quiet, nature-based setting for self-exploration.
FernLove works exclusively with licensed facilitators and psilocybin sourced from licensed manufacturers. They prioritize thoughtful, comfortable accommodations throughout the property.
From the transformative setting of the Administration Room to the intimate solitude of their Cabins and Airstreams, and the natural wonder of their trails, Fernlove offers a unique blend of experiences. Each aspect of the retreat is designed to support your journey to self-discovery and healing in nature’s serene embrace.
A nature-based setting
From the service-center room to the cabins and forest trails, every space is designed to support self-discovery and healing in nature’s quiet embrace.
Private lodging on site
Lodging is on site at FernLove. Each participant has their own private bedroom in one of the property’s forest cabins — just steps from the service center.
Licensed and thoughtful
FernLove is a state-recognized psilocybin service center that works exclusively with licensed facilitators and psilocybin from licensed manufacturers, prioritizing comfortable, well-considered accommodations.
An illustrated map of FernLove — 30 acres of forest, the licensed service center & yoga studio, private cabins, and 1.4 miles of walking trails leading down toward Henry Hagg Lake.
Share the word
This retreat, at a glance
This is the flyer — no download needed. Tap the flyer link to find it here on the page, and share it with others by copying the link to this section below. Whoever you send it to lands right here on the flyer and can apply until the cohort fills.
BIPOC Community Leaders Retreat
Who this retreat is for
- BIPOC nonprofit leaders
- Grassroots and movement leaders
- Educators and public servants
- Faith and interfaith leaders
- Environmental and social justice advocates
- Arts and culture organizers
- Community healers and caretakers
- Social impact leaders
What you receive
- Sliding-scale scholarship support of up to $3,300 per person — covering licensed facilitation, lodging at FernLove, and meals
- A 4-night retreat experience in the forests of western Oregon
- Two guided group psilocybin sessions led by experienced facilitators, including preparation and integration sessions
- The opportunity to connect with a cohort of fellow leaders
- Space for rest, reflection, and renewal at FernLove Retreat Center, in a forest just outside Portland, OR
- Opportunities to reconnect with purpose
Apply to attend
Visit sherieckert.org/bipoc or scan the code →
Limited spots · July 27–31, 2026 — apply by July 13, 2026
Sliding-scale scholarship support up to $3,300 (covering licensed facilitation, lodging at FernLove & meals) supports every leader admitted to this cohort — awarded by need. We mark a cohort closed as soon as it fills.
Apply nowAbout the fund
The Community Leaders Resilience Fund
The Community Leaders Resilience Fund (CLRF) helps nonprofit, governmental, religious, environmental, and social leaders access Oregon’s state-regulated plant-medicine facilitation services.
Through scholarships, mentorship, and supportive retreats, CLRF helps leaders heal burnout, restore resilience, and return to their communities with renewed purpose. Scholarships of up to $3,300 per individual are awarded on a sliding scale, on a rolling basis.
Can’t make these dates?
We’d still love to hear from you
If you’re interested in a future Community Leaders Resilience Fund retreat but can’t attend the dates above, tell us a little about yourself. We’ll stay in touch about new cohorts, upcoming applications, and other retreat dates — and we keep every applicant updated as openings come up.
BIPOC Leaders · July 27–31, 2026
Rest. Reflect. Reconnect.
Leadership requires enormous care and energy. This retreat was created to offer BIPOC leaders space to receive support, step away from constant responsibility, and reconnect with themselves and community. Limited scholarship-supported spots are available.