Psilocybin Access Fund

The Psilocybin Access Fund (PAF) helps those in need of healing overcome financial barriers to psilocybin therapy within the Oregon state regulated model. We give funds to individuals from underserved communities who couldn't otherwise afford this treatment, expanding access and healing opportunities.

We believe getting money directly to folks that want this medicine, but normally wouldn’t be able to access it, is the best solution now for creating more access and potential for healing. 

Our 2024 fundraising objective is to raise one million dollars to support the Psilocybin Access Fund. SEF’s immediate goal is to create a statewide “sliding scale” for psilocybin services in Oregon.

While respecting underground pathways and the psychedelic science community, we are committed to this new state-regulated framework and believe that psychedelic services and therapy rendered in this model can be more widespread, financially accessible, and without the legal risk.

 

Apply for the Psilocybin Access Fund

 

Applications are open. Please subscribe to our newsletter for the most up to date information about the Psilocybin Access Fund application.

If interested in applying for a Psilocybin Access Fund grant, please read the information below to learn more about the grant including who can apply and what the grant includes. Please also scroll below to read the Frequently Asked Questions sections.

The application can take up to an hour to complete, as it includes learning about what is involved to receive psilocybin services in Oregon, a brief video, as well as, personal, financial, mental health, facilitation and integration questions. 

The application window will be open until June 30th, but we recommend applying as soon as you are able.

More information about the Psilocybin Access Fund is included in the application form itself as well as below in the FAQ section.

Questions about the Psilocybin Access Fund? You can always contact us at info@sherieckert.org. (If you write to us, please add this address to your contact list and check your spam folder regularly.)

 

Who can apply for a Psilocybin Access Fund grant?

 

The Psilocybin Access Fund application is open to everyone who is 21 years or older, in financial need, with priority to those from underserved communities. Selection criteria is primarily based on the applicant's financial need, whether they belong to an underserved population (e.g. geography, race, ethnicity, cultural barriers, occupation, physical and/or cognitive ability, age, gender, etc.), and a demonstrated understanding and readiness to receive psilocybin therapy.

Yes, we award grants to people who have never received or taken plant medicines before, and to people who have previous experience. You do not need to live in Oregon to access psilocybin services.

The Psilocybin Access Fund is supported through donations, so we aim to offer as many grants as possible based on the donations we’ve received. 

 

What does the grant include?

 

The grant is to support the cost of facilitation only, and the facilitator and/or service center must be licensed by Oregon Health Authority (OHA).

The grant does not cover the cost of psilocybin, as well as any other costs including but not limited to travel, food, and/or lodging. The cost of psilocybin medicine ranges from potentially being donated to costing around $100.

 

How can I support the Psilocybin Access Fund?

Accelerating the path to broader access - insurance coverage for psychedelic therapy in state regulated models

 

If you are interested in donating to support the Psilocybin Access Fund, please contact info@sherieckert.org or you can donate online.

In 2025 and 2026, we plan to expand SEF’s Psilocybin Access Fund to additional states, starting with Colorado and Massachusetts. We’ll consider covering additional medicines, as is allowed in Colorado's version of the Oregon Model (state regulated psychedelic therapy model). Through this approach, we’ll help accelerate the path towards expanded access and insurance coverage for psychedelic therapy in state regulated models.

 

Why is accelerating the path to insurance coverage one of our ultimate goals?

 

Currently, the biggest program in the Oregon Model is a structural one that is the result of the federal government and the ‘war on drugs’; a lack of equitable access to psychedelic therapy due to the absence of insurance coverage. 

In order for insurance to arrive, which we believe will happen eventually through hard work, we must first show that the Oregon Model - state regulated psychedelic therapy frameworks - work. In order for them to work, the public must have trust in the model, which translates to other states' adoption of the Oregon Model. 

Psilocybin Therapy Insurance Initiative

This is the Sheri Eckert Foundation's research project to accelerate insurance coverage. We know from firsthand experience that philanthropy will not and should not last forever as the solution to any problem. This is the very reason for this foundation’s existence and our Psilocybin Access Fund. We also feel insurance coverage for psychedelic medicines in state regulated models is an inevitability and will arrive much sooner if we put concerted effort towards it.

SEF's Psilocybin Therapy Insurance Initiative, which is one half of the goal of the Psilocybin Access Fund, with direct access being the other half, is being implemented through our partnership with OPEN, an interdisciplinary, community-wide, non-commercial research and evaluation project. They aim to measure the impact of state legal psychedelic services. OPEN is housed at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU). Their members are clinicians,  teachers, and researchers who are dedicated members of the  community.

 

"We're excited to support the liftoff of SEF's Psilocybin Access Fund because we simply need to help more people have access to the healing potential of psilocybin. Not having the money for it should never be the barrier for greater health! Thanks SEF for showing bold leadership to make that happen!" 

- Mark Holloway and David Kahl, Full Potential Fund

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

  • PAF provides direct financial support towards individuals accessing psilocybin therapy within Oregon's legal and regulated model, who otherwise may not be able to afford it, with a focus on underserved populations.

  • The Psilocybin Access Fund application is open to everyone who is 21 years or older, in financial need, with priority to those from underserved communities. Selection criteria is primarily based on the applicant's financial need, whether they belong to an underserved population (e.g. geography, race, ethnicity, cultural barriers, occupation, physical and/or cognitive ability, age, gender, etc.), and a demonstrated understanding and readiness to receive psilocybin therapy.

    Yes, we award grants to people who have never received or taken plant medicines before, and to people who have previous experience. You do not need to live in Oregon to access psilocybin services.

  • While research reveals a strong safety profile, psilocybin is not for everyone. Some conditions may be disqualifying. You may not be eligible to receive psilocybin therapy, depending in part on the Psilocybin Facilitator or Psilocybin Service Center, if you have a history of certain conditions.

    Please be aware that the following conditions or situations may be contraindications to receiving psilocybin therapy:

    • Mental health conditions such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, schizophreniform disorder, major depressive disorder with psychotic features, psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder, mania, delusional disorder, any dissociative disorder, substance-induced psychosis, or severe paranoia

    • Current drug or alcohol withdrawal symptoms or active/severe drug or alcohol misuse

    • Cardiovascular conditions such as: poorly controlled high blood pressure, prolonged QTc interval, congestive heart failure, history of cardiac arrest, history of ventricular arrhythmia (V. Fib/V.Tach), presence of AICD (Automatic Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator), coronary artery disease, angina, tachycardia, arrhythmia (e.g. atrial fibrillation), Wolff-Parkinson White Syndrome, heart valve disease, artificial heart valve, cardiac hypertrophy, cardiomyopathy, aortic disease, aneurysms

    • Gastrointestinal conditions such as: moderate to severe liver impairment, gastric outlet obstruction

    • Dialysis or severe kidney disease

    • Neurologic conditions such as dementia, cognitive impairment, seizure disorders, epilepsy, history of stroke or transient ischemic attack, cerebral aneurysm

    • Taking medications such as Lithium, two or more medications affecting your serotonin system (e.g.drug classes such as SSRI, SNRI, SPARI, TCA, and MAO inhibitors), Angle-closure glaucoma

    • Pregnancy

    • Tuberculosis, COVID and other highly contagious diseases

    • 1st degree relative (parent, sibling, child) with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or any psychotic or dissociative disorder

    If you are living with any of the above conditions or situations, and you are unable to resolve the condition or situation before receiving psilocybin therapy, we recommend that you do not apply for a Psilocybin Access Fund grant, as there is a high probability that you will not be deemed eligible to receive psilocybin therapy from a Psilocybin Facilitator or from a Psilocybin Service Center.

    Disclaimers:

    Please note, legally someone cannot receive psilocybin if they meet any of the following criteria at the time of:

    1. If you have been diagnosed with active psychosis

    2. If you take lithium or have taken lithium within the past 30 days

    3. If you have ideation of harm to yourself or others

    We are not making any sort of decision or confirmation that someone should receive psilocybin services. We are determining if an applicant is a good fit to receive a grant from us, so that they have the ability to pursue a licensed facilitator where both the client and facilitator will make the decision whether or not to work together.

  • The Psilocybin Access Fund is a new initiative from the Sheri Eckert Foundation, (SEF), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. SEF is committed to creating a future where Oregon’s evolving psychedelic ecosystem is accessible to participants from diverse backgrounds, financial means, and geographies around the state and country. Learn more about SEF here.

    Our Board of Directors is David Bronner, Tom Eckert, and Nathan Howard.

    Our team consists of Nathan Howard, Executive Director and Lorena Dame, Director of Operations and Development. We also work with an organization called Magical Teams to support our application process.

  • Please head to the State of Oregon's official website for Oregon Psilocybin Services, which contains many resources about Oregon’s Psilocybin Services model. It also contains sample forms to better understand information you may cover with a licensed facilitator in a preparation session:

    - Informed Consent

    - Client Bill of Rights

    Read the OPS Fact Sheet for information about psilocybin services in Oregon.

    To learn more about psilocybin, please review the Scientific Literature Review or Cultural and Anthropological Information on the OPS website.

    Another comprehensive guide is the Healing Advocacy Fund: Oregon Psilocybin Services Client Guide.

    Here is sample of an Intake and screening forms you would complete with a facilitator:

    OPS Client Intake and Screening w/Facilitators

  • Starting in April 2024 we will begin accepting applications from individuals that are interested in receiving financial assistance in order to receive psilocybin therapy within Oregon's legal and regulated model. Over the subsequent months we will issue grants on a rolling basis to select applicants.

    Grants will be awarded to individuals, and the funds will be distributed directly to the facilitator and/or service center that the individual is receiving services from.

  • Final grant amounts will vary but we anticipate that the average grant size will total $1,500.

    The grant is to support the cost of facilitation, it does not cover the cost of plant medicine. The cost of psilocybin medicine ranges from potentially being donated to costing around $100. The PAF grants do not cover any costs related to travel, food, lodging, or any other costs besides facilitation.

    The actual funds will be directed to the facilitator and/or service center, which must be licensed by Oregon Health Authority (OHA). Once you and a facilitator have agreed to work with each other, we will direct the funds to the facilitator.

    Grant recipients will have the ability to be referred to one of our 'Recommended Facilitators'. We encourage grantees to consider group therapy as well. Through receiving psilocybin therapy in a group model, our goal is to help increase the quality of care while bringing down overall costs for our grant recipients so that the grant awarded covers most or all costs.

  • Our goal is to award initial grants in June or July of 2024 and continue to award grants on a rolling basis over the course of 2024 and 2025. We will communicate with all applicants over email.

  • Grants are awarded through a competitive application process due to the fact that the number of applicants to the Psilocybin Access Fund will exceed the amount of funds we can distribute. Selection criteria is primarily based on the applicant's financial need, whether they belong to an underserved population (e.g. geography, race, ethnicity, cultural barriers, occupation, physical and/or cognitive ability, age, gender, etc.), and a demonstrated understanding and readiness to receive psilocybin therapy. Each of these three categories are detailed in the application process.

  • The Sheri Eckert Foundation strongly supports and encourages group psychedelic therapy (i.e. group psilocybin services) over individual (one-on-one) psychedelic therapy. While SEF Grantees can pursue an individual session, we would like folks to consider beginning with a group.

    Why group over one-on-one?

    In very recent history, group work has become less common, in part due to a western approach to medicine that is driven by the FDA's approach to drugs. For this reason, most people in the United States are less accustomed to group work and less likely to be comfortable with it.

    However, psychedelics - especially psilocybin - have a long and successful history of being used in group settings. This includes not just in a clinical context but also in Indigenous cultures going back thousands of years.

    Not only does group work save time and money, but studies show that when people feel part of a community, it improves their psychological well-being and connectedness.

    We believe this is one of the reasons why people who begin with a preference for individual over group end up strongly preferring group after they experience it. And we know from research and firsthand experience that individuals rarely heal or thrive in isolation.

    To learn more about group psychedelic therapy, consider tapping the above hyperlinks or see the below information and videos:

    • Research: National Library of Medicine - combining psychedelic substances and group psychotherapy may prove beneficial for increasing group connectedness and interpersonal learning, potentially enhancing prosocial behavior with direct opportunities to practice newly acquired knowledge about previously maladaptive behavior patterns.

  • The video is optional but recommended.

    As part of this application we ask that you record a short video (under 3 minutes) answering the following questions:

    • Sharing something about yourself

    • Why you are drawn to psilocybin services, your vision for psilocybin care

    • What are your intentions

    We'll ask that you provide a link to your video or upload it. Below are some resources that may help you record your video and upload it.

    Resources:

  • Any information you share with us is strictly confidential, and will not be shared with any person, for any reason, without your written (or electronic) permission.

    Submission of this information is voluntary and refusal to provide it will not subject you to any adverse treatment.

    The Sheri Eckert Foundation will only use, process, and store your personal information for the purpose of reviewing, managing, and executing the Psilocybin Access Fund program. Your information may be used, processed, and stored on IT platforms and accessed by Sheri Eckert Foundation employees and contractors for this purpose.

    All workstations and Typeform devices are fully encrypted to guarantee the confidentiality of the information they contain. Typeform's data protection standards are HIPAA compliant.

    We do not share, sell, or lease your personal information to third parties for other purposes, unless required by law. (At the time of this update, we have never received a legal request for personal information.)

  • All workstations and Typeform devices are fully encrypted to guarantee the confidentiality of the information they contain. Typeform's data protection standards are HIPAA compliant.

  • If selected to receive an SFE Psilocybin Access Fund grant, you will also have the option of volunteering to complete two anonymous surveys about your experience with your facilitator.

    You will be financially compensated for your participation in this research.

    The Psilocybin Therapy Insurance Initiative is the Sheri Eckert Foundation's research project to help accelerate insurance coverage, which is part of the goal of the Psilocybin Access Fund, with direct access being the other half. This research is being implemented through our partnership with OPEN, an interdisciplinary, community-wide, non-commercial research and evaluation project. They aim to measure the impact of state legal psychedelic services.

    OPEN is housed at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU). Their members are clinicians, teachers, and researchers who are dedicated members of the community.

    Overall, participating in research, particularly studies exploring the potential benefits of psychedelics for underrepresented populations, offers a unique opportunity to contribute to scientific advancement, personal growth, and the development of innovative treatments for mental health disorders. It's a decision that can have far-reaching implications for both individuals and society as a whole.

  • It is especially important to conduct research with underserved populations, because they have historically been excluded from psychedelic clinical trials. SEF’s Access Fund will fund psilocybin services for underserved clients and support incentives for those who volunteer to participate in research. The evidence generated by this partnership has many potential benefits, such as attracting grant funding from the National Institutes of Health, expanding access in Oregon counties where services are currently banned, and informing our citizens of the safety and outcomes of the psilocybin services program.

    **Contribution to Science:** By participating in research, you contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge and understanding of the human condition. Your involvement helps researchers gather valuable data that could potentially lead to breakthroughs in treatment options for various health conditions.

    **Contribution to Mental Health Advocacy:** By participating in psychedelic research, individuals may contribute to shifting societal attitudes and policies regarding mental health and psychedelic-assisted therapy. Your participation can help destigmatize discussions around mental health treatment options and advocate for broader access to effective therapies.

    **Supporting Evidence-Based Practices:** Engaging in research on psychedelics supports the development of evidence-based practices in mental health care. Your participation helps validate the safety and efficacy of these treatments, paving the way for their integration into mainstream mental health care practices, and opening up the possibility for insurance coverage for these services.

    **Community Engagement:** Participating in research studies fosters a sense of community and connection with others who share similar experiences or interests in mental health and psychedelic research. It provides an opportunity to engage with researchers, clinicians, and fellow participants in meaningful dialogue and collaboration.

    Overall, participating in research, particularly studies exploring the potential benefits of psychedelics for underrepresented populations, offers a unique opportunity to contribute to scientific advancement, personal growth, and the development of innovative treatments for mental health disorders. It's a decision that can have far-reaching implications for both individuals and society as a whole.