Preparing Social Work for Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy

With MDMA, LSD, and psilocybin receiving “Breakthrough Therapy” designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and moving into Phase 3 clinical trials, we are closer than ever to legal administration of these compounds for mental health treatment. Research from Lykos, Usona Institute, Mindmed, Compass Pathways, and Johns Hopkins, among others, has shown promising efficacy of the administration of psychedelic compounds with psychotherapy, with participants no longer meeting diagnostic criteria for various mental health diagnoses (major depressive disorder, treatment-resistant depression, and PTSD, among others) when compared with those in placebo control groups, also paired with psychotherapy (Goodwin et al., 2022; Mitchell et al., 2023; Raison et al., 2023). As FDA approval and rescheduling of these compounds are anticipated, several states, including Oregon and Colorado, have legalized supervised therapeutic use of psilocybin, while other states consider ballot measures to decriminalize psychoactive plant-based medicines. There is an evident demand for therapy providers with various levels of familiarity with psychedelics, from general literacy to specialized providers administering these treatments in therapeutic settings.