Today, Mind Medicine Australia turns one year old! In our first year, we have made remarkable progress in growing public awareness of Medicine-Assisted Therapy in Australia. We are already seeing a paradigm shift in the curiosity, acceptance, and interest into the use of medicine-assisted therapy for depression, addiction, PTSD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anorexia and other challenges in our communities.
What we have achieved in our first year with your support:
- Successful launch event with Professor David Nutt at the University of Melbourne
- 10 Mind Medicine Australia produced educational events
- Over 50 appearances at outreach events by our team
- Over 80 regular donors
- Over 40 media appearances
- Submission to the Victorian Royal Commission on Mental Health and to the Productivity Commission
- Confirmed world-leading facilitators for our Introductory Medicine-Assisted Therapy Professional Development Workshop
- Confirmed 14 world leading speakers for our International Summit on Psychedelic Therapies for Mental Illness in November this year
- Commenced work on the first Australian/Asia-Pacific accredited Medicine-Assisted Therapy Professional Development Course
- Establishing Mind Medicine Australia Chapters in all states of Australia
- Created a video animation explaining the mental health problem in Australia and the benefits of psilocybin and MDMA-assisted psychotherapy
- Developing partnerships with Johns Hopkins University (USA) and Imperial College London for an Asia-Pacific Centre of Excellence in Psychedelic Medicine
- Funding partner with Psychedelic Research in Science and Medicine (PRISM) and
The Vasudhara Foundation for Australia’s first psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy trial at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne
The St Vincent’s and PRISM psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy clinical trial for end-of-life depression and anxiety, partially funded by Mind Medicine Australia, has begun. This is a momentous milestone for psychedelic therapy and research in Australia.
The progress we are making in public education was exemplified in several headlining media articles including in Australian Financial Review, The Australian, The Saturday Paper and Vogue Australia, as well as the release of our own in-house educational animation on medicine-assisted psychotherapy.
Our primary focus over the next couple of years will be on psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy and MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, given their “Breakthrough Therapy Designation” with the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) in the United States and the mounting clinical evidence that supports both their effectiveness and safety.
Behind the scenes, we are working closely with key stakeholders to ensure that these therapies will be accessible and affordable to all Australians needing these treatments, so that cost and geography is not a barrier.
In the last year, we have assembled a comprehensive leadership team with expertise in non-profit development, business, neuroscience, pharmacology, public health, psychology, events and educational development.
Mind Medicine Australia is also supported by an outstanding Board, Ambassadors and an Advisory Panel of local and international experts in medicine, science, ethics, law, policy, anthropology business and therapy.
We are currently preparing for our International Summit on Psychedelic Therapies for Mental Illness to be held in Melbourne this November. We have a global line-up of world leaders in medicine-assisted psychotherapies and other outstanding thought leaders on topics ranging from medicine and anthropology to neuroscience and ethics. We are now confirming financial, endorsing and media partners and would like as much support as possible to produce a brilliant event.
Likewise, interest in our Medicine-Assisted Psychotherapy professional development program is growing as we approach the introductory workshop to be held just prior to the Summit. This workshop will be facilitated by leading Psychotherapist and Founder of the UK TRIPP Network Maria Papaspyrou (UK) and Clinical Psychologist for the psilocybin trials at Imperial College, Renee Harvey (UK).
The full training program is expected to debut in 2021 and there is a diverse group of GPs, psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, nurses and counsellors already on the waiting list.
As we begin 2020, our vision and capacity continue to grow, as does the need to make medicine-assisted psychotherapy a legally available treatment for the increasing number of individuals suffering.
We ask for your continued and expanded support so that we can fund the path for psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy and MDMA-assisted psychotherapy to help treat the millions experiencing mental illness in Australia.
MMA was founded by social entrepreneurs Peter Hunt AM and Tania de Jong AM following their successful experience setting up other charities and working with people diagnosed with a mental illness.