This week Mind Medicine Australia turns two years old! In our two years, we have made remarkable progress in growing public awareness of Psychedelic-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 mental and physical illnesses in our communities.
In order to help those who are suffering with mental illness we have focused on four key strategic areas. Please see our strategic objectives to build the ecosystem in Australia for these medicines here.
What we have achieved in our two years with your support:
Awareness and Knowledge Building
- Successful launch event with Professor David Nutt at the University of Melbourne
- 120+ webinars, screenings and special events attracting 20,000+ participants globally
- 200+ regular donors
- 100+ media appearances
- 120,000+ visitors to our websites and over 21,800+ followers on our social media channels
- 2000+ downloads of our e-book about psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies
- 20,000+ people in our database
- 27+ local Chapters around Australia and New Zealand with 600+ members and growing
- 20+ world leading speakers for our International Summit on Psychedelic Therapies for Mental Illness to take place in Melbourne in November 2021
- 150+ partner organisations for our Summit so far
- Created a video animation explaining the mental health problem in Australia and the benefits of psilocybin and MDMA-assisted psychotherapy with over 50,000+ views
- Collating Australia’s first book of Psychedelic Healing Stories
- Part-funder of St Vincent’s end-of-life trial using psilocybin-assisted therapy
Access to Medically Approved Therapy
- Submission of our TGA application to reschedule MDMA and psilocybin from Schedule 9 (Prohibited Substances) to Schedule 8 (Controlled Medicines).
- Australia’s TGA has granted approvals through SAS-B for psilocybin and MDMA assisted therapies for patients on a case-by-case basis
- Partnership announced between Emyria Limited (which owns a network of Emerald Clinics around Australia) and Mind Medicine Australia to develop a gold standard national care program, clinical protocols and standard operating practices for psychedelic-assisted therapies
- Submissions made to the Victorian Royal Commission on Mental Health and to the Productivity Commission
- Launch of our Psychological Support Service offering expert support in relation to psychedelics and plant medicines in terms of client emotional health and wellbeing
- Built national team of 11 practitioners including 1 psychotherapist, 5 psychologists, 1 GP, 1 nutritionist, 1 Trauma informed yoga teacher, 1 counsellor and 1 social worker
- 370+ sessions by all practitioners including 17 NDIS sessions
- 116+ current patients and 759 patients in our database
- 65+ general practitioners in our GP database
- 60+ participants in our study and integration groups
- 10 social work student placements with over 5000 hours
- Key university partnerships with University of Melbourne, Victoria University, Deakin University and Australian Catholic University
- Contract signed with manufacturer of medical grade GMP standard psychedelic medicines for import to Australia when all necessary regulatory approvals have been obtained.
- Review of Federal and State legislative and regulatory requirements
Professional Development Program (Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies)
- Confirmed world-leading facilitators for our Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies professional development course
- First intake fully subscribed and other intakes filling fast
- 100+ therapists in training annually including GPs, psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, mental health nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, addiction specialists and counsellors.
Asia-Pacific Centre for Emerging Mental Health Therapies (CEMHT)
- Developing partnerships with Australian Universities to create an Asia-Pacific Centre of Excellence in Emerging Mental Health Therapies
- Discussions with key stakeholders continue
The progress we are making in public education was exemplified in several headline media articles including in the Australian Financial Review, The Australian, the Age, Herald Sun, The Saturday Paper and Vogue Australia and media interviews including with The Project, ABC and other stations.
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 strong clinical evidence that supports both their effectiveness and safety. We are also interested in developing other medicines to treat a variety of conditions.
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 in medically-controlled environments, so that cost and geography doesn’t become a barrier.
In the last year, we have assembled a comprehensive leadership team with expertise in mental illness including psychology, neuroscience and pharmacology, non-profit development, business practices and networks, public health, events and educational development.
Mind Medicine Australia is also supported by an outstanding Board, Ambassadors and an Advisory Panel of over 60 local and international experts in medicine, psychiatry, psychology, pharmacology, research, science more broadly, ethics, law, policy, anthropology, business and therapeutic practices.
We are currently preparing for our International Summit on Psychedelic Therapies for Mental Illness to be held at the Sofitel 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 appreciate as much support as possible to produce a brilliant event.
Our much anticipated Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies launched in January 2021. We are thrilled to welcome a wonderful group of GPs, psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, mental health nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, addiction specialists and counsellors.
As we begin 2021, our vision and capacity continues to grow, as does the need to make medicine-assisted psychotherapy a legally available treatment through our medical system for the increasing number of individuals suffering as a result of the pandemic, environmental challenges and global trends which challenge social cohesiveness and social inclusion.
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. This is personal for every one of us.
“Psychedelics are to the study of the mind what the microscope is to biology and the telescope is to astronomy.” – Dr Stanislav Grof
Enormous gratitude to all of our supporters, partners, Board, Ambassadors, Advisory Panel, Team, Chapters and volunteers.
This is a collective mission and we need all of you by our sides.
On behalf of Mind Medicine Australia
Peter Hunt AM, Chair & Tania de Jong AM, Executive Director
Tania de Jong AM
LL.B (Hons), GradDipMus
Tania de Jong AM is the co-Founder and Executive Director of Mind Medicine Australia. She regularly presents on psychedelic-assisted therapies, mental health and wellbeing at major conferences and events around the world and to Governments, regulators, clinicians, philanthropists and the general public.
Tania is one of Australia’s most successful female entrepreneurs and innovators developing 6 businesses and 4 charities including Creative Universe, Creativity Australia and With One Voice, Umbrella Foundation, Creative Innovation Global, Pot-Pourri and The Song Room.
Tania was named in the 100 Women of Influence, the 100 Australian Most Influential Entrepreneurs and named as one of the 100 most influential people in psychedelics globally in 2021. Tania’s TED Talk has sparked international interest. Tania has garnered an international reputation as a performer, speaker, entrepreneur and a passionate leader for social change. Her mission is to change the world, one voice at a time!
Peter Hunt AM
B.Com, LL.B
As an investment banker Peter Hunt AM advised local and multi-national companies and governments in Australia for nearly 35 years. He co-founded one of Australia’s leading investment banking advisory firms, Caliburn Partnership and was Executive Chairman of Greenhill Australia. Peter was a member of the Advisory Panel of ASIC and chaired the Vincent Fairfax Family Office.
Peter is an active philanthropist involved in funding, developing and scaling social sector organisations which seek to create a better and fairer world. He is Chairman of Mind Medicine Australia which he established with his wife, Tania de Jong, in 2018. He regularly presents to Governments, regulators, clinicians, philanthropists and the general public on psychedelic-assisted therapies and the legal and ethical frameworks needed to ensure these treatments can be made accessible and affordable.
He founded Women’s Community Shelters in 2011. Peter is a Director of The Umbrella Foundation. Peter also acts as a pro bono adviser to Creativity Australia. He was formerly Chairman of So They Can, Grameen Australia and Grameen Australia Philippines.
Peter was made a member of the General Division of the Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2010 for services to the philanthropic sector.