In recent years, the conversation surrounding psychedelics has changed dramatically. As research explores the potential medicinal and therapeutic benefits of psychedelics, the unsupervised use of such drugs has risen correspondingly – posing the need for informed psychedelic crisis care.
In response, the Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education (CPDRE) in The Ohio State University College of Social Work launched the Psychedelic Emergency, Acute, and Continuing Care Education (PEACE) program last October.
Closing the gap
The Ohio State University
Dr. Stacey B. Armstrong
Within the last five years, the use of psychedelic medicine has increased significantly, with the global psychedelic therapeutics market size growing from about $3.61 billion in 2021 to an estimated $6.4 billion today, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Business Research Company. According to a market study by Precedence Research, that value is expected to reach $11 billion by 2034.
More specifically, ketamine (and its derivative esketamine) as well as psilocybin have rapidly gained attention as potential treatments for depression and other mental health conditions. The FDA approved Spravato – an esketamine prescription nasal spray – as a standalone treatment last January.
Simultaneously, psilocybin trials alone now represent about 51 percent of classic psychedelic trials according to the NIH, with 60-70 percent of participants across trials showing significant improvement in depression and anxiety symptoms within weeks and 50 percent achieving full or near remission, according to a study published by JAMA Psychiatry.
Meanwhile, despite the infancy of psychedelic trials and corresponding safety measures, the allure of potential health benefits has already led to a rise in recreational use. The percentage of people aged 12 or older who used hallucinogens recreationally in the past year increased from 2.7 percent in 2021 to 3.6 percent in 2024, according to the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
“People have started to learn about the benefits of psychedelics while, at the same time, the federal government categorizes these as controlled substances,” Dr. Stacey B. Armstrong, associate director of the CPDRE, wrote in a press release. “With the promising outcomes of clinical trials, there has been an explosion of information, but the information has been limited in addressing adverse experiences and harm reduction.”
While strides are being made in psychedelic research, dosage guidance and other safety precautions lag behind – increasing the chance of users finding themselves in distress or emergency situations in which first responders and healthcare professionals lack proper training. The PEACE program aims to address this, closing the risk gap by educating Ohio’s professionals.
Inside the program
Developed and administered by the CPDRE and funded by a $400,000 SOAR Innovation grant from the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health (ODBH), the PEACE program will equip more than 127,000 Ohio professionals with psychedelic-informed skills, including crisis triage and referral guidance to healthcare providers specially trained in psychedelic harm reduction.
“We want to arm our first responder and behavioral health workforce with knowledge about how to support someone’s challenging psychedelic experience in a way that’s going to be helpful, not increase risk or harm,” says Armstrong.
The program will consist of in-person seminars and online training materials for workers across multiple disciplines and behavioral health settings – including doctors, nurses, social workers, EMTs, police, psychiatrists and many others. The first seminar will be held this January, with more to come in March and July.
Additionally, all training will be offered at no cost. This ensures all professionals will have access to training and tools that are not only standardized and evidence-based, but also compassion-driven with a clear focus on public health and safety.
“CPDRE is all about access and affordability,” Tina Romanella, CPDRE’s program coordinator, wrote in a press release. “Our job is to make (the information in this space) accessible, affordable and accurate.”
Translating research into readiness
From a broader perspective, the PEACE program represents more than just a professional training initiative – it’s a proactive step toward preparing Ohio’s workforce for a changing behavioral health landscape.
As psychedelic research advances and public interest grows, programs such as this serve to translate cutting-edge research into real-world readiness, and ensure care remains grounded in safety, compassion and science.
“We’ve created this content, but its value depends on reaching the people who need it,” Angela Douglas, CPDRE clinical research coordinator, wrote in a press release. “With DBH’s network and workforce expertise, we’re confident we can get this training to every corner of the state.”
Ella Jay is an assistant editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at ejay@cityscenemediagroup.com.
