100+ Joined Our Virtual Community Session Recently, Where we Shared Critical Infrastructure Advancements

On December 16th, the National Psychedelics Association (the NPA) convened a well-attended virtual briefing over Zoom, bringing together facilitators, service center operators, training providers, and allied professionals from across Oregon, Colorado, and even beyond.

The session was structured as a working update rather than a formal presentation, walking the community through six big benefits we offer, including strong business infrastructural offerings currently in development. The strong turnout and the fact that the audience stayed connected throughout the call reflected a shared focus on legitimacy, safety, and long-term sustainability for psychedelic care across this community.

“As a field, we’ve spent a lot of time talking about what should exist,” Britton Rollins, the NPA Board Chair shared to open the session. “This work is about actually building the systems practitioners need to operate responsibly and confidently today.”

A Practical Briefing on What’s Being Built

Rather than broad vision statements, the Zoom event focused on concrete solutions the NPA is actively building, many of which address long-standing operational barriers faced by members.

Topics covered:

1. Purpose-built insurance for the Psychedelic-Assisted Care (PAC) space,
2. No-cost medical screening, with our partner Homecoming,
3. Accredited training credits offered with Fluence,
4. Advocacy work, led by the NPA, that may down schedule psilocybin,
5. A new vision for an industry-aligned provision for banking services,
6. An update on the NPA’s continued advocacy efforts to expand access.

Here, with this blog post, we elaborate on what was covered for each topic.

Purpose-Built Insurance Access
The NPA is developing a new solution for both general liability and professional liability insurance designed specifically for psychedelic practice. Matthew Grimes, the NPA’s Chief Insurance Officer, emphasized that this effort is about defensibility and alignment with real-world operations, not improvised coverage.

“For too long, people have been forced to make do with insurance products that don’t really fit,” Matthew Grimes explained. “This is about creating a solution that actually understands the work being done.”

No-Cost Medical Screening Through Homecoming
The NPA announced access to a world-class client medical screening service from Homecoming, available to members at no cost. During the call, Yuriy Blokhin Founder & CEO of Homecoming explained how standardized screening supports safety, ethical practice, and consistency, while reducing cost and administrative burden for facilitators and centers.

“This removes a significant logistical barrier while raising the floor for care across the entire field,” Yuriy told the audience. “Safety and rigor shouldn’t be optional or financially out of reach.”

CE-Accredited Training with Fluence
In the session, the community was also reminded about the NPA’s continuing education–accredited training partnership with Fluence, responding directly to member interest in professional development that is both high-quality and formally recognized.

“Our members want training that stands up in broader professional and clinical contexts,” Britt Rollins, Co-Founder of the NPA stated. “This partnership helps make that possible.”

Exploration of an Industry-Aligned Banking Solution
Members were updated on NPA’s exploration of a banking solution designed for psychedelic organizations, acknowledging both the complexity of the challenge and the importance of persistence.

“Access to stable, compliant financial services is essential infrastructure for any business. This is not a quick fix, but it’s work worth doing carefully and transparently.” Explained Terry Mendez, CEO of Safe Harbor drawing on his experience of supporting Cannabis businesses in a similar way over many years.

Psilocybin Rescheduling Advocacy Update
The session also included an update on the NPA’s great strides in psilocybin rescheduling advocacy. Highlighting how two current cases, led by the NPA, have led to a petition being issued to the DEA, for the re-scheduling of psilocybin from schedule I to schedule II. On the call, the NPA team explained that this will help expand access to this medicine, particularly for vulnerable and infirm individuals that cannot access treatment at designated facilities. The discussion framed current efforts within a longer-term, science-driven strategy.

“Policy change takes time and persistence,” Matthew Ettinger, board member of the NPA reiterated, “but staying engaged and coordinated is how meaningful progress happens.”

Infrastructure Built With Member Input
Throughout the Zoom call, questions and feedback from the audience helped shape the discussion, reinforcing NPA’s commitment to building infrastructure both with the community, and for the community.

“All this work isn’t something we’re designing in isolation,” Britt Rollins said. “Member input is shaping how these initiatives evolve.”

Engagement That Signals a Maturing Field

What stood out during this December 16 Zoom briefing was not just the level of attendance, but the quality of engagement. Questions focused on implementation, timelines, and the real-world application, signaling a shift from conceptual interest to operational readiness.

“This level of engagement tells us the field is maturing,” Matthew Ettinger reflected, “People are ready for systems that support legitimacy, not just conversation.”

This virtual briefing marked an important milestone, but it is only one step in an ongoing process. The NPA remains committed to advancing these initiatives, and more, in a transparent and collaborative manner.To everyone who joined the call, we thank you for showing up, asking thoughtful questions, and helping shape what comes next. If you missed it, watch back at the recording below, and on our Community Page. We look forward to continuing this work together.