Since its founding in 2017, Heroic Hearts Project (HHP) has aimed to end veteran suicide by connecting over 1,000 veterans to life-saving psychedelic treatments in countries where such substances are legal. With more post-9/11 war veterans dying by suicide than killed in combat during the entire “Global War on Terror,” there was a large need to end this epidemic. Returning to the US after their treatment, many veterans have become inspired to advocate for greater access to these treatments. HHP empowers veterans to educate the public about the impact of psychedelic therapies. HHP has successfully leveraged the veteran voice to help establish a legal framework for psilocybin programs in Oregon and Colorado, providing key testimony to regulators and legislators. As a result, this past year, HHP began hosting first-of-its-kind legal psilocybin retreats in the US. I have spent the past two years serving as director of development for HHP, and this fellowship enabled me to focus my efforts specifically on these groundbreaking, legal domestic retreats.

This summer, I collaborated with donors, veteran leaders, stakeholders, and policymakers to refine the program and secure funding to connect veterans to it. In partnership with HHP’s executive director, I developed the financial model and drafted the budget for the retreats, ensuring the program was aligned with both short- and long-term strategic goals. I also conducted an analysis to identify key operational challenges and created scalable solutions that enhanced the program’s financial sustainability while maintaining a focus on safety and efficacy for veteran participants. In the face of uncertainty surrounding FDA approval of MDMA-assisted therapy, these domestic programs are vital for demonstrating real-world efficacy. Sponsoring veterans to participate in this program provides donors with a rare opportunity to receive an outsized return on philanthropic investment by connecting veterans in need to potentially lifesaving care today, while simultaneously contributing to a broader legalization movement and building the infrastructure necessary to safely scale psychedelic medicine in the near future.

When crafting our programs, we prioritize the needs of the veterans we serve. My social work training, which emphasizes patient-centered care, was instrumental in shaping the way I contributed to HHP’s program development. We focused on ensuring that these programs were accessible, trauma-informed, and specifically tailored to veterans’ needs. A key insight we gained from surveying veteran participants was about the unique trauma experienced by LGBTQ+ veterans, particularly those who served during the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” era. In response, HHP hosted the first-ever LGBTQ+ veteran psychedelic retreats, providing a unique opportunity for these veterans to heal in community with others who share their lived experiences. Social workers are also advocates, and veterans are in the midst of a suicide crisis. To help drive approval of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD, HHP collaborated with other nonprofits to mobilize veterans in a powerful advocacy effort. This included placing 150,000 dog tags — representing each veteran who has taken their own life since 9/11 — on the steps of Congress to push for FDA action. Advocacy and clinical care come together to create lasting change, and my social work background helped me bridge these areas.

The past year the psychedelic space presented numerous macro-level challenges, particularly in the shifting economic and regulatory climate, which impacted philanthropic activity. This created both challenges and opportunities, as HHP ventured beyond the traditional “psychedelic philanthropy ecosystem” to secure new donations. While challenging, these obstacles provided us with opportunities for growth and evolution, allowing us to expand our network and refine our approach.

One of the key takeaways from this experience was the power of collaboration and seeing what a motivated group of people can achieve when working together toward a shared goal. The collective efforts of our team, veterans, donors, and stakeholders led to veterans accessing care that helps them not only recover from PTSD, but thrive. This is a lasting impact that ripples outwards to their families and communities. Additionally, I gained a deeper understanding of how larger systemic forces influence access to care. The FDA’s recent decision not to approve MDMA-assisted therapy at this time will have far-reaching consequences for veterans and other groups struggling with PTSD. The decision is devastating, as veterans in crisis are desperate for access to this efficacious treatment. This is further highlighted by the fact that HHP's waitlist has now swelled to over 2,000 veterans hoping to secure a spot on a retreat. Despite the disappointment, it was encouraging to see how psychedelic therapies have garnered bipartisan support from political figures from opposite sides of the aisle, such as Dan Crenshaw and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

My ultimate takeaway is that there is still vital work to be done. It is important to focus on what we can do now to be of service to veterans in need today, even as we continue working for broader systemic change.