Philadelphia, PA — Veterans are seeking out cutting edge psychedelic treatments, including ketamine, to address a variety of serious mental health conditions. SoundMind, a psychedelic therapy and training center with a national footprint, has launched our Veteran Peer Support Model to help open doors to these important options. 

“This project aims to bring better outcomes than current models of care and at a lower cost, which will increase access to psychedelic care for Veterans,” said Dr. Hannah McLane, SoundMind Founder, and Executive Director. 

The use of ketamine is shown to have strong efficacy as a treatment for suicidality and depression. When combined with talk therapy, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) treatments can have dramatic and lasting results for depression and PTSD. With over 17 Veterans committing suicide each day in the United States, increasing access to every treatment option is vital. 

SoundMind's innovative Peer Support program is a national first, training Veterans in recovery from PTSD to assist with KAP for other Veterans as part of a care team of licensed providers. 

“Peer Support will save patients hundreds of dollars with each treatment,'' said Dr. McLane.

This model is a powerful experience for everyone involved, providing patients with an additional emotional and social safety net throughout treatment, while offering Mentors a chance to contribute to the healing of others.

Aneudie (“Ace”) Crespo is a US Marine Corps combat Veteran and a SoundMind patient. Since leaving the Marines, Ace struggled for a decade with the ongoing effects of PTSD and depression. After several attempts to find relief through traditional therapy and medication failed, Ace was considering suicide. Today, halfway through his treatment with KAP, Ace reports “a sense of peace I don’t know that I’ve ever felt in my life.” Ace is receiving treatment at the SoundMind Center in West Philadelphia, our flagship clinical location for KAP, through a collaboration with Reason for Hope and Heroic Hearts.

Throughout his care, Ace has been connected to our Peer Support Mentorship Program, a network of other Veterans who personally share and understand his experience of military trauma and who work directly with Ace in his treatment. Nick Blackston is a USMC Combat Veteran, a former participant in an MDMA-assisted psychotherapy clinical trial, and a recipient of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. Nick has been an important Mentor for Ace, highlighting the success of the support model.
“My journey from ‘patient’ to ‘healer’ has come full circle, now I participate in the healing process of others,” said Nick, “We’re dispelling the misinformation around psychedelics to bring them back into our medicinal toolkit.”

This Veteran Peer Support Project is part of SoundMind’s broader Psychedelic Access for Veterans Initiative. In addition to work with Veterans, SoundMind has started to focus on Peer Support among other groups, including BIPOC and LGBTQIA patients.

“We envision this program as a vital part of the long-term recovery of Veterans with PTSD; a way to reintegrate into communities and find purpose,” said Dr. McLane.

Interviews with psychedelic treatment professionals and patients are available, along with appointments to review video of KAP treatment sessions with Veterans. Find out more about Ace’s story here, and support SoundMind’s work with Veterans here.