Building Bridges and Making Inroads into Existing Health System: Partnership with Health Equity Innovator- Camden Coalition

Partnering with health care organizations that are already working with marginalized communities is the most efficient and easiest path to helping individuals gain access to effective and safe PAT.

These organizations provide a complex set of community-based services that can support psychedelic care. In addition, they already have trusting relationships with local leaders and will be effective messengers to help community members learn about the benefits of PAT and increase interest in utilizing these medicines. We must leverage their expertise and relationships as they will be the leaders who bring PAT to their constituents. 

We have partnered with the Camden Coalition, a national leader in the health equity field who is known for its innovative work in improving healthcare outcomes for high-risk populations, particularly those with chronic conditions, complex medical needs, and social challenges. 

PMHA and Camden have adapted a tool created for complex care to assess a community's readiness to successfully adopt PAT into their health system based on the experience of Ketamine providers serving people on Medicaid.  By performing a community assessment prior to a pilot intervention, we can identify strengths and gaps and help prepare a location to successfully bring in PAT care. As one worker described it – we are roto-tilling the soil before planting the seeds. Doing this work enhances the chances that the PAT care is effective for individuals and communities and that studies we are supporting show a positive ROI.

In concert with leading psychologists, academics, and practitioners in the field, we have created a tool and framework** designed to map and then mobilize Equity & Access Support Ecosystems for PAT care models. Known as EASE, this tool assesses and enhances the readiness of local care ecosystems to implement PAT in marginalized communities. The tool evaluates key domains such as community trust, consumer participation, workforce readiness, and support services, identifying strengths and gaps within, and/or toward the creation of, a PAT ecosystem.

**Above we have included links for your viewing. Thank for not using or distributing the tool or framework at this time.

Making Inroads into Existing Health System
We will be presenting on the ecosystem mapping tools at the Camden National Conference in October 2025: Putting Care at the Center 2025 where we will reaching hundreds of health and social care providers, policymakers, consumer advocates, program leaders, payers, and researchers who are not familiar with the benefits and