The field, in our own words.
Every newsletter PMHA Alliance has published, policy wins, Medicaid strategy, the New Mexico pilot, partnerships, and the people behind the work. Newest first.
Beloved Changemakers,
The PMHA Alliance came together in 2023 with a shared commitment to expand access to psychedelic-assisted care with integrity, care, and community at the center. These updates are how we share the work, what we've learned, who we're walking alongside, and where the movement is heading.
, The PMHA Alliance Team
Spring 2026
A Note from the Co-Directors, Spring 2026
Did you know that an estimated 8.5 to 10 million adults on Medicaid are living with conditions that may benefit from psychedelic-assisted therapy and are not finding adequate relief through existing treatment options?
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PMHA Alliance Co-Authors its First Peer-Reviewed Article in Frontiers in Public Health
Developed through a partnership between PMHA Alliance, the University of New Mexico, and the Bernalillo County Health Equity Council, the publication describes the design of New Mexico's Group Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy study for PTSD and the community engagement process used to help shape it.
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Recruitment Opens for the UNM Group Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy Study
Recruitment is now open for the University of New Mexico GPAT study, a group-model psilocybin-assisted therapy for PTSD designed for three patient groups.
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Reflections from a Year of Community Engagement in New Mexico
Our first public presentation on the reflections and findings from a year-long community engagement process in New Mexico, reaching over 300 New Mexicans.
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From New Jersey: Community Engagement and Co-Design Begins in Camden
With the recent passage of New Jersey's Psilocybin Behavioral Health Access and Therapy Pilot Program, PMHA Alliance has begun the community engagement and co-design phase for our second pilot initiative.
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Alliance Partner Spotlight: Denali Wilson, Healing Advocacy Fund
This quarter, we're delighted to spotlight Denali Wilson, New Mexico Director of Strategic Support at the Healing Advocacy Fund and one of our closest collaborators in New Mexico.
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In the Media: Jeff Walker on the History and Future of Psychedelic-Assisted Recovery
Jeffrey Walker, a founding advisor to PMHA Alliance, joins the Coalition for Mental Health Investment to discuss the evolution of the psychedelic field and what will be required to bring these promising therapies into mainstream mental health care.
Read more →January 2026
New Jersey Advances Psilocybin Pilot Program Into Law
We’re excited to share a major milestone from New Jersey.
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New Mexico Accelerates Medical Psilocybin Program, Advancing Access to Care by December 2026
New Mexico is moving faster than expected to implement its medical psilocybin program, with initial patient access now anticipated by December 2026,a full year earlier than originally required. The acceleration reflects strong public interest as well as the urgency of unmet menta
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On the Horizon: Expanding Access to Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Through Medicaid
The Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) is one of the nation’s leading Medicaid policy organizations, known for improving care through smart policy design, implementation support, and cross-sector collaboration.
Read more →September 2025
Introducing Johanna Chao Kreilick, Strategic Field Builder Expanding PMHA Alliance’s Work Into Mental Health
PMHA Alliance is delighted to introduce Johanna Chao Kreilick, an extraordinary strategic field builder we’ve been working with over the past several months. Johanna is coming on this fall to help us expand our reach into the broader mental health field and to begin planning a ma
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Equipping the New Wave of Psychedelic Mental Healthcare Providers
PMHA Alliance is advancing the future of psychedelic-assisted therapy by equipping medical professionals and training programs with the tools to meet diverse community needs. This work is central to our Medicaid strategy: building a workforce that understands how social determina
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Q&A with Michael Cotton: Medicaid, Commercial Insurance & PAT Coverage
We dropped in with Michael Cotton to explore the inner workings of Medicaid and examine how PMHA’s strategy could influence not only public coverage but also the broader commercial and private insurance markets.
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Snapshots from PMHA’s New Mexico Community Engagement Process
We’re now three months away from completing our nine-month community readiness and co-design journey in New Mexico, in preparation for the Group Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy (GPAT) pilot for PTSD with the University of New Mexico. Together with the Bernalillo County Health Equity
Read more →June 2025
Advancing Standardized Care Metrics Across the Field
One of the greatest challenges to accelerating our ability to bring mental health and psychedelic assisted-care to marginalized communities through coverage by Medicaid and other insurers is the lack of sufficient data. Large studies are expensive, and the data often lives in a v
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PMHA Alliance Joins Set & Setting Collaborative
PMHA Alliance had the pleasure of joining the Set & Setting Collaborative at 1440 Multiversity this spring. Launched by the International Arts + Mind Lab, the Collaborative is a multidisciplinary initiative exploring how “set and setting”,the psychological, social, and environmen
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Establishing a Standardized Dataset for Psychedelic Medicine
A Delphi Expert-Consensus study
Read more →New Mexico Psilocybin Pilot Status Report (as of May 2025)
Here’s a high-level rundown of where we’re at with our New Mexico psilocybin feasibility, safety and implementation pilot,a community-informed, Medicaid-aligned model of psychedelic-assisted care. What’s complete, what’s in motion, and what’s coming next.
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Listening First: How PMHA’s New Mexico Group Psilocybin Study is Being Shaped by Community Design
By Hanifa Nayo Washington, PMHA Co-Director
Read more →March 2025
Opening Doors to a Representative PAT Workforce: Insights from Access to Doorways’ Research & Assessment Projects
At the Psychedelic Mental Health Access Alliance (PMHA), we are committed to advancing our mission and vision by collaborating with, catalyzing, and amplifying the work of practitioners, researchers, and educators who are dedicated to creating and expanding access to psychedelic-
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PMHA’s Medicaid Strategist, Tanya Shah, Leads Partnership with the Center for Health Care Strategies
We are excited to announce our partnership with the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) to create a roadmap towards Medicaid expansion.
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Exciting Matching Grant Opportunity: Fuel the Future of Psychedelic Mental Health Access
We have a game-changing chance to amplify the impact of your support. A long-time philanthropist in the health equity space sees the promise of PAT for marginalized communities and wants to see bridges built between our communities. They have put up a $200,000 matching grant to h
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How PMHA Alliance is Informing Psychedelic Policy, A Conversation with Jared Moffat of New Approach
As the movement to expand access to psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) gains momentum, state-level policy will determine whether these treatments become integrated into mainstream healthcare or remain out of reach for those who need them most. At PMHA Alliance, we understand that
Read more →Updates From New Mexico: Community Engagement & Policy Advancement
The Psychedelic Mental Health Access Alliance (PMHA Alliance) is pioneering an equity-driven approach to psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) in New Mexico, integrating this transformative treatment into the state’s existing healthcare infrastructure. Our work centers on developing
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Putting a PEP in Our Step: A New Partnership with the 1440 Foundation & U-PEP
A profound shift is taking place in psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT),one that acknowledges the deep need for health equity, cultural competence, and access for those historically left out of transformative care. In a new and meaningful partnership, the PMHA Alliance, 1440 Found
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Collecting the Evidence for Medicaid and Other Insurance Providers
Medicaid, the largest health insurance provider for people who suffer the most from untreated mental illness, will need critical evidence, beyond FDA approval, to show that these medicines can be delivered safely and effectively, and to whom, in a real world setting before thes
Read more →In the News: Medicaid, Psychedelic Therapy, and Policy Developments
Wisconsin’s Medicaid Coverage for IV Ketamine Therapy
Read more →December 2024
Shining a light on visionary catalysts in the movement for psychedelic health equity: Meet Dr. Larry Leeman, MD, MPH
Dr. Leeman is the research lead for PMHA’s New Mexico pilot. He is a physician, researcher, and therapist with over 25 years of experience in New Mexico, focusing on addiction, trauma, and transformative healing. We dropped in with Larry for his two questions:
Read more →Breaking New Ground in New Mexico: Launching an Equity-Driven PAT Pilot in Collaboration with State Leadership and Community Health Leaders
As mental health challenges and substance use disorders continue to rise, innovative approaches to treatment are more urgent than ever. The PMHA Alliance is stepping up to meet this need with our first pilot project in New Mexico,an equity-driven effort to integrate psychedelic-a
Read more →Bridging to Marginalized Communities through the Cultivation of a Diverse and Health Equity-Trained PAT Workforce
In August 2024, we launched a two-year collaboration with Access to Doorways to evaluate the cultural competence, resonance, and effectiveness of psychedelic-assisted therapy training programs for practitioners from marginalized communities. The initial focus is on Black practiti
Read more →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 sup
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