What a year!

Can you believe what the TGA just did?

On the 3rd of Feb 2023, the TGA did what no drug regulator in the world had done or has done since.

On the 4th, 25 people on a group chat decided to set up an organisation that could lead this change.

On the 5th of Feb Eoin formed the AAPP (later AMAPP) signal group and while Bianca and Ella thought about how to form a Not-For Profit. I wrote the discussion paper that formed our thinking as well as the Vision and mission statements while sitting in an airport.

By the 7th of Feb Fen and Baz and I were buying websites and an agenda for our first meeting was penned and the structure of the board proposed.

On 8 Feb after the initial AAPP website was already taken Lani said “What about The Australian Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Practitioners?” Monica approved and www.amapp.au was purchased.

5 days after the TGA announcement we had a name, a board structure, a Vision and mission and a web domain.

Since then we have not stopped, first short-term then medium-term goals were ticked off. Donations from the early group members allowed for a constitution, ASIC registration, IT infrastructure, website, logo, charity status application, and policy goals. All the while we were following a strategy to do what would most benefit our patients. We have built credibility from the ground up first by backing up our Vision with sensible policies that prioritise ethics, safety and accountability and then by sensitive outreach to the fractured psychedelic community, culminating in our inaugural conference on the 23rd September.

We now have charity status from the ACNC and the ATO should sign off on this shortly.

So many people have given of themselves for as long as they were able and so many still do. We are now over 160 humans and counting with an advisory panel reflecting some of the leading experts in Australia.

We have slowly and stepwise built credibility and profile and are now able to use our knowledge and training to influence the course of PAT in Australia. Psychedelics in Australia will be different because of AMAPP.

We will very soon open our new members portal to applications for membership which will make the process of credentialing smoother. But we are also offering membership to those clinicians who may not be planning to become PAT therapists but who have an interest in the field and want access to our community of teaching, networking, learning and support. This will create a vibrant and inclusive membership base of interested healthcare professionals.

All of this will be available on the new portal with the first offering being the edited videos of all the wonderful talks from the conference. Free to paid members and conference delegates.

We will be able to offer regular webinars and updates from research in Australia and the world and a new chat function incorporated on the website and mobile devices.

2024 will see the next tier of engagement and advocacy where we begin the conversations that will help shape the future of PAT at the highest levels. We are already being approached by HREC’s to help draft guidelines and we see a standard National HREC application template being completed in the first quarter of the year with our proposals forming the basis, so no matter where prescribers apply, the process and requirements will be uniform.

We plan to have a forum where all the stakeholders can meet periodically to discuss progress, and continue to streamline all the small processes that have to engage easily to allow for sensible, safe PAT pathways.

With the right funding we will be able to engage more professional help in areas of IT, Media, a CEO, research and database manager, and full-time web support among others.

All while the world watches.

This incredible board of volunteers from the early directors to the current board have done an amazing job of balancing work, family and AMAPP and they have earned a break over the holidays, but the planning of the next conference has already begun and there is much still to achieve.

Thank you to all those supporters for your presence, support and encouragement, it has helped more than you know.

May everyone have a joyous and gentle holiday season.

-Dr Anthony Bloch

AMAPP Chair

Dear All,

I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude and share the immense excitement I feel after our inaugural conference. It has taken me a while to process the wonderful day we had, and I am deeply thankful for the support and contributions that made it possible.

Firstly, a heartfelt thank you to Harm Reduction Victoria for graciously providing us with their venue and invaluable assistance throughout the day. I'd also like to extend special gratitude to our generous sponsors, doTERRA and Cortexa, whose support was instrumental. Our partners, APS and EGA, played a crucial role, and I am truly appreciative of their continuous support.

A big shout-out to IPAT for the Acknowledgment of Country and to all our presenters and panellists who shared their time and ideas. Your insights were invaluable and deeply appreciated.

I am especially moved by the warmth and genuine interest of our attendees. Your presence transformed the day into something extraordinary. While I am accustomed to medical conferences, the sense of joy, humanity, and shared purpose, coupled with the feeling of making history, made this event truly exceptional.

The conference's success was multi-faceted, thanks to the outstanding quality of presentations, discussions, and debates. We are considering expanding next time, possibly into a two-day event, to allow more room for discussions, questions, and networking. We'll keep you updated on our plans.

We have proven that there is a credible path forward for the entire psychedelic community to unite and work towards bringing safe, effective, and accountable Psychedelic Assisted Therapy to Australia. Our focus lies in education and policies around the legal use of PAT for the best client outcomes. In the coming weeks and months, we will be collaborating with ethical organizations in the field, aiming to build concrete partnerships. I firmly believe that regardless of our specific focuses, there are common goals and synergistic expertise among us that can create powerful, non-conflicting collaborations.

Our immediate goals include processing membership applications and enhancing our IT infrastructure. We plan to create a secure members' area where we can share free recordings of conference talks for our members and offer pay-per-view options for non-members.

Your support has energized us, propelling us into the next phase of collaboration and advocacy at the highest levels. We welcome assistance in various areas such as media relations, government liaison, fundraising, and more. If you share our energy and passion, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Once again, thank you for being a part of this transformative journey. I will keep you updated as we make progress. Together, we can make a significant impact in the field of Psychedelic Assisted Therapy.

Best wishes,

Anthony Bloch

Chair, AMAPP