For Immediate Release
VETS grant recipients are gaining access to Veteran’s PATH unique AMP dojo™ Integration Training program
Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS), a nonprofit organization working to end veteran suicide, announced today that it has partnered with Veteran’s PATH for a new program to help VETS’ Foundational Healing Grant recipients unlock the potential of psychedelic therapy through meditation and other mindfulness exercises.
VETS’ grant recipients, which include qualifying U.S. Special Operations Forces veterans and their spouses, are receiving access to the groundbreaking AMP dojo™ (Accelerated Mind Performance) Integration Training program developed by Veteran’s PATH. AMP dojo™ teaches participants how to use meditation and other mindfulness exercises to improve self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-compassion. The curriculum—eight to twelve weeks of training delivered through a series of one-hour online sessions—gives participants tools to better prepare for, and integrate, their experiences with psychedelic-assisted therapy.
“There are many supplementary interventions widely recognized to maximize the effectiveness of psychedelic therapy before and after treatment, but none so much as developing a dedicated meditation practice,” says Amber Capone, co-founder and executive director of VETS. “VETS has chosen meditation as our #1 recommendation following a psychedelic experience, and we are honored and excited to offer this opportunity to all VETS grant recipients.”
As a blend of traditional meditation methods, military high performance instruction, and elite-level athletic training, AMP dojo™ helps VETS grant recipients gain a better understanding of what to expect during psychedelic therapy, and to integrate therapeutic breakthroughs into their daily lives.
“VETS is on the cutting edge of mental health treatment, and we’re proud to support their grant recipients with AMP dojo™ training,” says Dave Drake, executive director of Veteran’s PATH. “Our meditation techniques facilitate a more open and clear understanding of the psychedelic therapy experience and close the experiential gap between the normal, everyday mind and the worldview experienced during psychedelic treatment. We’re confident that this unique partnership supports grant recipients in making and sustaining positive changes to their well-being.”
VETS and Veteran’s PATH have each contributed $25,000 to fund the AMP program and are researching the effects of the training on therapeutic outcomes.
Published research has shown that through preparation and integration, patients can achieve more positive therapeutic outcomes and reduce the risks associated with psychedelic therapy. The benefits of psychedelic-assisted therapy can be enhanced when patients prepare for an experience and work to integrate it in the days and weeks after sessions.
Mental health issues continue to take a heavy toll on the veteran communy, with an average of more than 17 veterans every day dying by suicide, according to 2019 data from the Department of Veterans Affairs. With psychedelic therapy now poised to be the next major breakthrough in mental healthcare, researchers believe that these treatments could offer special promise for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mTBI (mild traumatic brain injury), substance abuse, and other conditions commonly affecting veterans.
VETS has already helped hundreds of U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) veterans receive psychedelic-assisted therapy treatment through the nonprofit’s Foundational Healing Grants program. Non-SOF veterans interested in exploring psychedelic therapy can sign up for VETS’ free e-course, which offers guidance on integration techniques like meditation and breathing exercises, through a curriculum designed specifically for veterans.
About VETS
Founded in 2019, Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working to end the veteran suicide epidemic by providing resources, research, and advocacy for U.S. military veterans seeking psychedelic-assisted therapies for traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), addiction, and other health conditions. VETS envisions a world where our veterans have access to the most advanced healthcare options to heal from the mental and physical wounds of war.
About Veteran’s PATH
Veteran’s PATH (Peace, Acceptance, Transformation, & Honor) is a 501(c)(3) providing high quality, veteran-specific mindfulness training and peer support to service members, veterans, and their family members so they can build inner strength and resilience and ultimately lead purposeful and fulfilling lives. We partner with other veteran nonprofits and academic institutions in addressing veteran challenges comprehensively and we collaborate with research partners to study the effects of mindfulness and peer support for active-duty service members and veterans in transition.
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