Bridging veteran psychedelic peer expertise with research and clinical care: Peer Readiness and Education for Psychedelic Practice (PREPP) workshop
Stephanie R. Rodriguez, PSS Daniel Friedrich, Kim Hoffman, Adrianne Rae Wilson-Poe, R. Cameron Wolf, Rick Lambert, PSS R. Donny Reed, Karin Gagnon, Devin Gregoire, P. Todd Korthuis, Christopher S. Stauffer
Psychedelics August 13, 2026 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyche.2026.100036 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 8 |
| Population | Veteran peer support specialists |
| Key points | The PREPP curriculum may help prepare veteran psychedelic peer support specialists for research and clinical roles. Knowledge scores improved (mean difference 4.2 on a 27-point scale), and participants valued experiential learning as foundational to their development. |
Abstract
Psychedelics have been researched for decades, yet clinical investigations represent only a small fraction of their use. Some states have launched supervised psychedelic wellness services, outpacing controlled trials in the numbers of participants served. Veterans are key advocates for legal therapeutic access to psychedelics, seeking options through grassroots veteran-run organizations that have created robust networks for connection and healing, primarily through peer support frameworks. Psychedelic research and clinical spaces lack veteran peer support, including within the Veterans Health Administration METHODS This paper outlines the development and evaluation of the Peer Readiness and Education for Psychedelic Practice (PREPP), a novel curriculum that integrated thematic analysis of stakeholder focus groups and expert consensus to educate peer support specialists interested in contributing to psychedelic research and clinical practice within the medical model. The facilitator manual and participant workbook include modules on working with interdisciplinary teams, safety, ethics, and experiential learning.
Results: The PREPP curriculum was piloted with eight veteran peer support specialists. Workshop participants demonstrated higher post-workshop knowledge assessment scores and described increased perceived preparedness for psychedelic peer support roles in the clinical setting. Mean knowledge scores increased from pre- to post-workshop using a 27-point scale (mean difference=4.2, 95% CI 1.2-7.1, p=0.01). Participants deeply valued the experiential component, underscoring its significance in shaping learning. Feedback suggested that participants viewed the experiential learning component as foundational to supporting development and modeling best practices.
Conclusion: Preliminary feedback from this small pilot workshop suggests that the PREPP curriculum may help prepare veteran psychedelic peer support specialists to expand their existing work into research and clinical spaces. Future iterations may benefit from expanded experiential learning and joint training with clinicians to enhance interdisciplinary collaboration.