PSYCHEDELIC FIRST AID & CPR ELECTIVE
Lead Trainers: Daniel McQueen, Gavin Dawson
Tuition
- $2,000 + Space Use Fee: $150
- Scholarship ($1,200 – $1,800)
Created in 2019, this unique four-day course stands as the industry’s first of its kind, aiming to equip psychedelic practitioners with comprehensive knowledge to manage mental health crises, medical emergencies, worst-case scenarios, and ensure physical safety.
Designed to address the specific challenges that can arise from psychedelics and other drugs, including overdoses, this program combines mental health crisis intervention with wilderness first aid training. Participants will gain essential skills tailored to handle critical situations encountered within the psychedelic realm.
The training goes beyond standard first aid and includes a Conscious Cannabis Circle, allowing trainees to delve deeper into the nuances of working with psychedelics responsibly. Additionally, participants will receive a valuable three-year CPR certification to enhance their capabilities further.
Join us for this groundbreaking program and become part of a new generation of psychedelic practitioners equipped to provide safe and effective care in various settings.
Course Content
Explore a wide range of critical topics encompassing panic, vomiting, paranoia, psychosis, suicidality, mania, and other severe mental health episodes. While these occurrences may not be frequent, they are prevalent enough to demand serious attention. Our comprehensive curriculum delves into these challenges, equipping participants with the knowledge and skills to address them effectively.
On the first aid front, the course provides targeted training on handling overdoses, falls, injuries, fainting, hypertension, heart issues, heart attacks, strokes, allergic reactions, seizures, and essential harm prevention strategies such as proper medicine dosing and hydration practices. Gain invaluable insights into assembling the right tools for your toolkit, including essential psychedelic antidotes.
Furthermore, our program emphasizes the ability to differentiate between typical, peculiar psychedelic experiences and genuine physical or mental health emergencies. Armed with this discernment, you can confidently navigate the sometimes perplexing landscape of psychedelic encounters.
Lecture Topics Include:
- Psychological and physical crisis prevention
- Psychological and physical crisis de-escalation
- Symptom identification
- Harm reduction techniques and practices
- Self-harm and suicide prevention
- Safety plans
- CPR
- Contraindications
- Foundational first-aid
- Primary and secondary patient assessments
- Harm reduction resources
Who Can Attend This Training:
This course has no barriers to those who wish to attend. You do not have to be a previous PSS student to sign-up.
You’ll Leave This Training With:
Upon completion of this transformative training, you will emerge equipped with both fundamental understanding and hands-on experience in effectively responding to psychological or physical crises that might arise from the use of psychedelic medicines or other substances. Our comprehensive curriculum ensures that you gain the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate these sensitive situations with confidence and compassion.
As a testament to your accomplishments, each participant will be awarded a CPR certificate (valid for 3 years) from the Wilderness Medical Association. Additionally, you will receive a certificate for Psychedelic First Aid, accredited by the Center for Medicinal Mindfulness.
Join us on this enlightening journey, and unlock the tools needed to make a profound impact within the realm of psychedelic care and safety.
Instructors
Daniel McQueen, MA
Daniel McQueen, MA, is a Psychedelic Specialist, Psychedelic Therapy Educator, Activist, Author of Psychedelic Cannabis, and the co-founder and Executive Director of the Center for Medicinal Mindfulness, one of the first legal psychedelic plant medicine centers in the United States. Daniel specializes in using Cannabis-Assisted Psychedelic Therapy and Ketamine-Assisted Psychedelic Therapy. Since Colorado legalized natural psychedelics in 2022 for personal use, Daniel leads his team in providing psilocybin and DMT support services through his non-profit, the Medicinal Mindfulness Foundation, and is spearheading an effort to make Extended-State DMT experiences accessible through his DMTx program. Daniel has significant experience guiding clients with severe mental health struggles such as PTSD, as well as growth oriented experiences that support creative problem-solving, personal growth and spiritual exploration. Daniel holds a masters degree in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology from Naropa University (2012) and has over twenty years of experience as a psychedelic professional. He is the lead trainer in the center’s psychedelic therapy training program, Psychedelic Sitters School. His work through Psychedelic Sitters School and with psychedelic cannabis has created an internationally recognized movement of practitioners across the United States and Canada, Mexico, Europe, Australia, and Israel.
Gavin Dawson, PA-C, WEMT, EMT-B
Gavin is a Physician Assistant and seasoned WEMT with a passion for education, medicine, and the outdoors. He has spent over a decade working in a variety of medical settings around the world, including Thailand, Laos, India, and the Dominican Republic. When he is not on the road teaching, Gavin works in Emergency Medicine, and Psychiatry, including as a ketamine-assisted psychotherapy provider. As a lead instructor for Wilderness Medical Associates, Gavin travels the world teaching wilderness medicine courses to people of all ages and skill levels. He is also the founder of Global Emergency Medics, a WMAI Licensed Training Company, and the non profit arm that provides wilderness medicine training courses to underserved communities worldwide. Whether exploring new lands with his skis and climbing gear or teaching others how to stay safe in the wilderness, Gavin is dedicated to combining his love of adventure, education, and medicine to make a difference in the world.
Order Daniel McQueen’s latest revision of his book Psychedelic Cannabis: Breaking the Gate
After years of exploring cannabis and working with it as a psychedelic, Daniel McQueen has written down what he has learned to share with you. In this book, you will learn how to transform Cannabis into a potent psychedelic medicine and use it as a tool to support you on your journey.