The organizations are calling it “the world’s first veteran-focused KAP training program.”
Fluence and Heal Ukraine Trauma said they recently completed Ukraine’s first ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) training program.
Heal Ukraine Trauma, a mental-health nonprofit, developed and implemented the training program with input from KAP experts, while Fluence provided the digital learning platform.
The organizations are calling it “the world’s first veteran-focused KAP training program.”
Heal Ukraine Trauma said it collaborated with the Ukrainian Psychedelic Research Association to recruit eight Ukrainian psychiatrists and psychologists. The practitioners have completed the academic and experiential portions of the program to learn how to deliver group trauma treatment to veterans, the nonprofit noted.
Heal Ukraine Trauma and Fluence point to data estimating that 132,000 war veterans in Ukraine may not respond to conventional therapies for depression and PTSD. Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy can be legally administered in registered clinics in Ukraine.
“Building on the success of this pilot, we plan to expand the program sixfold next year to extend our capacity to deliver innovative mental health therapies to those who need them most,” said Elise Wilson, executive director of Heal Ukraine Trauma. “We aim to establish a sustainable, Ukrainian-led initiative that will significantly increase access to effective therapeutic options for veterans.”
Heal Ukraine Trauma conducted the in-person sessions in a specially adapted basement shelter at the Expio Clinic in Kyiv. The training program, which the nonprofit developed and implemented utilizing Fluence’s platform, includes:
- A rigorous academic curriculum including the latest clinical data on KAP, effective group therapy techniques and the science of ketamine
- An experiential component with group KAP sessions led by experienced therapists
- A six-month supervision period
“We’re proud that our educational platform and specialized ketamine therapy curriculum could support this pioneering program,” said Ingmar Gorman, co-founder of Fluence. “Our contribution to HUT’s vital training program aligns with Fluence’s mission to expand access to quality psychedelic therapy education globally, especially in regions facing urgent mental-health challenges.”
In addition to the KAP program, Heal Ukraine Trauma is designing veteran peer-support programs and mental-health resources for veterans’ families to empower individuals and communities to heal holistically.