Clerkenwell Health launches free therapist training programme to remove bottlenecks in the psychedelic industry
Clerkenwell Health launches a free therapist training programme to build the workforce needed for the later and larger stages of clinical development and to bring psychedelic-assisted therapy to patients at scale.
- Therapists are likely to be one of the main bottlenecks that will limit the progress of clinical development and the integration of psychedelic-assisted therapy into health systems due to challenges around capacity and capability.
- Clerkenwell Health designed a free training programme to overcome these challenges and support the commercial research ecosystem, which will ultimately accelerate drug development.
- This therapist training programme uses an existing evidence-based and transdiagnostic therapeutic model making it easier to up-skill therapists while increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of clinical trials.
As old and new psychedelic compounds are progressing through the clinical pathway, the bottlenecks in the sector are becoming more apparent. The challenges of scale brought by the later and larger stages of clinical development are preparing the industry for the integration of psychedelic-assisted therapy into health systems.
Clerkenwell Health is a clinical research organisation (CRO) focused on accelerating psychedelic drug development and bringing innovation to psychedelic-assisted clinical trials. Today we are launchinga therapist training programme to build the workforce needed to bring these therapies to patients at scale.
With many drugs in the research pipeline, drug developers struggle with the number and quality of therapists able to deliver psychedelic-assisted therapy in clinical trials. This is a major bottleneck for the advancement of clinical development and is likely to lead to larger capacity and capability problems for the integration of these treatments into health systems post-marketing approval.
With a 21% rise in the number of people who are in contact with mental health services since 2016 and 1 in 10 consultant psychiatric posts still to be filled in the NHS, the health system in the UK is already struggling with capacity. Existing commitments to expand the workforce are not working and there is an urgent need for efficient and effective ways of training more therapists.
Having assessed the main challenges around developing the workforce for psychedelics, Clerkenwell Health designed a training programme that is built-off evidence-based therapies, aligned with standards from accreditation bodies and minimally invasive for those interested to participate. This new training programme is expected to lay the foundations for standardised and accredited training opportunities for mental health professionals wanting to specialise in psychedelic-assisted therapy.
With the first cohort of traineeesstarting on April 16th, the training programme takes 60 hours over 3 months and is made up of a structured set of self-learning materials, alongside remote and in-person training sessions. It is composed of both a training component and supervised clinical practice with CPD points available for those who complete the training.
The programme is designed and led by leading experts in the field including Dr Sarah Bateup, former Head of Therapy Research and Training in Compass Pathways, and Dr Emilio Arbe, Former Compass Interim Clinical Sciences Director. Their expertise and experience ensure that the training is delivered to the highest standards.
The therapeutic model used in the training is based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT is a transdiagnostic model that aligns with how psychedelics are currently understood to work, preparing therapists to work across multiple mental health conditions and with a range of psychedelic compounds.
This approach eliminates the need to train therapists for different trials all over again and allows for top-up modules to be delivered when necessary for a new indication or compound. As an existing model with a solid evidence base, adapting ACT for psychedelic-assisted therapy will also make it easier to ensure buy-in from medical and regulatory actors for the approval of these treatments.
Clerkenwell Health’s training programme is free and minimises the time people need to commit, making it accessible to those best suited to the role as opposed to people with spare time and money. By not monetising the relationship between the trainer and the trainee therapists, Clerkenwell Health ensures that only the therapists with the right capabilities will be certified to deliver therapy.
Tom McDonald, the CEO of Clerkenwell Health said, “It’s absolutely vital for our clients and the participants in their trials to have the very best therapists working alongside the psychedelic compounds. The simplest way we can ensure the required quality and consistency is by running our own training that is transdiagnostic, evidence-based and aligned to regulators’ expectations.”
Dr Sara Bateup, Therapy Lead, added, “Psychedelic assisted therapy is, potentially, a new paradigm in mental health care. I believe that mental health professionals simply don’t know about it yet or, if they do, it is shrouded in a bit of mystery. I am on a mission to ensure that we do something about that.”
As an innovative company focused on supporting the commercial psychedelic research infrastructure, Clerkenwell Health’s first-of-a-kind training programme aims to supply the research ecosystem in the UK with the much-needed therapist workforce and prepares the industry for when these products reach the market.
By effectively training therapists, the programme will accelerate drug development by improving the quality of therapy and consequently data outcomes. Drug developers will also benefit from standardised therapy practices across trials as it will make it easier to build comparable evidence and manage therapists for adherence to processes.