Preventing Deaths of Despair
Saving Lives through Research, Education, and Advocacy to Advance the Future of Mental Healthcare
Supporting the 2025
Freedom to Heal Act
Federal law continues to block patients with terminal or life-threatening conditions from accessing our most promising investigational mental health treatments under the Right to Try law. The Freedom to Heal Act proposes a narrow, targeted solution to the Schedule 1 barrier, while ensuring DEA maintains its desired oversight.
Supporting the VHA
Novel Therapeutics
Preparedness Act
Emerging therapeutic interventions, including certain psychedelic-assisted therapies currently under FDA review, may significantly change how some mental health conditions are treated. This bipartisan legislation will ensure VA is prepared to safely implement emerging mental health treatments as they become available.
Supporting the ARPA-H
EVIDENT Initiative
We are proud to support ARPA-H's Evidence-Based Validation & Innovation for Rapid Therapeutics in Behavioral Health (EVIDENT) initiative, which includes an initial investment of up to $100 million to study rapid-acting interventions and develop more objective measurements for behavioral health conditions, with a particular focus on Veterans.
OUR MISSION
Reason for Hope is a nonprofit dedicated to advancing the future of mental healthcare and preventing deaths of despair through research, education, and advocacy. We work to expand safe, affordable, and equitable access to psychedelic and other emerging therapies for those suffering from serious mental health and substance use disorders.
RESEARCH
We directly fund and support clinical research that advances breakthrough therapies — prioritizing complex, real-world patient populations, more affordable models of care, and generating the evidence needed to support insurance coverage.
We're currently funding research on MDMA- and psilocybin-assisted therapy for Veterans with treatment-resistant PTSD and related conditions, including multiple studies that incorporate family education and assess family-system healing.
To date, we've contributed more than $1.5M to research and trials across Baylor College of Medicine — led by our Chief Science Officer, Dr. Lynnette Averill — along with Sunstone Therapies, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine ENACT Research Collaborative, and the Portland VA Research Foundation.
EDUCATION
POLICY & ADVOCACY
We build broad coalitions of patients and experts to inform policy and lead advocacy primarily focused on three fronts: unlocking public investment in research, implementation, and workforce development; reducing unnecessary regulatory barriers while balancing safety, innovation, and patient access; and preparing the VA and other systems to deliver these therapies once approved.
We founded and continue to support the Veteran Mental Health Leadership Coalition (VMHLC), led by our CEO, Lt. Gen. Martin R. Steele, USMC (Ret.).
Together with VMHLC and its partner organizations, our work has helped catalyze millions of dollars in federal and state funding for psychedelic research — including more than $20 million for state-funded trials in multiple states across the country, primarily benefiting Veterans.
We educate policymakers and the public on the mental health and suicide crisis and the science, legal, and policy issues shaping access to psychedelic and emerging therapies — building the understanding and urgency that turns awareness into action.
OUR TEAM
We are a team of medical, Veteran mental health, legal, and political advocacy experts united in the common goal of preventing suicide and deaths of despair. We believe that psychedelic medicine and assisted therapies should be safe, affordable, and equitably accessible to all those suffering from mental health and addiction disorders.
CO-FOUNDER & CEO
CO-FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
CO-FOUNDER & CHIEF SCIENCE OFFICER
STATE POLICY & ADVOCACY DIRECTOR
We are connected by the loss of loved ones to suicide or substance use. Reason for Hope was named in memory of Brett’s mom, Sherrie Hope Waters, who died by suicide in 2018. Had access to psychedelic assisted therapy been available, our loved ones might still be with us. And while we are excited for the significant clinical developments being made, without meaningful state and federal policy changes, and without investments in workforce development and infrastructure, these therapies will be largely be inaccessible to the public.
IN THE NEWS
Ways to Help Our Veterans
Today, it is estimated that up to 40 Veterans are lost to suicide or substance overdose every single day. That figure speaks volumes about the current state of the Veteran mental health crisis. By supporting Reason for Hope, you will help provide Veterans with access to life-saving therapies, the care they need as well as help broaden access to these treatments – but we urgently need your help today.
CONTACT
REASON FOR HOPE
For any general inquiries, please fill in the following contact form:
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