Reason for Hope to Host Briefing on Breakthrough Therapies Act

Reason for Hope and the Veteran Mental Health Leadership Coalition (VMHLC) – in coordination with Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) – will host a briefing and update on the Breakthrough Therapies Act (S.689; H.R. 1393) called "Accelerating Breakthrough Therapies for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention." The event will be held Wednesday, March 13, 2024 at 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. EDT in 385 Russell Senate Office Building.

"The Breakthrough Therapies Act can help accelerate patient access to treatment for these conditions, so it is critical that Congress swiftly pass this bipartisan legislation. We must not delay getting our nation’s heroes the help they need and deserve."

Lt. General Martin Steele, USMC (Ret.), co-founder of Reason for Hope and president of the VMHLC

Our Mission

 

Our mission is to prevent deaths of despair by helping to develop and advocate for the policy and legal reforms needed to facilitate safe and affordable access to psychedelic medicine and assisted therapies.

 

Our team, led by retired Marine three-star Lieutenant General Martin Steele, Lynnette Averill, PhD, and Brett Waters, Esq., brings a strategic, pragmatic, and bipartisan approach to our work.

 

Our work includes drafting legislation, preparing legal briefings and policy proposals, testifying in hearings, educating legislators and government officials, and building broad advocacy coalitions. Currently, we are focused on establishing MDMA- and psilocybin-assisted therapy expanded access pilot programs for those who cannot afford to wait for FDA approval.

Our Leadership Team

  • Lt Gen Martin Steele, USMC (Ret.)

    Co-Founder & CEO

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  • Brett Waters, Esq.

    Co-Founder & Executive Director

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  • Lynnette Averill, PhD

    Co-Founder & Chief Science Officer

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  • Jesse MacLachlan

    State Policy and Advocacy Director

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Our Advocacy in Action

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Reason for Hope and VMHLC brief Neuroscience Caucus on Breakthrough Therapies Act

Reason for Hope and Veteran Mental Health Leadership Coalition provided a briefing to the Congressional Neuroscience Caucus on June 13, 2023 outlining the evidenced-based research supporting the Breakthrough Therapies Act.

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Reason for Hope Issues Letter of Support for Breakthrough Therapies Act

Reason for Hope has issued a letter of support for the Breakthrough Therapies Act, bipartisan legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate and House to remove regulatory hurdles that inhibit research and compassionate use access to potentially lifesaving treatments that are heavily restricted by Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.

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Reason for Hope and VMHLC File Amicus Brief to Reschedule Psilocybin

Reason for Hope and Veteran Mental Health Leadership Coalition File Amicus Brief in Lawsuit Against U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to Support Rescheduling of Psilocybin

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Latest News

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Kentucky to Invest $42M in Ibogaine-Assisted Therapy Research

Kentucky to Invest $42 Million in Ibogaine-Assisted Therapy Research for Opioid Use Disorder

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Reason for Hope Coalition Convinces White House to Prepare for Legal Psychedelic Therapies

Reason for Hope Coalition Persuades Biden Administration to Prepare for Legal Psychedelic Treatments

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Connecticut Passes Law to Permit Psychedelic Therapy Pilot

Connecticut Passes Law to Permit Psychedelic Therapy Pilot. In praise of the new law, Reason For Hope CEO LtGen Martin R. Steele (Ret.) stated “We have a duty, responsibility, and urgency, to help all those suffering from trauma. I commend the governor’s office and leaders in the legislature for the life-saving action they have taken through this landmark legislation.”

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