Ohio's P.E.A.C.E. Program Trains Emergency Responders to Provide Safer, Supportive Care During Psychedelic Crises

Ohio's Psychedelic Emergency, Acute, and Continuing-care Education (P.E.A.C.E.) program trains behavioral health clinicians, police officers, EMS personnel, and emergency department staff to respond to psychedelic-related crises with calm, trauma-informed, non-coercive care. The program addresses a growing public health gap: psychedelic use is expanding outside regulated or clinical settings, while most emergency responders receive little substance-specific training. Participants learn how psychedelic effects differ from psychiatric emergencies, how to de-escalate distress, and how to provide appropriate post-crisis support. The initiative, developed by Ohio State University's Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education with MAPS and state grant support, delivered seminars in Columbus in 2026 and converted them into online courses for professionals statewide. It is being evaluated and may expand nationally.