If you are flying into Colorado from a lower elevation, please drink plenty of water and electrolytes to stay hydrated when you are here. The most common symptom of dehydration is an annoying headache. Drink more water than you think you should. This document is a disclosure statement and participation agreement for those entering any interactive class in the Psychedelic Sitters School Training program, or for participating in our membership program. ***Important Disclaimer*** Psychedelic Sitters School is a professional training and membership program associated with the Center for Medicinal Mindfulness. Acceptance into the training program or membership is not guaranteed. All candidates will be assessed on an individual basis. Only after registration requirements have been properly completed, will a final determination be made regarding your potential acceptance into the program. As such, do not confirm any logistical/travel arrangements (e.g., requesting time away from work, purchasing airfare, etc.) until you have been contacted by us, in writing, of your formal acceptance into the program. The Center for Medicinal Mindfulness, Psychedelic Sitters School, and/or any of their officers and/or owners cannot be held liable for any such incurred costs. Program Information By attending a training program, or applying for membership, you acknowledge you have read and understand all relevant program information on the www.psychedelicsittersschool.org website. This website is our program guide and is updated annually. Any substantial changes are included in an annual membership statement. Prices for the training or other requirements are subject to change over time, and will be disclosed on the website. Our intention is full disclosure and informed consent. You understand that you are invited to ask clarifying questions regarding our policies at any time. Designated Driver or Taxi Service Required if cannabis is consumed If you drive yourself to a local event and consume cannabis, or do not have a designated driver, we will help you schedule a cab. You will be unable to use cannabis at the event without a prearranged ride from this event. Ridesharing: www.uber.com & www.lyft.com Local Taxi: www.zTrip.com (303) 699-8747 - Taxi service pick ups can be scheduled prior to the event. Driving to and from a residential retreat is allowed only if cannabis is not consumed on the day of travel. Personal Safety - Cannabis Consumption is Optional Consuming cannabis during the journeywork practicums at a Psychedelic Sitters School online or in person training intensive is recommended but not required. You agree to only consume cannabis if it is safe for you to do so, that you are in a private location, and agree to not drive for the remainder of the day. We can only recommend attending our program if you can legally use cannabis, either through obtaining a medical card, or where cannabis is legal for adult consumption. Where cannabis is not legal, we offer the training as an education and psychedelic harm reduction program. To participate, you agree to take full responsibility for your own safety, legality, and personal employment requirements. Participation in Online Community Groups and Forums Participating in the community forum is strongly encouraged. This is a professional training community and all communications should be professional in nature. You are required to use your real/preferred first name and last initial for your profile name. Professional facilitator members are invited to share their full last name. By participating in the forum, you agree to be respectful, factual, and kind in your communication, and to keep conversations and identities confidential. You are only allowed to share your private contact information with those you trust, and to share only what you are comfortable with sharing. You are never required to provide your private contact information with other community members outside the leadership team to participate in any of our programs. Under no circumstances are you allowed to provide information on how to obtain illegal medicines, or information on underground practitioners. Payment & Refund Policy Online lectures require full payment to access and are non-refundable. For live (online) and in person classes, half of the total tuition payment is required to reserve your spot in a training or retreat, with the second half of the payment due one month before the first day of class. All payments are non-refundable, however, students can change the date of a training intensive with one month notice. We will work with you however we can to support you in this process. Payment plans are also available. Before paying the first half of the tuition as the deposit, you are required to confirm that the dates work on your end, and that you have all of your questions answered regarding safety and the participation agreements. Due to the substantial services provided to students once they register for a training, and the logistics required to facilitate these events, once you commit, we want you to commit, as we are committing the same to you. Although no refunds will be issued after a payment is received, until we are through this global pandemic, we can transfer reservations for in-person intensive retreat dates for those who cannot attend last minute due to Covid-19 guidelines or other significant safety concerns. Online participation options are available for most programs. In the unlikely situation an in-person training intensive is cancelled due to Covid-19 or other significant regional safety concern, students agree to automatically transfer to an all online training option during the same time period if offered. All trainings are offered “as is” and no requests for credits, refunds or partial refunds will be accepted after a service or training is initiated or provided. While we are extremely confident in both the psychedelic nature and reliability of cannabis to induce very real psychedelic experiences, as well as the quality of our program, not everyone has the experience they expect. By being a student of this program, you agree to seek guidance in the unlikely chance that your psychedelic experiences are not as “psychedelic” as expected. Because cannabis is so reliable as a very potent psychedelic in this context, the program is designed to support troubleshooting common questions regarding the quality and intensity of these experiences. You agree that you have read and accepted this policy, and that MM will not accept any chargebacks or other forced credit card refunds in violation of this policy. To request a transfer of services or credit in accordance with our policy, please email training@medicinalmindfulness.org. Certificates of Completion and Credentialing Students that complete a training will receive certificates of completion as partial completion of our credentialing program. Information on the PSS credentialing program is available here: https://psychedelicsittersschool.org/credentialing/ Registration & Application Information Information on the PSS application process is available here: https://psychedelicsittersschool.org/apply/ To ensure your safety and readiness to participate in our program, an interview process is required. Sometimes we also require additional information or a second interview after we review your application. This follow up interview is free. Due to the intensive nature of our program, we do our best to keep the requirements as outlined on our website. However, we reserve the right to recommend or require additional support or practices to participate in our program that may require additional personal expense. We will discuss additional requirements with you and why we think they’re needed for your ongoing success as a psychedelic guide and keep the cost as reasonable as possible. Training Participation Agreement The Center for Medicinal Mindfulness and Psychedelic Sitters School are committed to making safe and skillful journeywork and guidework practices as accessible as possible. Becoming skillful in our journeying, sitting, and guiding techniques takes time and a lot of practice. In addition to this, because of the spiritual or transpersonal nature of our work, we are all required to go through our own healing and awakening process, often in ways we didn’t know before we began. These can be big experiences for our students and members. Psychedelic Sitters School is committed to supporting our students in reaching the highest level of training and skill that they wish to reach. This takes time. By participating in this program, you agree to be intentional with your process and to not place yourself in situations that are above your ability, training and experience. Knowing your limitations and your gifts takes a little time. Facilitating your own groups or individual experiences without the right support can cause harm to yourself and others. You also agree to seek mentorship and support when necessary, especially during difficult transformational experiences. Sometimes these moments can be Personal Responsibility for Guides and Sitters in Training Medicinal Mindfulness is a Psychedelic Harm Reduction & Education Program, and a training program for individuals interested in becoming psychedelic sitters, therapists, guides, and group psychedelic facilitators. This is a developing profession and there are currently no uniform legal, ethical or professional practice standards in our society. While Medicinal Mindfulness only works with legal medicines and breathwork practices, some individuals take our trainings and integrate what they learn into already established psychedelic therapy practices with other substances. Due to the complex nature of this work, and the vast array of how these skill sets can be used, Medicinal Mindfulness is unable to regulate individual use practices that are outside the scope of our training program. Therefore, those who are currently practicing as guides, sitters, and transpersonal facilitators in psychedelic contexts are fully responsible for the outcome of their actions. Medicinal Mindfulness reserves the right to not work with students or potential students whose actions are not in alignment with our definitions of safe use practices. To support the development of important ethical and safety standards for the use of psychedelic medicines in spiritual, clinical, and community use settings, and to have an ongoing dialogue about medicine use that is safe from harassment and abuse, the Center for Medicinal Mindfulness, Psychedelic Sitters School, our Non-Profit, and the Extended-State DMT Program, and our representatives, fully comply with all applicable, local, state, and federal laws, and adheres to the principles in the following documents: - Medicinal Mindfulness Safe Community Policy - https://www.medicinalmindfulness.org/safe-community-policy
- The Council on Spiritual Practices, Code of Ethics for Spiritual Guides - https://csp.org/docs/code-of-ethics-for-spiritual-guides
- MAPS MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy Code of Ethics - https://maps.org/news/bulletin/articles/436-maps-bulletin-spring-2019-vol-29,-no-1/7710-maps-mdma-assisted-psychotherapy-code-of-ethics-spring-2019
- Ethical Guidelines for Ketamine Clinicians - https://7fc19784-edaf-4431-98b4-2059a1a2ae2b.filesusr.com/ugd/e07c59_7a4cb64595a24f20abc0cb43b74d15ef.pdf
- Chacruna’s Ayahuasca Community Guide for the Awareness and Prevention of Sexual Abuse - https://chacruna.net/community/ayahuasca-community-guide-for-the-awareness-of-sexual-abuse/
- Google Event Community Guidelines and Anti-Harassment Policy - https://www.google.com/events/policy/anti-harassmentpolicy.html
- Statement on Open Science and Open Praxis with Psilocybin, MDMA, and Similar Substances - chacruna.net/cooperation-over-competition-statement-on-open-science-for-psychedelic-medicines-and-practices/
Learning how to work professionally as a guide and to engage community ethically takes time. Participants agree that these standards will be our guide when exploring ethical considerations in accordance with our MM Safe Community Policy (updated annually). Students, members and trainees of Medicinal Mindfulness agree that they cannot represent Medicinal Mindfulness in any context, specifically in media related interviews and presentations, without the expressed written permission of Medicinal Mindfulness. Medicinal Mindfulness owns certain trade names in our work and marketing to denote a differentiation in our services from other services. Students agree that these trademarked names, as well as the Intellectual Property of our training program, cannot be used by students in practice or to train others, without permission from the program through our credentialing program and a required service agreement. Notice of Non-Discrimination and Prohibition of Harassment By participating in Psychedelic Sitters School, I agree to with the MM Notice of Non-Discrimination and Prohibition of Harassment: Committed to equality of transformational opportunity, the Center for Medicinal Mindfulness does not discriminate in offering access to its programs and activities, or employment on the basis of race, color, gender, age, national or ethnic origin, religion, disability, veteran’s status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, responsible psychedelic medicine use (as defined in the MM Safe Community Policy), or any other status protected by law. Assumption of Risk In consideration of the services of the Center for Medicinal Mindfulness, Psychedelic Sitters School, and affiliates: Daniel McQueen and all training associates, their agents, owners, officers, volunteers, participants, employees, and all other persons or entities acting in any capacity on their behalf (hereinafter collectively referred to as MM), I hereby agree to release and discharge MM, on behalf of myself, my children, my parents, my heirs, assigns, personal representative and estate as follows: Emotional Risk: - I acknowledge that I understand this is a professional training, which includes self-reflection, interactive exercises, time outdoors, and professional growth. I acknowledge that I have a choice about the level of my participation at all times and that, although personal material may arise for me within the context of the training, this is not therapy, and I am responsible for my own well-being. If I feel the need arises for therapy, I will take action accordingly or request the appropriate resources.
- I am aware that participants are asked to hold confidentiality of personal material disclosed in the training, but this cannot be guaranteed.
- I understand that an MM training is intended as a personal growth experience and should not be used as a substitute for psychotherapy or medical treatment.
- I understand that a MM training could involve dramatic experiences accompanied by strong emotional and physical release as outlined in the Psychedelic Cannabis Participation Agreement.
Physical Risk: - I have read the Psychedelic Cannabis Participation Agreement and the Community Breathwork Agreement, and the Yoga Agreement, and I acknowledge the inherent risks in participating.
- I certify that I have adequate health insurance to cover any injury or damage I may suffer while participating, or else I agree to bear the costs of such injury or damage myself. I further certify that I am willing to assume the risk of any medical or physical condition I may have.
General: - I understand that the use of cannabis is completely optional and that I agree to only use cannabis in designated areas, and only when it is safe to do so.
- I understand that the use or possession of illicit substances and alcohol before, during, after or around the training is explicitly forbidden and that I will be immediately asked to leave the training program if I bring, use, or offer illicit substances to other students.
- I hereby voluntarily release, forever discharge, and agree to indemnify and hold harmless MM from any and all claims, demands, or causes of action, which are in any way connected with my participation in this activity or my use of MM's equipment or facilities, including any such claims which allege negligent acts or omissions of MM
- I expressly agree and promise to accept and assume all of the risks existing in this activity. My participation in this activity is purely voluntary, and I elect to participate in spite of the risks.
- By signing this document, I acknowledge that if anyone is hurt or property is damaged during my participation in this activity, I may be found by a court of law to have waived my right to maintain a lawsuit against MM on the basis of any claim from which I have released them herein.
Psychedelic Safety Assessment I agree to read and answer the Psychedelic Safety Assessment before my interview with a Medicinal Mindfulness facilitator. While cannabis is legal in Colorado to possess and consume in certain contexts, and is used recreationally and safely by millions of people, I understand that psychedelic cannabis experiences are transformational experiences that are more akin to meditation retreats and other entheogenic practices. By signing this form and by attending Psychedelic Sitters School, I certify that that I am physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually fit enough to safely participate. I also acknowledge that I can speak with a Medicinal Mindfulness facilitator about any safety concerns before attending the training. In case of emergency, I understand that effort will be made to secure proper treatment. I hereby give permission for such treatment. My personal health and accident insurance covers any accident or illness that I may incur during this experience and I will personally guarantee any cost or other liability incurred during evacuation or treatment. I have read the description of the program and information provided for preparation and understand the nature of the program and risks involved. ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Colorado. MM in its sole discretion may demand that any disputes arising between the parties relating this Agreement, including but not limited to refunds, will be submitted to and settled by binding arbitration under and pursuant to the Colorado Uniform Arbitration Act and that any decision or award of the arbitrator will be final and binding upon the parties enforceable in any court of competent jurisdiction. If a party brings an action to enforce the provisions of this Agreement, then the substantially prevailing party will be entitled to recover its reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred in such action from the non-prevailing Party. Informed Consent I have read this document and understand the requirements for being a student of Psychedelic Sitters School and agree to comply with these expectations. |
