Facilitator approvals saw a steep rise during late 2024 and early 2025 but this surge has levelled out in recent months. Despite this plateau, there are still growing concerns that the number of trained facilitators is becoming unsustainable and increasingly misaligned with the number of licensed service centers and, by extension, available facilitator roles.
Many are already struggling to secure full-time employment within OPS, a challenge further compounded by 2025 legislation prohibiting facilitators from offering psilocybin services outside regulated settings. If these employment challenges persist, there is a strong likelihood that more experienced facilitators may either pursue independent work, including operating in unregulated spaces.
Additional contributing factors include the significant upfront costs for facilitators: training programs typically range from $4,500 to $12,000 (with the mean sitting around $10,000), with practicum components adding another couple of thousand dollars, typically. According to a recent survey, half of the listed training programs offer scholarships to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. Facilitators must also pay between $1,000 and $2,000 annually for licensure, plus a $150 non-refundable application fee.
Altogether, the first year can easily exceed $10,000, posing a substantial barrier to entry for many. Otherwise, training remains comparatively streamlined, with some programs requiring as few as 160 hours of instruction and a minimum eligibility requirement of a high school diploma.
While this accessibility certainly broadens entry into the field, it has also sparked concern about the adequacy of preparation. One editorial in the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry noted that Oregon’s psilocybin training requires just 25% of the 625 hours mandated for a massage therapist license.
It might also be worth bearing the aforementioned training costs in mind when interpreting the data showing that zero facilitator license applications have been denied to date. Notably, while the OHA approves training programs, it does not regulate individual facilitator licensure. The burden of evaluating and endorsing candidates falls on the training programs themselves, many of which are small, privately-run enterprises. For such providers, it is possible that $12,000 may represent a significant enough investment to discourage them from rejecting a facilitator who has completed their program
Another interesting finding from recent survey data tells that the majority of facilitators currently in training (or having recently graduated) for the OPS programme are primarily interested in part-time, contractual work within the service, rather than full-time employment. These findings are perhaps unsurprising given the possibilities for insurance, tax, and banking issues afforded to psychedelic services that remain illegal at the federal level.
Since program approvals began, 31 curricula have been authorised by the OHA. As of this reporting period: 18 programs remain active, 5 have had their licenses revoked, and 8 have been surrendered.