Lt. Sarko Gergerian, MS, MA, MHC — Law Enforcement Officer 

Hayli Hill, MS — Law Enforcement Officer 

Esteban M. Olivares — Retired Law Enforcement Officer; Security and Threat Assessment Consultant

P.E.A.C.E. Program | Law Enforcement Training

Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education

Expert-led sessions training Ohio law enforcement professionals in psychedelic-informed crisis, emergency, and continuing care.

Alumni Lounge at the Fawcett Event Center

<h3>The Need for Psychedelic Crisis Training</h3>Over the past decade, recreational use of psychedelic substances has increased substantially, driven in part by growing public awareness and expanded research on these compounds. In Ohio alone, an estimated 12,000 youth (ages 12–17) and 254,000 adults (18+) reported psychedelic use in the past year. As access laws continue to evolve nationally, these numbers are expected to rise—bringing a corresponding increase in psychedelic-related crisis encounters involving law enforcement. Currently, officers are expected to navigate uncharted and very murky legal waters in response to highly unusual situations. Errors during crisis response increase the risk of injury and legal liability for officers.From a risk management perspective, this issue is increasingly consequential. Psychedelic-related lawsuits were virtually nonexistent prior to 2015, but recent cases have resulted in average settlements exceeding $2.2 million, with allegations including excessive force, gross negligence, deliberate indifference, and wrongful death. Importantly, many of these cases occurred when psychedelic substances were still illegal. As psychedelic encounters become more common, annual policy reviews and general crisis training are no longer sufficient to mitigate risk.The Psychedelic Emergency, Acute, and Continuing care Education (P.E.A.C.E.) Law Enforcement Seminar closes this gap in training by equipping officers with practical, evidence-informed strategies for navigating these complex encounters, reducing liability risks and improving officer safety. <h3>You Will Learn</h3><ul><li>Practical skills by examining case studies of real-world officer encounters</li><li>Verbal and non-verbal tactics for gaining cooperation.</li><li>Strategic communication applicable to individuals experiencing psychedelic crisis.</li><li>How to stabilize the scene before EMS hand-off</li></ul> <h3>Tactical Training Benefits</h3><ul><li>Reduce risk of officer and civilian injury</li><li>Rapid threat assessment</li><li>Reduce officer liability</li><li>Reducing use of force risks</li></ul>

<h3>Training Structure</h3>The P.E.A.C.E. Training includes the following required components:<ul><li>Module 1: Online training: didactic videos, quizzes, and pre-course assessment (1.5 hours)</li></ul><blockquote>After registering on Eventbrite you will receive an email with a link to complete the pre-course assessment. Upon completion of the assessment, you will be provided with a link to register for the P.E.A.C.E. Training in the CWI Professional Resource Library. Within 24-48 hours of CWI registration, you will be able to access and complete Module 1.</blockquote><ul><li>Module 2: In-person Training Seminar and post-seminar assessment</li></ul><blockquote>All Module 1 content must be completed by end-of-day Thursday March 5th. Only those participants who complete Module 1 will be eligible to attend the Module 2.</blockquote> In-person participation is limited to 80 seats. You may join the waitlist and will still receive access to Module 1. If space becomes available for Module 2, priority will be given to waitlisted participants who have completed Module 1.Module 2 will be recorded and posted to the CWI Professional Library within one month for anyone who cannot attend live. <h3>Eligibility</h3><ol><li>Participants must be an active or retired Law Enforcement in Ohio.</li><li>Completion of Module 1 at least 2 weeks prior to Module 2 in-person Training Seminar (See Training Structure for details).</li></ol>

<h3>Law Enforcement Lapel Pin:</h3>All participants who complete the required training components will receive a commemorative P.E.A.C.E. Law Enforcement Lapel Pin. These will be distributed at the in-person training on March 9th. This Pin recognizes your commitment to advancing officer safety, risk reduction, and professional excellence in psychedelic-informed crisis response. <h3>Certificate of Completion:</h3>A certificate of completion will be sent to all participants who complete the required components. Certificates will be sent via email within 21 days of training completion. Please note there are no continuing education credits awarded for this training

<h3>Recording Notice</h3>This training seminar will be video and audio recorded to develop online content for the Module 2 curriculum. The primary focus of recording will be on the speakers and instructional content, not on attendees.Please note that incidental recording of audience members may occur, for example if you move through by the camera while a recording is taking place. By participating in this seminar, you acknowledge that your image or voice may be captured incidentally. <h3>Participant Conduct</h3>The Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education (CPDRE) strives to create safe spaces for learning for all participants. As a result, trainings are considered viewpoint-neutral space to ensure an optimal learning environment. It is asked that participants kindly keep comments &amp; questions focused on training content. Comments deemed inflammatory or unprofessional may result in removal from the training. In addition, practitioners are ethically obligated to uphold client confidentiality. The CPDRE reserves the right to remove any participants from a course whose behavior impedes the delivery of program content and/or negatively impacts the learning opportunities of other participants. <h4>AI Usage</h4>Technology assisted devices are not allowed unless requested to be used for accessibility reasons and submitted to our office following our accessibility and accommodation policy. If our team sees an AI Bot in a training, they will be removed. For further questions please reach out to <a href="mailto:cpdre@osu.edu" title="mailto:cpdre@osu.edu" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">CPDRE@osu.edu</a>. <h3>Accessibility</h3>We strive to host accessible events which enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. At registration, participants are asked if they require any accessibility or other learning accommodations. Participants who require an accommodation to participate in this training, can also contact us no later than 14 days prior to the event email at <a href="mailto:cpdre@osu.edu" title="mailto:cpdre@osu.edu" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">CPDRE@osu.edu</a> to detail your needs. <h3>Grievances</h3>Participants can find more information on how to file a grievance if there are concerns on the Office of Continuing Education Website <a href="https://osucosw.catalog.instructure.com/admin/products/94045/csw.osu.edu/continuing-education/" title="https://osucosw.catalog.instructure.com/admin/products/94045/csw.osu.edu/continuing-education/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">csw.osu.edu/continuing-education</a>. <h3>Contact Us</h3>For questions, participants can reach out to the CPDRE via email at <a href="mailto:CPDRE@osu.edu" title="mailto:CPDRE@osu.edu" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">CPDRE@osu.edu</a>

<h3>Cancellation Policy:</h3>On occasion something unexpected may occur which would keep you from attending the training seminar. You can follow these <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/help/en-us/articles/575010/how-to-cancel-your-free-registration/" title="https://www.eventbrite.com/help/en-us/articles/575010/how-to-cancel-your-free-registration/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">instructions</a> on how to cancel your free registration.There may be times when Module 2 Seminar must be cancelled or rescheduled by the CPDRE. When an event is cancelled or rescheduled the administrative staff will make every effort to notify registrants as quickly as possible.

<h3>The Team Behind The P.E.A.C.E. Program</h3>The Psychedelic Emergency, Acute and Continuing care Education (P.E.A.C.E.) Program is led by the Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education (CPDRE), with support from the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) and Ohio Department of Behavioral Health (DBH), to establish evidence-informed education for Ohio’s behavioral healthcare, emergency medical services and emergency department, and law enforcement professionals. Through this partnership, has licensed and integrated MAPS’ professionally produced training assets - specialized video modules on psychedelic crisis fundamentals, recognition, response, and responder liability - into the P.E.A.C.E. curriculum. These materials are then paired with live seminars and interactive learning, forming the foundation of Ohio’s first statewide psychedelic crisis and continuing-care education initiative. The collaboration unites CPDRE’s research and workforce development expertise with MAPS’ decades of leadership in psychedelic harm reduction and clinical training to ensure professionals across systems are prepared to respond safely, compassionately, and effectively to psychedelic-related crises.The training materials are hosted online through the Community Wellness Initiative (CWI)’s Professional Resource Library, a secure, supportive space for professionals who work in High Intensity/High Impact professions (e.g., first responders and mental health professionals). The CWI is a working and learning collaborative where researchers, students, practitioners, and community partners develop practical workplace wellness solutions to address Ohio’s workforce crises in health, safety, and education. <h3>The Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education at The Ohio State University</h3>The <a href="https://www.cpdre.org/" title="https://www.cpdre.org/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education</a> (CPDRE) at The Ohio State University unites faculty, clinicians, researchers, trainees, and community partners to lead innovation in psychedelic science. Founded in 2022, the CPDRE is advancing transformative research, education, and service to Revolutionize Healing and expand our understanding of the mind, health, and society. By bridging disciplines and fostering collaboration, the CPDRE is shaping the future of psychedelic studies and driving breakthroughs that will transform our understanding of the mind, health, and society. <h4><a href="https://www.giveto.osu.edu/makeagift/details/317374?fund=317374" title="https://www.giveto.osu.edu/makeagift/details/317374?fund=317374" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Support our Work by Donating to the CPDRE</a></h4>

Agenda

Heavy hors d'oeuvres and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided.

Arrival and Networking

Opening Remarks

Presentations and Demonstrations

Break 

Panel Q&A

Closing Remarks

Networking Mixer (Optional)

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P.E.A.C.E. Program | Law Enforcement Training

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P.E.A.C.E. Program | Law Enforcement Training

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