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Blue Skies

Campus, Community, & Psychedelic Safety in Utah During the Psychedelic Medicine Renaissance

Safety is a fundamental human right, embedded in the fabric of our U.S. Constitution, where protections are provided to support the life, liberty, and security of every individual. This essential right extends beyond borders, recognized globally as a universal human right by both the United Nations and the World Health Organization. The UN emphasizes safety as critical to human dignity, while the WHO views it as a cornerstone of public health, essential for the well-being and flourishing of all people.

Take a look at our historical commitment to safety, civil, and human rights in our community below: 

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Safety as a human right encompasses a broad range of protections essential to our well-being, both as Americans and global citizens. In the United States, we’re entitled to various forms of safety, from the rights to free speech, peaceable assembly, and protest to the right to personal security. These freedoms allow us to stand up for change and protect the health of our communities. Globally, safety extends to protections from violence, clean water, healthcare access, and freedom from discrimination, as affirmed by the United Nations and the World Health Organization.

Exercising these rights is crucial, especially in times of societal change. As new ideas and research emerge in mental health and culture, I THRIVE has looked toward the promising field of psychedelic science, addressing the unique safety concerns raised by these medicines and standing for community education and regulation to prevent past harms from being repeated.

 

Community safety requires that we remain informed, voice our concerns, and work together to ensure the responsible, ethical advancement of knowledge and innovation. By learning from past mistakes and standing together, we build a safer, more just future for everyone.

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Campus safety isn’t just a right; it’s essential for anyone seeking to learn, grow, and build a future. Throughout my training at the University of Utah and early career, I THRIVE's creator, Heather Curtis MD, witnessed the heartbreaking consequences when campus safety isn’t upheld—both on a personal and community level within state institutions meant to protect us. After being assaulted in medical school, later during my psychiatry residency, the mishandling of stalking complaints led to recurrent harm and abuse when I was assaulted again by a University of Utah professor in 2020. During my global mental health training in residency at the University of Utah, I had the unique experience of witnessing the painful experiences of international students harmed at training sites abroad. These experiences were defining, solidifying my commitment to advocacy, educational and institutional safety, and shaping the mission of I THRIVE.

The tragic losses of Lauren McCluskey in 2018 and Zhifan Dong in 2022 at the University of Utah underscored the importance of this work in Utah, showing the devastating toll on families and communities left struggling with the moral injury of institutional failure and lack of accountability. The trauma that survivors and families face is worsened when systems designed to protect them fall short. This profound need for reliable safety and justice has driven I THRIVE’s mission to support survivors of sexual violence, mental illness, and trauma.

We have been instrumental in generating ongoing community dialogue to address campus and community harms, bringing together survivors, families, mental health professionals, and advocates. Through community forums and advocacy, we create spaces for honest conversations about institutional accountability and the steps we need to take to prevent future harm. This dialogue has shaped our advocacy efforts and has led to tangible recommendations that promote a culture of safety, respect, and proactive support on campuses and in our communities. At I THRIVE, we are dedicated to fostering safer, trauma-informed spaces and to standing with survivors in the pursuit of lasting change.

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In 2021, I THRIVE’s focus naturally expanded to community safety after a difficult, personal experience brought new urgency to this work. During our advocacy for safety in the Utah mental health and psychedelic science community, I THRIVE's creator, Heather Curtis MD, faced a troubling threat relative to Parth Gandhi PhD (now deceased). It was suggested by someone close to Parth that he may pose a danger to Heather if her work to expose harms in the Utah psychedelic science community were to disrupt the psychedelic medicine movement. Alarmed, Heather reported these concerns to >10 University of Utah faculty  in August 2021. When I again raised concerns in April 2022—this time warning that Gandhi posed a sexual threat—a University official once again failed to act, allowing continued university affiliation that tangentially contributed to recurrent harm and violence in our community.

In 2023, the tragic murder of Gandhi’s 16-year-old son, Om Moses Gandhi, broke the heart of our creator and the national community, shattering local perceptions on a once respected local psychedelic therapist who it was now exposed to have been a serial perpetrator. This highlighted once again the profound cost of institutional inaction and cemented our commitment to ensuring that the Utah mental health community, particularly at the University of Utah, prioritizes the safety of patients, providers, and the community moving forward.

 

Now more than ever, I THRIVE is dedicated to advocating for accountability, change, and the protections necessary to build a safer, more supportive environment for all. We stand with deepened resolve to advocate for justice, not only for survivors but for a state, national, and world community that deserves to feel safe.

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I THRIVE’s advocacy for psychedelic safety across Utah and beyond grew from a painful and personal experience. After surviving a psychedelic facilitated sexual assault by a university professor in 2020 and witnessing the destructive behavior of Parth Gandhi PhD, I THRIVE's creator, Heather Curtis MD, came face-to-face with the need for accountability and protection within the emerging field of psychedelic medicine. These experiences reshaped my understanding of community safety and institutional accountability, solidifying our mission to stand for ethical standards, patient rights, and community protection in this space.

In July 2022, our advocacy expanded as Heather engaged with organizations like the California Institute of Integral Studies Center for Psychedelic Therapy and Research, Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelics Studies, Huntsman Mental Health InstituteNuminus, and the Utah Division of Professional Licensing, bringing forward the message that patient and community safety must be at the core of psychedelic science. Since then, we have been vocal in Utah’s mental health and psychedelic communities, pressing for ethical conduct through investigations with the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL) and filing formal complaints with the university’s Office of Equal Opportunity in October 2024.

This work has evolved into a commitment to champion the rights of patients, survivors, and the broader community, demanding transparency and accountability from institutions that hold a duty to protect. As we continue, I THRIVE is dedicated to setting essential precedents to protect survivors and ensure that psychedelic medicine is safely and ethically integrated into healthcare. This journey has shown I THRIVE the importance of standing for what is right in the face of adversity. We are more committed than ever to creating a future where safety, healing, and ethical standards define the qualities of our communities and the conduct of our providers.

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Image by Kelly Sikkema

This website makes no effort to support or advocate for any specific dogma, spiritual path, orientation, political or social agenda. We are not a source for legal advice.

The information shared on this website is for general information purposes only and is not intended to replace medical advice offered by healthcare professionals and physicians. If users have any personal questions regarding health, psychiatric, or psychological concerns, they are encouraged to contact a qualified health care provider for advice. All personal questions of the aforementioned nature posed to I THRIVE will be deferred.

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