Heroic Hearts Project and Healing Breakthrough Applaud Introduction of the Veterans Health Administration Novel Therapeutics Preparedness Act
March 27, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Heroic Hearts Project and Healing Breakthrough Applaud Introduction of the Veterans Health Administration Novel Therapeutics Preparedness Act
Washington, D.C. — Leading veteran mental health nonprofit Heroic Hearts Project and its federal advocacy arm Healing Breakthrough today welcome the introduction of S.4220 or the Veterans Health Administration Novel Therapeutics Preparedness Act. The legislation, introduced by Senator and Navy SEAL veteran Tim Sheehy (R-MT) and co-sponsored by Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), a Marine Corps veteran, Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), an Army National Guard veteran, and Senate MilCon-VA Appropriations Chairman John Boozman (R-AR) would prepare the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to responsibly evaluate and implement emerging mental health treatments for veterans.
The bipartisan supported legislation would establish a dedicated Office of Novel Therapeutics within the Veterans Health Administration, helping ensure the VA develops the clinical standards, workforce training, and infrastructure necessary to safely deliver next-generation treatments as they advance through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval process. To ensure a patient-centered approach, the bill would also create a Veteran Advisory Committee and deepen coordination and strategic alignment across key federal partners, including the FDA, Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Department of Defense, and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Emerging therapeutic interventions, including psychedelic therapies currently under FDA review, have the potential to significantly change how conditions affecting veterans, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, substance use disorders, traumatic brain injury, and chronic pain, are treated. The legislation comes as veteran mental health continues to pose a major national challenge.
“The veteran suicide epidemic has continued without meaningful change for too long. More than 150,000 veterans have lost their lives to suicide since 9/11, here at home on American soil. The issue isn’t whether we’re trying—it’s that our system isn’t built to move new treatments into care fast enough for the veterans who need them most,” said Juliana Mercer, Executive Director of Healing Breakthrough and Marine Corps veteran. “This legislation helps ensure the VA is prepared, with the clinical models, workforce, and infrastructure in place, so that when new therapies become available, veterans can access care without unnecessary delay.”
“For nearly a decade, Heroic Hearts Project has supported veterans seeking healing from trauma, including helping many access therapeutic retreats in countries where these treatments are currently legal,” said Jesse Gould, Founder and President of Heroic Hearts Project and Army Ranger veteran. “We’ve supported veterans who felt they had no choice but to leave the United States to access care they believed could help them heal. That shouldn’t be the case. Veterans deserve access to effective treatments here at home, within the healthcare system built to serve them.”
“Over the past decade, we have seen growing evidence that novel therapeutic approaches can produce meaningful, and in some cases durable, improvements for veterans with PTSD and related conditions,” said Rachel Yehuda, PhD, Chemers Neustein Family Professor of Trauma and Resilience and Director of the Parsons Research Center for Psychedelic Therapy at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “As these treatments advance, it is essential that health systems and government agencies who serve mental health patients are prepared to evaluate and implement them thoughtfully, with strong clinical standards, training, and oversight. Ensuring that infrastructure keeps pace with scientific progress will be critical to translating these advances into real world care for veterans and other trauma survivors.”
The bill will be referred to the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs for hearing, mark up and a Committee vote. This action occurs alongside ongoing congressional efforts to strengthen mental health care for veterans including bipartisan letters circulating in both the House and Senate urging the FDA to conduct a transparent, science-based review of emerging treatments.
Full legislative text can be found here: https://ciosenus.app.box.com/s/2ghc892je8axdmq99ipjcjxj8jiilyof
About Healing Breakthrough
Healing Breakthrough is a national nonprofit organization advancing federal policy to expand access to evidence-based mental health treatments for veterans and their families. As the advocacy arm of Heroic Hearts Project, Healing Breakthrough works to ensure the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is prepared to safely and effectively implement psychedelic assisted-therapies as they progress through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The organization is led by Executive Director Juliana Mercer, a Marine Corps veteran, and centers veteran voices in policymaking through bipartisan engagement and advocacy to improve care and accelerate access to these innovative treatments within the VA health system.
About Heroic Hearts Project
Heroic Hearts Project helps veterans and their families access safe, structured, and evidence-supported psychedelic healing programs designed for service-related trauma. Founded in 2017 by Army Ranger veteran Jesse Gould after his own healing journey, HHP delivers direct retreat programs, preparation and integration support, family-centered services, and education to address the root causes of PTSD, moral injury, and complex trauma. In parallel with its direct programs, Heroic Hearts Project advances research and federal advocacy efforts aimed at expanding legal, regulated access to psychedelic therapies within the U.S. healthcare system, including through the Department of Veterans Affairs, where veterans are already receiving care. By combining community-based programs, rigorous research, professional education, and policy advocacy, HHP is helping to transform how veteran mental health care is delivered.
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