Inward Dive Fund
The Inward Dive Fund supports justice-impacted individuals by reducing financial and logistical barriers to accessing state-legal plant medicine facilitation services.
On March 12, 2025, SEF launched this project dedicated to supporting justice-impacted folks in partnership with Henry Fields, who is leading the fund.
The Inward Dive Fund was created to provide Oregon state-regulated plant medicine services to individuals impacted by the criminal justice system, recognizing the deep trauma, systemic barriers, and healing needs of the formerly incarcerated, their families, and those working within the justice system.
Scroll below for more details and to apply.
Scholarships will vary per individual pending on financial need. Recipients will be connected with vetted facilitators with experience supporting individuals impacted by the justice system and ongoing integration support. *Please note, the Inward Dive Fund does not cover the cost of any plant medicine, as the medicine is donated to recipients of the fund. For more information about the Inward Dive Fund and how to apply, please read the information below.
“What I learned is anyone that has contact with the justice system is holding trauma and stress.”
- Henry Fields, lead of the Inward Dive Fund
Apply for the Inward Dive Fund
Apply here. Please subscribe to our newsletter for the most up to date information about the Inward Dive Fund application.
If interested in applying for an Inward Dive Fund grant, please read the information below to learn more about the grant, including who can apply and what the grant includes. Please also scroll below to read a letter from Henry Fields.
The application can take up to an hour to complete, as it includes learning about what is involved to receive plant medicine services in Oregon, as well as personal, financial, mental health, facilitation, and integration questions.
The application window is open and we recommend applying as soon as you are able. More information about the Inward Dive Fund is included in the application form itself, as well as below in the FAQ section.
Questions about the Inward Dive Fund? You can always contact us at info@sherieckert.org. (If you write to us, please add this address to your contact list and check your spam folder regularly.)
Who can apply for an Inward Dive Fund grant?
The Inward Dive Fund is open to everyone who is 21 years or older, has been justice-impacted, has financial need, and is anywhere in the United States and beyond.
In addition to the primary criteria of justice-impacted and financial need, the fund prioritizes applicants who come from communities that may not typically have access to this form of healthcare, which we define broadly (i.e. where someone lives, age, race, ethnicity, cultural barriers, occupation, physical and/or cognitive ability, gender, sexual orientation, etc.).
To summarize, applicants to our fund will qualify for financial support if they meet the following criteria:
- 21 years or older
- Live anywhere in the U.S. or beyond
- Identify as justice-impacted
- Have financial need
- May not otherwise have access to this form of healthcare
What defines a “justice-impacted” person?
A “justice-impacted” person is anyone who has experienced incarceration, arrest, probation, parole, or the collateral consequences of a criminal record, as well as their family members, legal advocates, and others who bear the emotional and systemic burdens of the justice system.
If you have any further questions on what qualifies someone as justice-impacted, please feel free to email us at info@sherieckert.org.
What does the Inward Dive Fund grant include?
The grant is to support the cost of facilitation only, and the facilitator and/or service center must be licensed by Oregon Health Authority (OHA).
The grant does not cover the cost of psilocybin, as well as any other costs, including but not limited to, travel, food, and/or lodging.
More questions?
Please see below to read through our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
If you have further questions or inquiries, please email us.
Satori Farms PDX
We are grateful for the partnership and support of Satori Farms PDX and Tori Armbrust who has generously provided psilocybin for the grantees.
Tori founded Satori Farms PDX, the first company, also woman owned, to receive a license to manufacture psilocybin mushrooms in Oregon. Tori is a long-time mushroom enthusiast, cultivator, and educator, and am currently working with many of the new service centers opening under the rollout of Measure 109 by the Oregon’s Psilocybin Services.
More information about the psilocybin as well as, the rules and regulations will be shared upon being awarded a grant.
Our team is deeply grateful for the partnership and support we’ve received from Tori and Satori Farms PDX as they have generously donated Oregon grown, tested, and regulated high quality psilocybin mushrooms for all Community Leaders Resilience Fund grantees.
How can I support the Inward Dive Fund?
If you are interested in donating to support the Inward Dive Fund, please contact info@sherieckert.org or you can donate online.
The Inward Dive Fund is supported through donations, so we aim to offer as many grants as possible based on the donations we’ve received.
Letter from Henry Fields, lead of the Inward Dive Fund
March 11, 2025
Hi, My name is Henry Fields. When I got out of rehab nineteen years ago, I was sleeping on a friend’s couch. My friend, Sandra “Sam” Stein, who has since passed over,was a medium. She often suggested to me that I was fated to walk the path of a healer and that I was somehow going to work with people that were incarcerated. The night that I finally quit drinking was due to a moment of clarity. I was drunk and got into a physical altercation and found myself headed to jail in Compton. When the officer asked, “Do you have any gang tattoos or reason to believe that anyone inside will hurt you?” it was as if the record of my reality started to skip. As a black male with substance abuse issues, there was a constant fear of how likely it was that I would eventually end up behind prison bars. Fortunately, they let me sleep it off in the drunk tank and the following day I went to an AA meeting and never drank again.
Six years ago, I started Inward Dive. This is a coaching service that uses spiritual guidance, hypnosis and shamanic practitioner concepts to assist people going through an awakening process. Much of what I share was learned from experiences I had while using psilocybin to pull myself out of a deep depression. The main takeaway was that I was out of alignment and the energy that I was spending fighting the universe had left me energetically and spiritually depleted. The end result was depression. Around that time I started on my path as a psilocybin facilitator. Being able to have a vocation that is dharma has been invaluable to my own healing journey.
The Universe is magical. In order to get licensed in Oregon as a psilocybin facilitator we must submit an equity and inclusion plan. This entails identifying a population which could benefit from outreach about the efficacy of psilocybin, We are also encouraged to offer a sliding scale to this population. As an acknowledgment to my friend Sam’s vision and my personal past, I chose the formerly incarcerated as my demographic. Before I even put pen to paper, the only client that I had worked with that was previously incarcerated reached out to refer me to a friend of his. This client was also formerly incarcerated and was a part of an organization that served the formerly incarcerated. Through this organization I was immediately given many referrals to other formerly incarcerated people that were suffering. Through another contact, I also began to work with lawyers, detectives and criminal justice advocates. What I learned is anyone that has contact with the justice system is holding trauma and stress.
There are currently 1.8 million people incarcerated in the United States. Many if not most of these souls are there due to adverse childhood experiences, substance abuse and undiagnosed mental health issues. Instead of receiving loving guidance and justice, they are thrown into extremely punishing conditions where they will be re-traumatized. In addition, mandatory minimums create sentencing guidelines that are extreme in every way. When someone is incarcerated, their loved ones suffer. A child is missing a parent, a sibling is missing their siblings. Wives are without their husbands or vice-versa. In addition, criminal justice advocates and attorneys are taking on the Sisyphean task of trying to change the profit-over-justice mentality of the American justice system. This is why I created the Inward Dive Temple, a 501 (c) (3) that is raising funds to offer Psilocybin services to anyone that has been impacted by the criminal justice system. This includes the formerly incarcerated, family members, advocates and attorneys. We will be offering grants to applicants to have the services free of charge or a partial scholarship based on the needs of the applicants. Psilocybin is a powerful tool to access one’s subconscious to release traumas, reframe narratives and feel replenished by a deep sense of interconnection. The experience done with proper preparation and integration has proven itself to be very useful to those impacted by the justice system.
Please consider making a donation if this vision resonates with you. Also, please take a moment to think about whether you know anyone that you feel would benefit from psilocybin services and forward them the application.
- Henry Fields
Frequently Asked Questions
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The Inward Dive Fund supports justice-impacted individuals by reducing financial and logistical barriers to accessing state-legal plant medicine facilitation services.
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The Inward Dive Fund is open to everyone who is 21 years or older, have been justice-impacted, have financial need, and are anywhere in the United States and beyond,.
In addition to the primary criteria of justice-impacted and financial need, the fund prioritizes applicants that come from communities who may not typically have access to this form of healthcare, which we define broadly (i.e. where someone lives, age, race, ethnicity, cultural barriers, occupation, physical and/or cognitive ability, gender, sexual orientation, etc.).
To summarize, applicants to our fund will qualify for financial support if they meet the following criteria:
- 21 years or older
- Live anywhere in the U.S. or beyond
- Identify as justice-impacted
- Have financial need
- May not otherwise have access to this form of healthcare -
A “justice-impacted” person is anyone who has experienced incarceration, arrest, probation, parole, or the collateral consequences of a criminal record, as well as their family members, legal advocates, and others who bear the emotional and systemic burdens of the justice system.
If you have any further questions on what qualifies someone as a community leader, please feel free to email us at info@sherieckert.org.
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While research reveals a strong safety profile, psilocybin is not for everyone. Some conditions may be disqualifying. You may not be eligible to receive psilocybin therapy, depending in part on the Psilocybin Facilitator or Psilocybin Service Center, if you have a history of certain conditions.
Please be aware that the following conditions or situations may be contraindications to receiving psilocybin services:
Mental health conditions such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, schizophreniform disorder, major depressive disorder with psychotic features, psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder, mania, delusional disorder, any dissociative disorder, substance-induced psychosis, or severe paranoia
Current drug or alcohol withdrawal symptoms or active/severe drug or alcohol misuse
Cardiovascular conditions such as: poorly controlled high blood pressure, prolonged QTc interval, congestive heart failure, history of cardiac arrest, history of ventricular arrhythmia (V. Fib/V.Tach), presence of AICD (Automatic Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator), coronary artery disease, angina, tachycardia, arrhythmia (e.g. atrial fibrillation), Wolff-Parkinson White Syndrome, heart valve disease, artificial heart valve, cardiac hypertrophy, cardiomyopathy, aortic disease, aneurysms
Gastrointestinal conditions such as: moderate to severe liver impairment, gastric outlet obstruction
Dialysis or severe kidney disease
Neurologic conditions such as dementia, cognitive impairment, seizure disorders, epilepsy, history of stroke or transient ischemic attack, cerebral aneurysm
Taking medications such as Lithium, two or more medications affecting your serotonin system (e.g.drug classes such as SSRI, SNRI, SPARI, TCA, and MAO inhibitors), Angle-closure glaucoma
Pregnancy
Tuberculosis, COVID and other highly contagious diseases
1st degree relative (parent, sibling, child) with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or any psychotic or dissociative disorder
If you are living with any of the above conditions or situations, and you are unable to resolve the condition or situation before receiving psilocybin therapy, we recommend that you do not apply for a grant, as there is a high probability that you will not be deemed eligible to receive psilocybin services from a Psilocybin Facilitator or from a Psilocybin Service Center.
Disclaimers:
Please note, legally someone cannot receive psilocybin if they meet any of the following criteria at the time of:
1. If you have been diagnosed with active psychosis
2. If you take lithium or have taken lithium within the past 30 days
3. If you have ideation of harm to yourself or others
We are not making any sort of decision or confirmation that someone should receive psilocybin services. We are determining if an applicant is a good fit to receive a grant from us, so that they have the ability to pursue a licensed facilitator where both the client and facilitator will make the decision whether or not to work together.
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In 2020, voters in Oregon passed Ballot Measure 109, also known as the Oregon Psilocybin Services Act, allowing the "manufacture, delivery, and administration" of psilocybin within licensed service centers, supervised by licensed facilitators. In 2022, Colorado became the second state to establish a legal regulated access program for psilocybin and other related psychoactive plants. While psilocybin is legal for use within the Oregon and Colorado state regulated models, it remains a federally illegal schedule 1 drug within the Controlled Substances Act.
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The Inward Dive Fund is a new initiative from the Sheri Eckert Foundation, (SEF), in partnership with Henry Fields, a Oregon licensed facilitator and integration coach.
SEF is committed to creating a future where Oregon and Colorado’s evolving psychedelic ecosystem is accessible to participants from diverse backgrounds, financial means, and geographies around the state and country. Learn more about SEF here.
Our Board of Directors is David Bronner, Tom Eckert, and Nathan Howard.
Our team consists of Nathan Howard, Executive Director and Lorena Dame, Director of Operations and Development. We also work with an organization called Magical Teams to support our application process.
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Please head to the State of Oregon's official website for Oregon Psilocybin Services, which contains many resources about Oregon’s Psilocybin Services model. It also contains sample forms to better understand information you may cover with a licensed facilitator in a preparation session:
Read the OPS Fact Sheet for information about psilocybin services in Oregon.
To learn more about psilocybin, please review the Scientific Literature Review or Cultural and Anthropological Information on the OPS website.
Another comprehensive guide is the Healing Advocacy Fund: Oregon Psilocybin Services Client Guide.
Here is sample of an Intake and screening forms you would complete with a facilitator:
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Final grant amounts will vary but we anticipate that the average grant size will total $500- $2,000.
The grant is to support the cost of facilitation, it does not cover the cost of plant medicine. The cost of psilocybin medicine ranges from potentially being donated to costing around $100. The Inward Dive Fund grants do not cover any costs related to travel, food, lodging, or any other costs besides facilitation.
The actual funds will be directed to the facilitator and/or service center, which must be licensed by Oregon Health Authority (OHA). Once you and a facilitator have agreed to work with each other, we will direct the funds to the facilitator.
Grant recipients will have the ability to be referred to Henry Fields or one of our 'Recommended Facilitators'.
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Our goal is to award initial grants in late Spring of 2025 and continue to award grants on a rolling basis over the course of 2025 and 2026. We will communicate with all applicants over email.
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Grants are awarded through a competitive application process due to the fact that the number of applicants to the Inward Dive Fund may exceed the amount of funds we can distribute.
Selection criteria is primarily based on the applicant's financial need, whether they belong to an underserved population (e.g. geography, race, ethnicity, cultural barriers, occupation, physical and/or cognitive ability, age, gender, etc.), and a demonstrated understanding and readiness to receive psilocybin therapy. Each of these three categories are detailed in the application process.
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The fund is currently designed to support groups of 4-6 individuals undergoing two days of psilocybin facilitation. Cohorts of leaders from similar backgrounds/communities may either be self-selected or will be grouped by the fund’s reviewers based on appropriateness of fit. We believe the cohort model will foster peer support amongst the group, as well as the opportunity for ongoing community following the psilocybin services. Through receiving psilocybin therapy in a group model, our goal is to help increase the quality of care while also bringing down overall costs for grant recipients.
*If there is any reason why an applicant would prefer not to participate in this cohort model and would require individual care, there will be a chance to indicate so within the application and such a request will be considered on an as needed basis.
Why group over one-on-one?
In very recent history, group work has become less common, in part due to a western approach to medicine that is driven by the FDA's approach to drug development. For this reason, most people in the United States are less accustomed to group work and less likely to be comfortable with it.
However, psychedelics - especially psilocybin - have a long and successful history of being used in group settings. This includes not just in a clinical context but also in Indigenous cultures going back thousands of years.
Not only does group work save time and money, but studies show that when people feel part of a community, it improves their psychological well-being and connectedness.
We believe this is one of the reasons why people who begin with a preference for individual over group end up strongly preferring group after they experience it. And we know from research and firsthand experience that individuals rarely heal or thrive in isolation.
To learn more about group psychedelic therapy, consider tapping the above hyperlinks or see the below information and videos:
Research: National Library of Medicine - combining psychedelic substances and group psychotherapy may prove beneficial for increasing group connectedness and interpersonal learning, potentially enhancing prosocial behavior with direct opportunities to practice newly acquired knowledge about previously maladaptive behavior patterns.
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Any information you share with us is strictly confidential, and will not be shared with any person, for any reason, without your written (or electronic) permission.
Submission of this information is voluntary and refusal to provide it will not subject you to any adverse treatment.
The Sheri Eckert Foundation will only use, process, and store your personal information for the purpose of reviewing, managing, and executing the Psilocybin Access Fund program. Your information may be used, processed, and stored on IT platforms and accessed by Sheri Eckert Foundation employees and contractors for this purpose.
All workstations and Typeform devices are fully encrypted to guarantee the confidentiality of the information they contain. Typeform's data protection standards are HIPAA compliant.
We do not share, sell, or lease your personal information to third parties for other purposes, unless required by law. (At the time of this update, we have never received a legal request for personal information.)
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All workstations and Typeform devices are fully encrypted to guarantee the confidentiality of the information they contain. Typeform's data protection standards are HIPAA compliant.
