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Ketamine Research Institute Announces its Newly Revised and Updated - 3 Day Intensive Ketamine Infusion Therapy Training Program for Clinicians

The Ketamine Research Institute Training Program

Ketamine Infusion Therapy for Mood Disorders - A 3-Day Intensive Training Course for Clinicians presented by the Ketamine Research Institute is the first and only comprehensive Clinical Training Program for practitioners in the United States.

The ketamine infusion protocol for the treatment of depression was discovered at the Yale University School of Medicine/West Haven Connecticut VA Hospital over 25 years ago. It was my former Department at Yale (Anesthesiology) that formulated and administered the very first ketamine infusion treatment, which has since become the "standard" ketamine infusion and is now used by many others around the world, including many prestigious Academic Medical Centers such as Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH).

Although I first became acquainted with the clinical use of ketamine in 1998-1999, the early underpinnings of our current training program began in 2002 at the Mount Sinai/NYU Medical Center and became more formalized in 2007 as part of my teaching responsibilities at Yale University Department of Anesthesiology. As an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, Director of the Pain Medicine Fellowship Program, and Chief of Pain Medicine for the Connecticut VA Healthcare System, in addition to my clinical duties and research, I was responsible for educating Anesthesiology Residents and Fellows in Pain Medicine.

As part of my curriculum, I included didactic lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on training in the administration of high-dose ketamine infusions for chronic neuropathic pain conditions. In addition to teaching Residents and Fellows, I also conducted clinical research in the therapeutic basis of ketamine therapy and provided instruction to Attending Physicians, Administrators, and Researchers from the V.A. nationwide and Physicians in the Department of Defense on the remarkable potential of ketamine in treating returning veterans with complex physical and psychological injuries.

That early program has evolved significantly over the years, as I have accumulated thousands of hours of direct, "hands-on" ketamine infusion time with patients worldwide who have come to us with widely varied clinical presentations and co-morbid conditions for treatment. That knowledge and experience has been condensed and distilled into our current training course which is solely focused and intended to train a core group of Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists with independent practice privileges to provide the highest quality, evidence-based, optimized ketamine therapy available to patients in their current office or outpatient practice setting.

Course Rationale:

During the recent COVID epidemic, depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder rates have all risen dramatically. Media outlets have been educating the public about the tremendous therapeutic benefits of ketamine and other psychedelics for the rapid relief of mood disorders and related conditions. Health insurance companies in Canada and the U.S. have taken notice of this new treatment modality and may soon cover such treatments. As this evolution unfolds, many more individuals in need of a new and effective treatment option for mental health issues will be able to benefit from ketamine-based therapy.

Unfortunately, some clinicians who administer ketamine therapy and large business organizations seeking to commercialize ketamine-based therapy today have limited or inadequate clinical knowledge of the intricacies associated with this cutting-edge and non-traditional therapeutic modality, and treatment outcomes are not as good as they might be.

As a result, there is a tremendous need for qualified individuals trained to provide patient-centered, safe, effective ketamine therapy for mood disorders. This 3-day intensive program is our attempt to help provide clinicians with the necessary skills, understanding, and knowledge essential to administering ketamine infusion therapy to their patients in an office or outpatient setting. The program covers all aspects of ketamine therapy that have practical clinical applications today and in the future.

Course Overview

With a focus on clinical efficacy, safety, and patient welfare, the Ketamine Research Institute's program trains participants to safely administer ketamine-based therapy to patients with various mood disorders. This therapeutic approach is now widely recognized to have remarkable effects on treatment-resistant depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and some forms of chronic pain.

An additional goal of this training program is to train nurses, psychologists, and other medical and mental health clinicians, exploring new treatments options that will be more effective than traditional treatments currently being used.  

The course trains participants to safely and effectively administer the ketamine infusion protocol developed at Yale in 1994-2000 and currently used by the National Institute of Mental Health, Academic Centers, and Major University Medical Centers worldwide.

However, this course goes beyond the original limited protocol by training professionals to provide a more sophisticated approach to ketamine infusion therapy that we have found to be more versatile, efficient, and cost-effective.

Course Format:

Participants will study with me and experienced instructors in an actual infusion center setting. They'll learn while getting to know the equipment, monitoring devices, and layout of an existing ketamine infusion center. Our course is usually limited to only three practitioners at one time to facilitate a small group learning environment, active discussion, and adequate familiarization with an actual ketamine infusion center.

While with us, clinicians have an opportunity to become familiar with the actual environment in which infusions are performed and include a demonstration of the necessary monitoring equipment, venous access technologies, intravenous delivery systems, and supplies necessary for the safe administration, storage, and handling of ketamine.

Our intensive training course is a unique educational experience. The course content is comprehensive, extensive, and highly practical; the content of the curriculum is also dictated by the needs of the individuals taking the course. 

To the degree possible to maintain our educational objectives, the 3-day intensive training is customized to each practitioner's needs and skill level. It delves deeply into specialized aspects of ketamine pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, including the effects of patient-specific metabolism, medication interactions, and genomic variables on ketamine metabolism and efficacy. 

Ketamine Infusion Experience

A unique aspect of the Ketamine Research Institute program is that clinicians who undertake the intensive training are also provided with the opportunity to experience a ketamine infusion first-hand to fully understand this remarkably versatile medication's unique psychological benefits and therapeutic potential.  

APA and ASA Training Guidelines and Recommendation

All of our training meets and exceeds consensus recommendations published by the American Psychiatric Association and the American Society of Anesthesiologists. Clinicians who complete the course are provided with the comprehensive course manual, which summarizes all of the lecture and presentation concepts and provides the necessary scientific references supporting ketamine therapy. 

Also included are examples of required DEA documentation, treatment consents, medical evaluation, and treatment records. In addition, participants are provided with certification of training by the Ketamine Research Institute and personal assistance during the initiation phase of their ketamine infusion practice. They are invited to participate in our ongoing discussion board and chat group.

Course Objectives:

The course is highly comprehensive and practical in its approach. It includes a detailed didactic component that gives the practitioner a broad overview of the evolution of ketamine therapy and insight into future clinical applications, including neurodegenerative disorders, inflammatory conditions, and substance abuse disorders. Much of our time is devoted to understanding ketamine therapy from pharmacologic, physiologic, and phenomenological perspectives. 

We thoroughly cover unique aspects of ketamine pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, including the effects of patient-specific metabolism, medication interactions, and genomic variables, illustrating the effects these variables have on ketamine metabolism and efficacy. These issues directly impact the success or failure a practitioner may encounter in a clinical setting and allow them the understanding and flexibility to modify infusion protocols and treatment regimen to improve outcomes in challenging cases.

Practical considerations include supplying the student with the tools, information, and resources necessary to undertake ketamine-based therapy, including the prerequisite equipment and supply requirements, staffing requirements, drug acquisition, and DEA safe storage and recording procedures. Also, each student is provided with numerous examples of medical documentation necessary for initial patient contact and evaluation, consent forms, procedure notes, infusion records, and follow-up protocols

After this program, participants will be able to:

— Understand the rationale for using ketamine infusion therapy for mood disorders and the mechanism of action of ketamine as an antidepressant.

— Safely administer ketamine infusion therapy to patients with mood disorders using the National Institute of Mental Health/Yale Protocol.

— Identify and manage potential adverse effects associated with ketamine infusion therapy.

— Understand the principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics as they relate to ketamine.

— Develop a patient care plan for administering and monitoring ketamine infusion therapy in collaboration with a qualified medical professional.

— Optimize treatment outcomes through practical strategies such as dose titration, metabolic optimization, and other psychotherapeutic augmentation techniques.

— Establish and Manage a "State of the Art/Best Practices" Ketamine Infusion Center.

Current 2022 Course Content:

Module 1 - A New Way of Looking at The Treatment of Mood Disorders

  1. Introduction – Gerald W. Grass, MD
  2. Are Conventional Antidepressants Obsolete?
  3. Ketamine - A Master Molecule for Rapid Improvement in Mood Disorders
  4. The Human Connectome Project and How It Impacts Mood Disorder Treatment
  5. Ketamine as a form of Multimodal Neuromodulation Therapy
  6. Why You Should Perform Ketamine Infusions
  7. Question and Answer Session

Module 2 -The Current Scientific Evidence Supporting Ketamine Therapy

  1. What is Ketamine – The Strange History of CI 581
  2. Summary of the Current Scientific Evidence for Ketamine Therapy Part 1
  3. Summary of the Current Scientific Evidence for Ketamine Therapy Part 2
  4. Pharmacodynamics and Pharmacokinetics Aspects of Ketamine Therapy.
  5. Beyond the Pharmacological Effects of Ketamine – Transpersonal Perspectives
  6. Research into Other Ketamine-like Compounds – Will They Be Effective?
  7. Should You Consider Incorporating Other Psychedelic Agents in Your Practice?
  8. Question and Answer Session

Module 3 - Practical Clinical Aspects of Ketamine Therapy

  1. How to Choose the Right person and Right Condition for Ketamine-Based Therapy.
  2. Medical Records, labs, and Prior Treatments – What's Important and What is Not.
  3. Contraindications to Ketamine-Based Therapy - When To Be Very Careful.
  4. Medicolegal Concerns about Off-Label Use of Ketamine.
  5. The Best Way To Administer Ketamine: Intravenous vs. Intramuscular vs Oral/Nasal.
  6. When to Consider Alternate Routes of Administration.
  7. Is Ketamine Abuse and Substance Dependence An Issue?
  8. Question and Answer Session

Module 4 - The Ketamine Infusion Protocol and Procedure

  1. Pre-Procedure Assessment and Documentation Requirements
  2. Equipment Requirements Necessary for Providing Ketamine Safely
  3. Fundamentals of Anesthesia Monitoring and Intravenous Therapy
  4. Patient Monitoring Requirements for Infusion Therapy
  5. Adverse Effects Associated with Ketamine and How to Manage Them Effectively.
  6. Procedure Observation and Post-Infusion Interview
  7. Question and Answer Session

Special Section - Participate in an actual Ketamine Infusion/Personal Ketamine Experience.

While other training programs focus solely on the scientific and clinical aspects of ketamine therapy, we will go beyond such technical information to provide the necessary "hands-on" practical experience in administering ketamine infusions.

The ketamine infusion experience can be a profound and life-changing event for many people. Most importantly, and unique to our training course, practitioners are also given the opportunity and encouraged to experience a ketamine infusion themselves to fully understand and appreciate the unique psychological environment which their patients will experience.

This one-of-a-kind experience will enhance the clinician's ability to relate to your patients' anxieties and concerns benefits and maximize the therapeutic potential of ketamine.

 

Module 5 - Optimizing Outcomes and Expanding Indications for Ketamine Therapy

  1. Optimizing Serum Concentration for Maximal Benefit.
  2. Special Considerations for Ketamine-Assisted-Psychotherapy (KAP therapy).
  3. Medications, Metabolism, and Genetics = Make or Break Treatment Outcomes
  4. Treating Complicated Patients with Mood Disorders
  5. How to Monitor Treatment Effectiveness and Outcomes.
  6. Beyond the Recognized Benefits of Ketamine – The Master Molecule
  7. The Expanding Indications for Ketamine Therapy.
  8. Is Ketamine More "Psychedelic" than Psilocybin or LSD?
  9. Psilocybin, LSD, DMT, and Ayahuasca – May Not Be That Magical After All.
  10. Question and Answer Session

Module 6 - Establishing A Ketamine Therapy Program in Your Existing Practice Setting

  1. Establishing A Ketamine Therapy Program in Your Current Practice Environment.
  2. Creating A Scalable Infusion Program for New and Existing Patients.
  3. What are the Start-Up Costs Involved in beginning Ketamine Therapy?
  4. How to Make It More Affordable for Patients?
  5. Recommendations for Space, Staff, Supplies, Equipment, and Vendors.
  6. Educating colleagues, patients, and referral sources about ketamine-based therapy.
  7. Ketamine Institute Mentoring Program

After this program, participants will be able to:

— Understand the rationale for using ketamine infusion therapy for mood disorders and the mechanism of action of ketamine as an antidepressant.

— Safely administer ketamine infusion therapy to patients with mood disorders using the National Institute of Mental Health/Yale Protocol

— Identify and manage potential adverse effects associated with ketamine infusion therapy.

— Understand the principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics as they relate to ketamine

— Develop a patient care plan for administering and monitoring ketamine infusion therapy in collaboration with a qualified medical professional.

— Optimize treatment outcomes through practical strategies such as dose titration, metabolic optimization, and other psychotherapeutic augmentation techniques.

— Establish and Manage a "State of the Art/Best Practices" Ketamine Infusion Center.

Who Should Attend

This program is designed for physicians (M.D. or D.O.) and CRNA/NPs with independent practice privileges interested in providing ketamine-based therapy to patients in their current office practice setting using the Yale/NIMH Protocol.

Significant relevant subsections of the course are also designed to provide Nurses, Psychologists, and other medical/mental health clinicians with the theoretical and practical knowledge necessary to assist, guide, and monitor patients through all aspects of the ketamine experience.

Course Application and Fees:

To apply for the course, please download, complete, and return the Training Brochure/Application. In addition, please also submit copies of your current active medical/professional licensure, a resume of formal training, including ketamine infusion therapy, if any; and a brief but thoughtful explanation of your interest in and planned use of ketamine-based therapy. You may send the materials to us by email at restore@ketamineinstitute.com or by Fax at 850-602-9013.

Once all of the documentation has been received and reviewed, we will arrange a convenient time to review your application, answer any preliminary questions you may and provide you with additional details about the program.

Applications must be completed and received no later than 30 days prior to the course start date. Application to the course does not guarantee acceptance.

For any additional information regarding our training program, please contact us at 800-850-6979

 

Gerald W. Grass, MD, is the Founder and Medical Director of the Ketamine Research Institute, where he developed the RESTORE infusion technique. His training includes Anesthesiology, Pain Medicine, Neurosurgery, Emergency Medicine, and Alternative Medicine. Dr. Grass has served as an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology/Pain Medicine at Yale University School, where the ketamine infusion for mood disorders was developed. He has written papers, book chapters, and given abstract/poster presentations on ketamine-based therapy at national conferences. He has also given numerous presentations about ketamine-based therapy to organizations, including the Yale University School of Medicine, Veterans Healthcare Administration, and the Department of Defense.