AI in Mental Health
Over 850 mental health professionals from across the country joined us in this enlightening discussion with our curated panel of AI and privacy experts. Now, you have the opportunity to watch the recording at your convenience. During this 45-minute panel discussion, you’ll gain invaluable insights into advantages and apprehensions associated with AI in mental health, AI data usage and its impact on client privacy and HIPAA compliance, and what to be aware of when integrating technology into your practice.
What does this mean for your client’s privacy data?
In today’s digital age, data privacy has surged to the forefront of our collective consciousness. Recent shifts in data privacy terms by tech giants like Zoom have thrust this issue into the spotlight, particularly in the context of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications.
Conversations about data privacy have permeated every corner of the internet, from listservs to TikTok. Many mental health practitioners are grappling with questions surrounding data, Protected Health Information (PHI), and how these elements intersect with the sacred bond of trust between therapists and their clients. And if you’re a practitioner in private practice, the stakes are even higher.
Access the recording now to stay informed and empowered in the evolving landscape of mental health technology!
Founder, Thriving Well Institute
Megan Gunnell – Moderator
Megan Gunnell, LMSW is a graduate of the University of Michigan SSW, Founder & Director of the Thriving Well Institute, psychotherapist, group practice owner, speaker, #1 bestselling author of “Thriving as a Therapist” and international retreat leader with over 25 years experience. She provides coaching, online courses, retreats and summits to therapists who want to learn how to build and scale their business. She’s the admin of the Thriving Therapists® FB group approaching 20,000 members. Megan received the Meta Community Accelerator Award for 2022-2023 for having one of the highest-engaged Facebook communities in all of North America. She has presented and facilitated workshops and retreats globally and nationwide. She loves to help others learn how to thrive at work and at home.
Psychiatrist & Chief Clinical Officer, Reimbursify
Vatsal Thakkar MD
Vatsal Thakkar, MD is a psychiatrist whose first memory is helping his dad sweep floors in a coin-operated laundromat that his family owned. Inheriting the entrepreneur gene, it came as no surprise that in 2007 he started his own direct pay (out-of-network) practice in the middle of New York City, where competition is fierce, with more doctors than anywhere else in the world. He also grew up a techie, so he grew his practice with a tech stack that he cobbled together before software startups focused on solo practitioners. While running this practice, he realized that there was a huge pain point for his customers that he was not addressing–the filing of their insurance claims after they paid in full for his services. Naively, he decided to step into the quagmire that is health insurance billing, but came out of it with a revolutionary idea–why can’t patients file and manage their own claims digitally to collect the reimbursements they are owed? The idea for a new business was born. He ultimately sold his thriving New York City practice and with his cofounder William Brown, launched Reimbursify.
Co-Chair, Privacy Cybersecurity & Technology Practice Group, Moritt Hock and Hamroff LLP
Stephen Breidenbach
Stephen Breidenbach serves as Co-Chair of the firm’s Cybersecurity, Privacy & Technology Practice Group and concentrates his practice on technology-related legal matters, including cybersecurity and privacy compliance. Mr. Breidenbach has merged his technical background with his legal practice. He works hand-in-hand with clients to help them better understand their use of technology and solve the complex legal problems which manifest when law and technology collide. He is versed in such technologies as machine learning, chatbots, augmented reality, altered reality, virtual reality and blockchain. He has also assisted in the development of mobile apps and websites.
Associate Professor of Psychiatry & Division Chief of Geriatric Psychiatry UC San Diego
Ellen E. Lee MD
Ellen Lee, MD is an Associate Professor and Chief of Geriatric Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and a Staff Psychiatrist at the San Diego VA Healthcare System. Her research focuses on biological and psychosocial aging in people with serious mental illnesses and the healthy aging population. She leads studies on the inflammatory mediators of sleep disturbances in older adults with serious mental illnesses, sleep apnea and its effects on cognition among people with schizophrenia, and loneliness in the general aging population. Ellen has co-authored the publications “Artificial Intelligence for Mental Health and Mental Illnesses: An Overview” and “Artificial Intelligence for Mental Health Care: Clinical Applications, Barriers, Facilitators, and Artificial Wisdom”.
Clinical Psychologist at San Diego VA Health Care System; Assistant Clinical Professor at UCSD
Michelle Barahman PhD
Michelle Barahman, Ph.D., is a Clinical Psychologist with an extensive background in clinical psychology. She currently serves as a Staff Psychologist in the Primary Care-Mental Health Integration Program (PC-MHI) at the San Diego VA Health Care System, conducting intake evaluations, functional assessments, and providing care for patients with psychological and health-related issues. Dr. Barahman’s career has been marked by her deep interest in the intersection of AI and mental health, which she gained through her experience at a digital behavioural health start-up, where she worked as a Clinical Manager. This experience gave her insights into the unique challenges and opportunities presented by technology in mental health, including issues related to ethics and privacy. Beyond her clinical work, she also holds the position of Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), where she supervises and teaches students in the Department of Psychiatry. In addition to her institutional roles, Dr. Barahman runs a private practice, offering individual, couples, and family therapy. She is also an active volunteer, serving as a Medical Advisor for A Moment of Magic and offering clinical supervision to doctoral practicum students providing therapy to migrant refugees and asylum seekers through the Refugee Health Alliance.