Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the mental health landscape, offering new possibilities for documentation efficiency, clinical assessment, and client engagement tools. While these advancements bring opportunities to enhance care, they also present complex ethical challenges related to privacy, bias, informed consent, clinical judgment, and the human connection at the heart of therapeutic work.

This live, Zoom-based ethics training provides mental health professionals with a clear, grounded framework for navigating AI’s emerging role in clinical practice. Through a trauma-informed, values-driven lens, participants will explore real-world examples of AI applications—from note-taking assistants to symptom tracking platforms—and assess their potential benefits and risks. Together, we will examine current professional guidelines from NASW, NBCC, APA, and the World Health Organization, and apply established ethical decision-making models to case scenarios.

The course emphasizes reflective practice, guiding participants to clarify their personal and professional stance on AI through discussion, guided exercises, and the creation of a customized AI ethics intention statement. By the end of the session, participants will feel more prepared to engage with AI in ways that align with their values, uphold client trust, and preserve the integrity of the therapeutic relationship—approaching the future of mental health practice with discernment, care, and ethical clarity.

Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:

• Identify common uses of AI in mental health documentation and client-facing tools.
• Apply relevant NASW, NBCC, APA, and WHO ethical guidelines to AI in clinical practice.
• Evaluate dilemmas using ethical decision-making models and the “augment, not replace” lens.
• Create a personal AI ethics intention statement to guide future professional engagement.