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AI in Mental Health: Essential Skills

Ethics of AI in Clinical Practice: Consent, Confidentiality, and Clinical Judgment

Molly Pachan, PhD
Rachel Ruiz, LMFT
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Description

This workshop examines the ethical challenges of artificial intelligence (AI) in clinical practice through the AI‑ASK framework. As both patients and clinicians increasingly use conversational AI, therapists must navigate issues of informed consent, confidentiality, clinical judgment, and algorithmic bias. Participants will explore how AI influences relational and informational security, when disclosure and consent are required, and how to maintain clinical competence while using AI tools. The workshop also addresses broader concerns, including cultural bias and environmental impact. Emphasis is placed on practical, ethically grounded strategies to help clinicians respond thoughtfully to AI use and integrate it safely into psychotherapy.

Educational Goal

The educational goal of this session is to enhance clinicians’ ability to make ethically informed decisions about patient and clinician use of AI by applying AI ASK principles to issues of consent, confidentiality, clinical judgment, and systemic impact.

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:

  • Describe ethical considerations related to the use of AI in clinical practice, including issues of consent, confidentiality, and informational security.

  • Identify situations in which disclosure and informed consent are required for clinician or patient use of AI tools.

  • Apply AI‑ASK-informed strategies to evaluate and guide ethical decision-making related to AI use, including considerations of ecological impact, cultural context, and clinical judgment.

Target Audience

  • Addiction Professional
  • Counselor
  • Marriage & Family Therapist
  • Psychologist
  • Social Worker

Presenters

Molly Pachan, PhD
Dr. Molly Pachan is a clinical psychologist with specialties in psychodynamic treatment, mentalization and reflective functioning, bipolar disorder care, personality disorders, and treatment of complex comorbid conditions. She holds a dual appointment as a Residential Psychologist at Lindner Center of Hope in Mason, Ohio, as well as Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Dr. Pachan completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan, her master's and doctoral degrees at Loyola University Chicago, and her predoctoral internship at Cambridge Health Alliance - Harvard Medical School. She has completed advanced postgraduate certificates at Northwestern University, Chicago Center for Psychoanalysis, and the University of Cincinnati. Her academic interests include the role of AI in mental healthcare, personality disorders, lifespan development, and intercultural psychology. Dr. Pachan enjoys writing, speaking, and consulting with organizations on the role of AI in mental healthcare. She is the author of the AI-ASK clinical framework for assessing and addressing patients' AI usage in mental healthcare.
Rachel Ruiz, LMFT

Financially Sponsored By

  • Molly Pachan PhD