Using Artificial Intelligence to Support Mental Health

Live Online Post-Master’s Certificate Program

Are you an innovative practitioner curious about how Artificial Intelligence can be ethically applied to help those you serve?

This online certificate program will teach you to apply AI tools to improve clients’ mental health outcomes. You’ll gain a comprehensive understanding of AI principles, terminology, and methods to proactively assess and address mental health challenges. You’ll also grasp AI’s capabilities and limitations in a social work context, including ethical considerations. The program will enhance your ability to integrate AI technologies responsibly and equitably to support vulnerable populations, improve mental health care accessibility, and advocate for clients.

Understanding AI Foundations for Social Work in Mental Health

• Key AI concepts, terminology, and methods applicable to mental health assessment
• Debunking myths and developing a clear perspective on AI's capabilities and limitations in a social work context

Applying AI for Early Assessment and Intervention in Social Work Practice

• Hands-on experience with AI tools for mental health screening
• Integrating AI strategies to proactively assess and address mental health issues in social work
• Collaborating with clients, families, and interdisciplinary teams on AI-driven early interventions

Ethical and Culturally Responsive AI Use in Mental Health Social Work

• Ethical responsibilities when using AI with diverse youth, families, and communities
• Analyzing potential ethical dilemmas and cultural implications of AI applications
• Upholding core social work values when making decisions on AI interventions
• Ensuring ethical AI use protects client well-being, privacy, dignity, and cultural humility

This certificate requires the completion of 9 two-hour online sessions (18 hours in total) over one semester. Assignments include weekly readings and a final learning assessment in the form of a written assignment.

Program dates for 2025 are forthcoming, please check back. 

Nari Yoo, MA, LMSW

Nari Yoo is a PhD candidate at New York University's Silver School of Social Work and a Predoctoral Fellow at the NYU Constance and Martin Silver Center on Data Science and Social Equity. Yoo's methodological expertise includes leveraging computational social science approaches, such as using text mining, and machine learning, and analyzing big data sources to address complex social issues. She has worked on projects applying natural language processing to measure person-centered care in behavioral health settings by analyzing clinical notes from electronic health records. As part of her role at the Silver Center, she organized the Summer Institute in Computational Social Science (SICSS) at NYU focused on data science for social good. 

As director of this program, Yoo brings a unique interdisciplinary perspective bridging cutting-edge data science, AI technologies, and frameworks from social work to develop innovative mental health interventions for marginalized communities. Her expertise will guide participants to ethically and responsibly integrate AI into socially just mental health practice. Highlighting her expertise in algorithmic fairness for marginalized groups, she served on the program committee for the ACM Conference on Equity and Access in Algorithms, Mechanisms, and Optimization (EAAMO) and Workshop on Computational Linguistics and Clinical Psychology (CLPsych 24).

18 NYSED and ASWB/ACE Continuing Education Contact Hours will be awarded for this program.

55 jurisdictions accept ACE-approved provider CE contact hours. ACE is not an approved Continuing Education provider in the states of New York (though NYU Silver is NYSED CE approved in NYS) and West Virginia, unless the event is outside of West VA. ACE only approves individual courses in New Jersey, though NYU Silver is CSWE-accredited and therefore accepted for licensed NJ professionals. Here is a full list of statutes related to social work CE.

Please check back for the 2025 application and schedule information.

The cost of this certificate program is $1,200, which includes registration and application fees and the cost of an online compendium of readings.

Available discounts include:

• 25% discount for NYU Silver School of Social Work MSW/DSW/PhD alumni
• 25% discount for practicum instructors currently working with NYU Silver School of Social Work graduate students
• 15% discount for applicants who have already completed one NYU Silver certificate program
• 50% discount for Veterans

Please note: discounts may not be combined.

Deposit: Upon acceptance into the program, a $250 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your place. This deposit is applied to the total cost of tuition.

Refund Policy for Early Withdrawal
The $250.00 program deposit is non-refundable. Students who withdraw before the first class will be refunded 100% of their fees (minus the deposit). Students who withdraw after up to and including two (2) sessions will be refunded 70% of their fees (minus the deposit). Students who withdraw after up to and including four (4) sessions will be refunded 55% of their fees (minus the deposit). Students who withdraw after four (4) sessions will receive no refund.