What You Should Know:
– The high stakes nature of youth mental health therapy requires thorough preparation and applied evidence-based skills.
– Today, Fort Health, a specialty outpatient pediatric mental health provider, announced that it has partnered with Collevato train its therapists with AI avatar-led, face-to-face simulations. By providing highly relevant and engaging customized scenarios, Fort Health is able to rapidly upskill its therapists using evidence-based therapeutic protocols, ultimately leading to improved client care and operational efficiency. The initial series of custom training scenarios resulted in 83% of clinicians feeling more prepared and 95% able to apply what they have learned.
Fort Health Revolutionizes Pediatric Mental Health Training with AI-Powered Simulations
Fort Health, founded in 2022, is transforming pediatric mental health care by providing evidence-based therapy, psychiatry, and parent coaching for children and adolescents (ages 4-24). Covered by insurance and seamlessly integrated with pediatricians, Fort Health ensures accessible, high-quality mental health services across New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Illinois. Developed in partnership with the Child Mind Institute, a leading nonprofit dedicated to advancing children’s mental health, Fort Health is at the forefront of innovative care delivery.
A major challenge in pediatric mental health care is the gap in training clinicians in evidence-based therapies (EBTs). Research from the National Institute of Medicine highlights that traditional training often lacks hands-on application, follow-up support, and implementation feedback, making it difficult for therapists to consistently apply best practices. Additionally, the growing shortage of behavioral health professionals underscores the need for scalable, cost-effective training solutions.
To address these challenges, Fort Health has integrated AI-powered avatar simulations into therapist training. According to Natalie Schneider, founding CEO of Fort Health, these AI-driven simulations allow therapists to practice decision-making and patient interactions in an immersive, risk-free environment. The AI coaching platform, developed in collaboration with Colleva, enables dynamic, real-world scenarios that help therapists refine their skills and adhere to evidence-based treatment protocols.
This agentic AI training platform, modeled on the Unified Protocol for children, adolescents, and caregivers, provides therapists with realistic role-play sessions, customizable scenarios tailored to diverse patient populations, and personalized feedback based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) competency frameworks. It features six distinct AI-driven avatar personalities, generative AI analysis to evaluate content delivery, and instant soft skill assessments to enhance therapist competency.
By integrating AI-driven simulations, Fort Health is pioneering a new era in mental health training, equipping therapists with the tools they need to deliver high-quality, evidence-based care to children, adolescents, and their families.
