Training mental health supporters with realistic AI-driven practice partners
Official title: SCH: Training Mental Health Supporters with Virtual Patients and Automated Feedback
Funded at Carnegie-Mellon University · NIH-11324585 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A project at Carnegie Mellon to train lay counselors and paraprofessionals using AI-powered virtual patients and feedback to improve access to mental health support for people with ADHD and related concerns.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Carnegie-Mellon University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $290,458 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH139114-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11324585 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable in this training grant; the study targets future mental health providers who would benefit from improved training.
✕Less likely to help
This grant does not enroll patients directly; it focuses on training providers.
What this research studies
This project will create an automated, scalable training system for mental health providers. It uses multi-agent AI to simulate realistic counseling scenarios, including ADHD-related challenges, so trainees can practice micro-skills with a virtual client, an assessor, and a trainer. The goal is to improve providers’ skills and help more people get timely mental health care, especially those who are underserved. The training emphasizes safe, coherent conversations and managing common clinical issues while avoiding direct client interaction during development.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could broaden access to effective provider training and reduce disparities in mental health care.
How similar studies have gone: Previous AI-driven training tools show promise for improving provider skills, but this project extends to multi-agent virtual patients and scalable delivery.
Where this research is happening
-
Carnegie-Mellon University
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhu, Haiyi — Carnegie-Mellon University
- Study coordinator: Zhu, Haiyi
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.