Data Privacy, HIPAA, and AI Tools in Behavioral Health
A 2-CE intermediate course for licensed behavioral health professionals on protecting client information when artificial intelligence tools enter the clinical workflow. Covers HIPAA Privacy and Security Rule fundamentals, the consumer-app regulatory gap, business associate agreements and vendor vetting, de-identification, state privacy laws including 42 CFR Part 2 and California CMIA, and breach response — grounded in HHS, FTC, ONC, and NIST guidance. Approximately 12,000 counted words.
2
CE Hours
What you'll learn
- Define protected health information (PHI) under the HIPAA Privacy Rule and identify which AI tools and workflows constitute a regulated use or disclosure of PHI.
- Differentiate covered entities and business associates from consumer wellness and AI applications that fall outside HIPAA, and explain the FTC Health Breach Notification Rule that governs many of them.
- Evaluate an AI vendor for behavioral health use by analyzing its business associate agreement, data-retention and model-training practices, sub-processors, and security controls.
- Apply de-identification standards (Safe Harbor and Expert Determination), the minimum-necessary standard, and informed consent to reduce privacy risk when using AI tools.
- Construct an incident-response and breach-notification plan that satisfies HIPAA, the FTC, and applicable state laws including 42 CFR Part 2 and the California Confidentiality of Medical Information Act.
Who it's for
Licensed mental health professionals (LPCs, LCSWs, LMFTs, NCCs, psychologists) and practice owners responsible for protecting client data when using AI tools.
Approval & credit
CounselorReady is an NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP #7760). This course awards 2 NBCC-approved CE hours; a certificate is issued on completion. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CounselorReady is solely responsible for all aspects of the program.