Between Sessions Brief

Oliver Buchannon

Between Sessions Brief

APA 2026, Meta's $567M Ruling and Burnout Data

Aug 11, 2026

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2 min read

APA 2026, Meta's $567M Ruling and Burnout Data

The APA's 2026 Convention brought thousands of psychologists to Washington, DC as OpenAI announced a new partnership with the association on teen AI safety, and a New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $567 million over youth mental health harms. We also cover a fresh population-based study on involuntary psychiatric detentions, new research linking heat waves to children's mental health, and a sobering physician burnout report.

Between Sessions Brief

Compact Access, CMS Payment Rules, and AI Bans

Aug 4, 2026

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2 min read

Compact Access, CMS Payment Rules, and AI Bans

Arkansas joins six other states now live in the Counseling Compact, and CMS just finalized new Medicare payment rates for inpatient psychiatric facilities. We also cover new data on treating eating disorders in BIPOC clients, a fresh look at the state-by-state AI therapy law patchwork, and what's showing up in session as the new school year approaches.

Between Sessions Brief

Fifteen States, Fifteen Different Chatbot Rules, and The ER Debate Over AI and Suicide Risk

Jul 28, 2026

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3 min read

Fifteen States, Fifteen Different Chatbot Rules, and The ER Debate Over AI and Suicide Risk

New York just simplified licensing for co-occurring care, and Rhode Island became the latest state to draw firm lines around AI in mental health treatment. We also cover a sobering national look at treatment adequacy, a live debate over AI in the ER, and the widening patchwork of state chatbot laws.

Between Sessions Brief

Meta Alerts Parents, States Tighten AI Rules

Jul 21, 2026

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3 min read

Meta Alerts Parents, States Tighten AI Rules

Meta added a safety net for teens using its AI chatbot, and Hawaii and Illinois joined a fast-growing list of states writing their own AI rules this year. We also look at what a new national survey says private practices are actually earning, and the "maxxing" trend some clients may be bringing into session.

Between Sessions Brief

Medicaid Rules, AI Use Data, and a Heat Wave Warning

Jul 14, 2026

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2 min read

Medicaid Rules, AI Use Data, and a Heat Wave Warning

A new Medicaid rulemaking could squeeze reimbursement for SUD and serious mental illness further, and a fresh estimate puts AI mental health use at roughly 27% of users - a number worth knowing, not fearing. We also cover a youth telehealth funding round, a heat-mental health link worth flagging to prescribers, and one psychiatrist's honest account of a board complaint that shaped his burnout.

Between Sessions Brief

TMS Fraud, Pediatric Anxiety, and a Big Acquisition

Jul 7, 2026

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2 min read

TMS Fraud, Pediatric Anxiety, and a Big Acquisition

A record federal fraud sweep zeroed in on TMS and behavioral health billing, while a major CHLA trial gave real evidence that there's no single right first step for pediatric anxiety. We also cover Stanford and Grow Therapy's new AI safety benchmark, Minnesota's paused social media warning law, and a $17M raise for serious-mental-illness care.

Between Sessions Brief

A Pay Cut, a Privacy Gap, and a New Depression Tool

Jun 30, 2026

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2 min read

A Pay Cut, a Privacy Gap, and a New Depression Tool

A new investigation finds that health systems using AI scribes in mental health settings aren't always giving clinicians - or patients - the full picture on what happens to recordings. Also this week: the Aetna-Alma reimbursement change taking effect July 15, a dopamine-based add-on for clients whose depression has lifted but pleasure hasn't, and new APA guidance on AI in the therapy room.

Between Sessions Brief

AI in the Therapy Room, a New PTSD Treatment, and $700M for the Field

Jun 23, 2026

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3 min read

AI in the Therapy Room, a New PTSD Treatment, and $700M for the Field

The APA's new survey puts numbers on something you may already be sensing: patients are showing up to sessions having already talked to AI. We also cover the first FDA-cleared personalized PTSD treatment, what CAQH's rebrand means for your practice, and a psychiatrist's quiet essay about what it means to be hurt on the job.

Between Sessions Brief

Medicaid's New Work Rules, AI Emotion Research, and the Loneliness of Remote Work

Jun 16, 2026

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2 min read

Medicaid's New Work Rules, AI Emotion Research, and the Loneliness of Remote Work

CMS has finalized Medicaid work requirements with a January 2027 deadline, and a new Science study offers hard data on what remote work is actually doing to your clients' mental health. We also cover a BCBSM billing shift affecting Michigan practices, new research on whether AI can model human emotional distress, and a Psychiatric Times piece on what fathers saw before their children's suicide crises that standard screening couldn't detect.

Between Sessions Brief

New Wearable Research, Biometric Verification, and a Therapy Industry Reckoning

Jun 9, 2026

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3 min read

New Wearable Research, Biometric Verification, and a Therapy Industry Reckoning

A McMaster meta-analysis is raising real questions about how consistent structured diagnostic interviews actually are - and a new Headway policy is already affecting clients who receive prescriptions through the platform. We also cover Aetna's on-demand service launching in 2027, AI-analyzed wearable data for psychiatric detection, and a Psychology Today essay that's worth sitting with.

Between Sessions Brief

The Billion-Person Study, a Shrinking Workforce, and AI in the Room

Jun 2, 2026

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2 min read

The Billion-Person Study, a Shrinking Workforce, and AI in the Room

The Global Burden of Disease study published a major mental health analysis this week, finding nearly 1.2 billion people worldwide living with a mental disorder, with the heaviest burden now falling on teenagers. We also cover 988's secured future, how people are actually using AI chatbots between sessions, and what a new workforce study means for psychiatric referrals going forward.

Between Sessions Brief

AI Screening, Rate Shifts, and a Staffing Fix

May 26, 2026

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2 min read

AI Screening, Rate Shifts, and a Staffing Fix

This week covers new AI funding for behavioral health detection, exercise research for pregnant clients, and a reimbursement shift affecting Alma-contracted therapists. We also look at portable TMS expanding into smaller clinics and a policy piece on the staffing shortage that goes beyond the usual framing.

Between Sessions Brief

Medicaid Cuts, AI Lawsuit, and a New Federal Push on Antidepressants

May 19, 2026

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3 min read

Medicaid Cuts, AI Lawsuit, and a New Federal Push on Antidepressants

Colorado's Medicaid changes are already reaching the workforce, with Aurora Mental Health cutting 111 positions by June. Pennsylvania filed the first state lawsuit against an AI chatbot for impersonating a licensed psychiatrist, and HHS launched an initiative to reduce antidepressant prescribing. We also cover OpenAI's new self-harm safeguard and a striking piece on nursing homes as de facto psychiatric wards.

Between Sessions Brief

A Brain Implant Trial, an App Privacy Gap, and Burnout

May 12, 2026

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2 min read

A Brain Implant Trial, an App Privacy Gap, and Burnout

A major acquisition just reshaped the landscape for independent clinicians, and a new JAMA study puts a number on what many 988 counselors already know. This week also covers a brain implant cleared for its first human trial, app privacy gaps worth knowing before you make a recommendation, and a reframe on burnout that starts with caseload, not habits.

Between Sessions Brief

A Merger, a Fine, and Evidence That 988 Is Working

May 5, 2026

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2 min read

A Merger, a Fine, and Evidence That 988 Is Working

Two major suicide prevention organizations announced plans to merge into the nation's largest in the field, and new data shows youth suicide rates fell meaningfully in the years since 988 launched. We also cover Connecticut's insurer fines, a promising antipsychotic trial, and a Psychology Today piece naming what many clients are bringing into the room right now.

Between Sessions Brief

Psychedelics Research, Chatbot Gaps, and Documentation Bias

Apr 28, 2026

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2 min read

Psychedelics Research, Chatbot Gaps, and Documentation Bias

This week brought a federal push on psychedelic research, an investigation into AI chatbots and HIPAA blind spots, and a clinical study on how documentation language tracks with diagnosis. We also cover workforce shortage numbers, new pediatric psychiatric capacity in Maryland and a new APA tool for evaluating mental health apps.

Between Sessions Brief

Brain Scans, Billing AI, and Value-Based Care

Apr 21, 2026

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3 min read

Brain Scans, Billing AI, and Value-Based Care

A new APA survey reveals where psychiatrists stand on AI, and a CMS model quietly reshaping how behavioral health gets paid is gaining early momentum. We also cover an insurer billing pattern that makes precise documentation more important than ever, a meaningful study on therapist wellbeing and early dropout, and new findings on depression subtypes that may eventually change how medication decisions get made.

Between Sessions Brief

GLP-1s and Addiction, Tennessee's AI Law, and Alma's AI Layoffs

Apr 14, 2026

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5 min read

GLP-1s and Addiction, Tennessee's AI Law, and Alma's AI Layoffs

A large WashU study links GLP-1 medications to lower rates of substance use disorders, and Tennessee just became the first state to give clients legal standing against AI tools marketed as therapy. We also cover Alma's AI-driven layoffs, single-session therapy's growing reach, and a psychiatrist's pointed critique of the second victim framework.

Between Sessions Brief

New HIPAA Rules, Parity Changes, AI Scribe Findings

Apr 7, 2026

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5 min read

New HIPAA Rules, Parity Changes, AI Scribe Findings

This week brought a parity rule reversal, a postpartum depression drug trial miss, and the most rigorous look yet at what AI scribes actually do to clinical workload. We also cover HIPAA Security Rule finalization and what patients with dismissed symptoms are doing with AI before they arrive in your office.

Between Sessions Brief

Medicaid Cuts, ICE Guidance, and Words That Matter

Mar 31, 2026

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6 min read

Medicaid Cuts, ICE Guidance, and Words That Matter

Federal Medicaid cuts are putting more pressure on already-strained psychiatric units, and a new investigation found that $25 million in Georgia parity fines haven't been collected. We also cover ICE guidance for clinical settings, a DBT vs. SSRI trial, and an encouraging look into AI scribes in mental health.

Between Sessions Brief

New AI Laws, a Major Therapist Strike, and What It Means for Your Work

Mar 24, 2026

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6 min read

New AI Laws, a Major Therapist Strike, and What It Means for Your Work

Vermont's House passed a bill this week defining exactly what AI can and can't do in a therapy practice - and three other states moved to protect patients from AI-only insurance denials. We also cover a Translational Psychiatry study on depression fatigue, a major Kaiser strike, and the largest behavioral health acquisition in recent memory.

Between Sessions Brief

AI & Psychosis, New Therapy Laws, and a Crisis Center Breakthrough

Mar 15, 2026

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5 min read

AI & Psychosis, New Therapy Laws, and a Crisis Center Breakthrough

Researchers are raising new clinical questions about AI chatbots and delusional thinking in vulnerable clients, and Georgia's latest parity enforcement action shows insurers are finally facing consequences. We also cover a Cleveland crisis center breakthrough, new state AI therapy laws, and a reassuring Medicare telehealth update.

Between Sessions Brief