Psychedelics Research, Chatbot Gaps, and Documentation Bias

Each week brings new conversations about mental health, technology, and care. Between Sessions gathers what's worth your attention - so you can stay informed without adding to your workload.

Maryland allocated $16.5M in its fiscal year 2027 budget for Sheppard Pratt to develop a children's psychiatric hospital - the spokesperson cited pediatric boarding and ED overstays as the gap it's intended to close.

👉 Why it matters: New inpatient pediatric capacity directly affects where you can refer - and this is one of the clearest signals yet that states are moving on the boarding problem.

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Following an executive order signed April 18, the FDA announced regulatory actions to fast-track clinical research on psychedelic-assisted treatments for treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, and substance use disorders, backed by $50M in federal funding.

👉 Why it matters: Clients will be asking about this. The order opens research pathways but does not change what is currently available in practice - that distinction is worth having ready.

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A preprint study (not yet peer-reviewed) analyzing 29,005 emergency psychiatric notes found that clinicians who used more negative language in notes were significantly more likely to assign a schizophrenia diagnosis - with the strongest effect observed in Black male patients.

👉 Why it matters: Your notes follow clients. This is a direct prompt to examine whether your documentation language reflects the clinical picture or unexamined assumptions.

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A KFF Health News investigation found that AI therapy chatbots are being widely marketed with little evidence of clinical effectiveness, and that most are not covered by HIPAA - a protection most users assume they have.

👉 Why it matters: Clients are likely already using these apps. A brief, non-judgmental question about AI app use is now reasonable intake practice.

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Trilliant Health's 2026 Behavioral Health Report found service demand has grown 62.6% since 2018, with the U.S. currently meeting only 27.3% of its mental health workforce needs - and projected shortfalls of 36,780 psychiatrists and 99,780 counselors by 2038.

👉 Why it matters: When clients ask why they can't find anyone, the numbers are now there - useful context, not just intuition.

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APA Labs launched the Digital Badge Solutions Library with partner ORCHA - an independent evaluation framework covering clinical evidence, user safety, data privacy, and AI transparency for mental health technology products.

👉 Why it matters: When someone asks whether an app is trustworthy, there is now an APA-backed resource to check before you weigh in.

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Alan J. Steinberg, MD writes in Psychology Today this week on what the psychedelics executive order skips: without structured integration between sessions, the window these treatments open tends to close before lasting change can take hold - a clinical challenge the order does not yet address.

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This week, Berries shared two resources for your practice and wellbeing.

Podcast: Dr. Pedro Morante joins Kym Tolson to walk through the Five Ms of mental health for clinicians - a framework for long-term sustainability that moves beyond burnout prevention into what it actually takes to stay present and effective over a career.

→ Listen to our podcast

Meditation: Julie Ela Grace recorded a 13-minute guided meditation on holding uncertainty with confidence - for the weeks when the ground shifts and you need to stay steady anyway.

→ Try our meditation

The work you do - showing up, staying present, holding the complexity - doesn't make the news. That doesn't make it any less essential.

As always, thank you for your truly important work.

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This newsletter is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute clinical, legal, or regulatory guidance. Clinicians should rely on their professional judgment and applicable standards of care when integrating any technology into practice.