The Mental Health Evolution

Rachel Harrison
  • 4.9 (12)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The Mental Health Entrepreneur podcast is back—with a slightly new name and an expanded focus. We're excited to introduce The Mental Health Evolution, where we'll continue the journey of exploring what's changing in the mental health field, and we're so glad to have you with us as a listener. Explore the rapidly changing world of mental health with The Mental Health Evolution, hosted by Rachel Harrison. Each episode brings honest conversations with clinicians, tech founders, investors, insurance companies, and other key voices shaping the industry. We dive into what's working, what's not, and what's next—from innovative startups and ethical considerations in tech-driven therapy to policy changes, access to care, and the human connections that remain at the heart of mental health services. Whether you're a professional in the field, someone seeking care, or simply curious about the evolution of mental health, this podcast provides insights, perspectives, and practical information to help you navigate a complex and fast-moving landscape. Join us to stay informed, challenge assumptions, and be part of the conversation shaping the future of mental health.

  1. 3D AGO

    Ep 34: Mental Health Access, Telehealth Policy & the Future of Behavioral Health Care with Andrea Fox

    🎧 Show Notes – Episode 34 Mental Health Access, Telehealth Policy & the Future of Behavioral Health Care with Andrea Fox In this episode of Mental Health Evolution, host Rachel Harrison speaks with Andrea Fox, Senior Editor at Healthcare IT News, about the evolving landscape of mental health access in the United States. Andrea brings more than two decades of experience covering healthcare technology, public health, and government policy, offering a grounded perspective on how telehealth expansion, regulatory uncertainty, and system-level barriers are shaping behavioral health care delivery today. Together, they explore what has meaningfully improved in access to mental health services since the rise of telehealth, where gaps still exist—particularly in rural and underserved communities—and why policy uncertainty continues to affect both providers and patients. The conversation also dives into the ongoing challenges surrounding telehealth prescribing regulations for controlled substances, the impact of insurance reimbursement structures on access to care, and how emerging efforts to integrate social determinants of health data could reshape behavioral health systems in the future. Finally, Andrea and Rachel discuss broader structural barriers—including provider shortages, cost, fragmented systems of care, and uneven access—and reflect on what a truly integrated, patient-centered mental health system could look like if policy and technology evolve in alignment. 🧠 Key Topics Covered Major shifts in mental health access driven by telehealth Persistent rural and underserved community access gaps Federal policy uncertainty around telehealth prescribing rules Insurance reimbursement and its impact on care delivery Provider shortages and systemic behavioral health barriers Social determinants of health data and care coordination The future of integrated, patient-centered mental health systems 📰 Resources Mentioned https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/where-telehealth-stands-shutdown-every-day-goes-its-worse https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/telehealth-prescribers-urge-feds-act-quickly-virtual-rx https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/stakeholders-ask-new-dea-administrator-resolve-telehealth-prescribing-rules https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/addressing-behavioral-health-resources-and-costs-ohio 🎙 About the Guest Andrea Fox is Senior Editor at Healthcare IT News. She has spent more than two decades covering healthcare technology, public health, and government policy, with a focus on telehealth, digital health infrastructure, and behavioral health access. Her reporting highlights how policy decisions and technological systems shape real-world access to care, particularly in rural and underserved communities. Recent work: https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/telepsychiatry-may-still-be-out-reach-low-access-areas https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/how-rural-mississippi-plans-put-federal-funds-work-addressing-health-it-needs 🔗 Connect with Mental Health Evolution Website: https://www.traumaspecialiststraining.com/mental-health-evolution-podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thementalhealthevolution/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-mental-health-evolution Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMentalHealthEvolution 🎶 Music Credit Music by Zach Harrison 💬 Closing Reflection This episode highlights a central tension in modern mental health care: while telehealth and digital tools have expanded access, structural challenges—including funding, regulation, and system fragmentation—continue to limit equitable care. The future of behavioral health will depend on how effectively policy, technology, and care delivery systems evolve together.

    22 min

  2. APR 7

    Ep 33: The 988 Hotline: Three Years In

    Episode Summary In this solo episode, Rachel takes an honest look at where the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline stands nearly three years after its July 2022 launch. She grounds listeners in how the system is structured, what changed in the transition from the old ten-digit lifeline number, and why that shift mattered more than it might seem. Drawing on recent data, Rachel walks through what is genuinely working, including dramatic growth in contact volume, faster answer times, and rising public awareness, while being equally clear-eyed about where the system is still falling short. Rachel digs into the gaps that data is making harder to ignore: uneven awareness across racial and language groups, wide variation in in-state answer rates, inconsistent follow-up practices, and a funding patchwork that is not holding equally in every state. She also addresses the recent discontinuation of the specialized LGBTQ+ line and what that loss means for a population already at elevated risk. This episode is intentional groundwork for an upcoming conversation on virtual crisis teams, and Rachel closes with a direct message to clinicians and practice owners about the role they play in what comes after the call. Resources Mentioned About 988 — The official overview of how 988 came to be, what changed in the transition from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and how the current system is structured New Data Expose Critical Care Gaps in 988 Crisis Lifeline — Coverage of a 2025 JAMA Network Open study examining all 988 contacts since launch, including regional disparities and lower-than-expected usage in the South 988 Mental Health Crisis Line Evolves Nationally, States Seek Stable Funding — Covers recent developments including the rollout of georouting, the discontinuation of the LGBTQ+ specialized line, and how states are working toward more sustainable funding structures 988's Evolution: The Next Chapter in Crisis Care — Written by a founding leader of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, this piece focuses on the critical gap between the crisis call and what happens after Connect with The Mental Health Evolution Website: https://www.traumaspecialiststraining.com/mental-health-evolution-podcast Instagram: /thementalhealthevolution/ LinkedIn: /the-mental-health-evolution Facebook: /TheMentalHealthEvolution Music Credit: Music by Zach Harrison

    16 min

  3. APR 2

    Ep 32: Virtual Worlds, Real Skills with Dr. Kryn McClain

    Episode Summary This week, Rachel brings listeners one of her favorite conversations from her previous podcast, The Mental Health Entrepreneur, featuring Dr. Kryn McClain, founder and CEO of CatapalloVR. Dr. McClain is a therapist turned entrepreneur whose work sits at the intersection of clinical expertise and emerging technology. She built CatapalloVR to give mental health providers, autism specialists, and educators a virtual reality platform designed to help clients build real world life skills in a safe, immersive, and measurable environment. In this conversation, Rachel and Dr. McClain explore how VR is being used to teach daily living skills, emotion regulation, and occupational readiness to transition age youth and others who need a structured space to practice before stepping into the real world. Dr. McClain shares how CatapalloVR developed its robust library of hundreds of modules through direct feedback from therapists, parents, and clients, and how therapists can integrate the platform using standard CPT codes. She also speaks candidly about the entrepreneurial journey, the importance of finding a peer community as a clinician turned business owner, and her vision for expanding VR access across hospital systems, schools, and beyond. Connect with Dr. Kryn McClain CatapalloVR Connect with The Mental Health Evolution Website: https://www.traumaspecialiststraining.com/mental-health-evolution-podcast Instagram: /thementalhealthevolution/ LinkedIn: /the-mental-health-evolution Facebook: /TheMentalHealthEvolution Music Credit: Music by Zach Harrison

    23 min

  4. MAR 25

    Ep 31: The Relationship Checkup with Dr. James Cordova and Matt Rubin of Arammu

    Episode Summary This episode brings one of our favorite conversations from Rachel's previous podcast, The Mental Health Entrepreneur, to the Mental Health Evolution audience. Dr. James Cordova is a researcher and clinician who has spent over two decades studying relationship health, and Matt Rubin is the entrepreneur who helped bring that research to life through Arammu, a company built around a checkup and maintenance-based model of care for couples. Together, they join Rachel to make the case for something the mental health field has long overlooked: treating relationships as a health system that deserves proactive, preventative care rather than crisis-only intervention. Dr. Cordova traces the origins of this work back to his time volunteering at a crisis center, where he noticed month after month that relationship issues were the leading reason people called in for help. The conversation explores how Arammu's relationship checkup works in practice, what it looks like across the full spectrum of couples from newly married to severely distressed, how it fits into existing clinical workflows, and why brief, evidence-based tools like this one may be key to addressing the mental health access crisis. Rachel and her guests also discuss insurance billing, the surprising uptake from the military, and the broader vision of shifting mental health care toward a primary care model where early and frequent support becomes the norm rather than the exception. Connect with Dr. James Cordova and Matt Rubin Arammu: The Proactive Relationship Checkup Connect with The Mental Health Evolution Website: https://www.traumaspecialiststraining.com/mental-health-evolution-podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thementalhealthevolution/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/the-mental-health-evolution Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMentalHealthEvolution Music Credit: Music by Zach Harrison

    30 min

  5. MAR 19

    Ep 30: Rethinking Behavioral Health Access with Jason Youngblood

    Episode Summary Jason Youngblood is the Senior Director at Cigna U.S. Markets Behavioral Center of Excellence and Sales Operations and a licensed professional counselor whose path to the insurance industry was anything but planned. After discovering his passion for the therapeutic relationship early in his career, Jason spent years in clinical work before joining Cigna, where he has spent over two decades focused on removing barriers to care and improving behavioral health access at scale. His work sits at the intersection of employer-sponsored benefits, systems design, and a genuine commitment to reaching people who need support before a crisis brings them in. In this conversation, Rachel and Jason explore what it looks like to build a care continuum that reaches beyond the therapy office. Jason shares a striking data point: roughly 55% of people who need behavioral health support will never seek it, and he describes how Cigna is using data, digital tools, and partnerships like Headspace for Cigna Healthcare to engage that population earlier. They discuss what guardrails responsible digital partnerships require, why navigation has become one of the most pressing challenges in a crowded mental health marketplace, and how tools like coaching and self-guided apps might ultimately free up therapists to work with the people who need them most. Resources Mentioned First Therapy Chatbot Trial Yields Mental Health Benefits — Dartmouth research reporting early clinical trial results showing measurable mental health benefits for some users of therapy chatbots, along with a look at where these tools may and may not be appropriate. A Scoping Review of AI-Driven Digital Interventions in Mental Health Care — A peer-reviewed review of how mental health chatbots are currently being studied and deployed, covering benefits such as accessibility and symptom monitoring alongside challenges related to safety and clinical oversight. Headspace for Cigna Healthcare Enhances Everyday Mental Health Support Through Self-Guided, Science-Backed Resources — Announcement describing Cigna's collaboration with Headspace Health to offer self-guided mental health resources as part of employer benefits, positioning digital tools as early support and care navigation. Connect with Jason Youngblood The Rise of the Anxious Worker Connect with The Mental Health Evolution Website: https://www.traumaspecialiststraining.com/mental-health-evolution-podcast Instagram: /thementalhealthevolution/ LinkedIn: /the-mental-health-evolution Facebook: /TheMentalHealthEvolution Music Credit: Music by Zach Harrison

    29 min

  6. MAR 12

    Ep 29: Crash-Testing AI for Mental Health with Shirali and Arul Nigam

    EPISODE SUMMARY In this episode, Rachel sits down with Shirali Nigam and Arul Nigam, sibling co-founders of Circuit Breaker Labs, a company built around a simple but urgent idea: AI mental health tools should be rigorously tested for safety before they ever reach a real user. Shirali brings a background in AI safety, psychology, and technology, along with an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Arul contributes expertise in AI applications for healthcare and studied operations, analytics, and global business at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business. Together, they walk Rachel through their framework for agentic red-teaming, a method of sending AI-powered simulated patients into conversations with mental health chatbots to find the vulnerabilities before vulnerable people do. The conversation covers how they got here personally, why the probabilistic nature of large language models makes exhaustive testing so essential, and what they are actually finding in the field, including how something as small as a misspelled word can be enough to bypass a safety guardrail. The second half of the conversation turns to the bigger picture: who is using Circuit Breaker Labs, what clinicians and parents should look for when evaluating AI tools, and what good policy in this space could actually look like. Rachel and the Nigams explore the tension between moving fast in the startup world and the high stakes of getting things wrong in mental health. Shirali and Arul make the case for independent, third-party safety validation before products launch, rather than enforcement after harm has already occurred, drawing a comparison to food and automobile safety standards. They also push back on the idea of banning AI in mental health altogether, arguing that with a 320-to-one patient-to-provider ratio and growing wait times for care, AI used responsibly has real potential to bridge the access gap. The episode closes with a look at what is next for Circuit Breaker Labs and why they see this work as only growing more urgent over time. RESOURCES MENTIONED Articles Referenced New study: AI chatbots systematically violate mental health ethics standards | Brown University New study warns of risks in AI mental health tools | Stanford Report https://www.circuitbreakerlabs.ai/Whitepaper.pdf Connect with Shirali and Arul Nigam Website: https://www.circuitbreakerlabs.ai Connect with The Mental Health Evolution Website: https://www.traumaspecialiststraining.com/mental-health-evolution-podcast Instagram: /thementalhealthevolution/ LinkedIn: /the-mental-health-evolution Facebook: /TheMentalHealthEvolution Music Credit: Music by Zach Harrison

    29 min

  7. MAR 5

    Ep 28: Community Health, Local Solutions with Malcolm Furgol

    Got it! Here are the final show notes: Mental Health Evolution Podcast — Show Notes Episode Title: Community Health, Local Solutions with Malcolm Furgol Episode Summary In this episode, Rachel Harrison sits down in person with Malcolm Furgol, Executive Director of the Coalition for a Healthier Frederick County, for a grounded conversation about what it actually takes to improve mental health access at the community level. Malcolm walks us through how local health improvement coalitions collect data, identify root causes, and bring together healthcare providers, government, nonprofits, and businesses to work toward real solutions — including the Coalition's most recent Community Health Needs Assessment, which found that social isolation and mental health challenges are growing since the pandemic, and that stigma remains a significant barrier, particularly for men and immigrant communities. Rachel and Malcolm also dig into one of the most pressing questions facing mental health providers today: how can more clinicians afford to accept Medicaid and Medicare? They explore the realities of low reimbursement rates, insurance clawbacks, and the administrative burden that pushes providers out of insurance networks — and discuss the systems-level solutions that could change the equation, from collective advocacy to state-level insurance regulation levers. Resources Mentioned Articles Referenced Affordable Therapy is Hard to Find, Even with Insurance — New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/15/business/affordable-therapy-costs.html New Policies Affecting Access to Mental Health Care — APA: https://updates.apaservices.org/new-policies-affecting-access-to-mental-health-care Health Equity Framework — Coalition for a Healthier Frederick County: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/6435982bd0e669659a59352f/t/690cd050d51f6413512b56d3/1762447440408/Health+Equity+Framework+Final.pdf Connect with Malcolm Furgol Coalition for a Healthier Frederick County: https://healthierfrederick.org/events-and-meetings/419u6v9q4uunxtu8xv5j37iv0kug3v Connect with The Mental Health Evolution Website: https://www.traumaspecialiststraining.com/mental-health-evolution-podcast Instagram: /thementalhealthevolution/ LinkedIn: /the-mental-health-evolution Facebook: /TheMentalHealthEvolution Music Credit: Music by Zach Harrison

    30 min

  8. FEB 26

    Ep 27: Tiered Care, Technology, and the Future of Mental Health

    EPISODE INTRODUCTION: In this solo episode, Rachel  steps back from guest conversations to share her own observations and questions about one of the most pressing topics in the field: where does technology fit in mental health care, and where does it fall short? Drawing from six recent research articles and peer-reviewed publications, Rachel explores an emerging tiered model of care that blends technology, human connection, and escalation across levels of need — and invites listeners to consider what it means for their corner of the mental health ecosystem. KEY TOPICS DISCUSSED: The technology debate in mental health — full replacement vs. full avoidance vs. integration Overview of six key articles framing the episode's discussion The five stages of mental health care where AI and digital tools are being applied: pretreatment and screening, active treatment, post-treatment monitoring, general support and prevention, and clinical education The emerging tiered or stepped care model — from wellness apps to inpatient care Implications for clients, clinicians, and businesses/systems within the mental health ecosystem MAIN TAKEAWAYS: Technology is most useful at the edges of care — pretreatment screening, post-treatment monitoring, and general wellness support — where it can expand access without replacing the clinical relationship. A tiered stepped care model is already emerging in research and practice, where clients might first engage with low-intensity tools (sleep apps, meditation, mood tracking) before escalating to coaching, group therapy, individual therapy, and higher levels of care as needed. Clinician oversight remains non-negotiable. Rachel emphasizes that AI-assisted notes, treatment plans, and clinical decision support tools are only as safe as the licensed clinician who reviews and edits them. Safety access must be built into any technology that touches mental health. Any tool that asks someone about their mental health must have a clear, reliable pathway to a live person in the event of a crisis. This shift raises important identity questions for clinicians — particularly generalists — about where their expertise fits in a system where technology may address lower-level needs. NOTABLE QUOTES: "I'm not predicting the future. I'm not taking a hard stance, but exploring a model that is already emerging. It's right out there in the research." — Rachel Harrison "If we ever lose the part where a clinician reviews the notes, reviews the treatment plan, reviews the diagnoses, reviews the suggestions — I think we're going to see a lot of problems." — Rachel Harrison "Anytime we are asking technology to ask someone questions about their mental health, that safety planning piece, I believe, absolutely needs to be in place. That is one of the biggest gaps that I see currently." — Rachel Harrison RESOURCES MENTIONED: of them are linked in the show notes. ARTICLE 1: The Evolving Field of Digital Mental Health This peer-reviewed review outlines how AI and digital tools are currently being used across multiple stages of mental health care, from prevention to post-treatment monitoring. Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12110772/ ARTICLE 2: Health Advisory on AI Chatbots and Wellness Apps (American Psychological Association) This article discusses where AI-based tools may be helpful — and where limitations, risks, and ethical concerns remain. Link: https://www.apa.org/topics/artificial-intelligence-machine-learning/health-advisory-chatbots-wellness-apps ARTICLE 3: First Therapy Chatbot Trial Yields Mental Health Benefits (Dartmouth) This study looks at outcomes from one of the first controlled trials of a therapy chatbot and what it suggests about early-stage support. Link: https://home.dartmouth.edu/news/2025/03/first-therapy-chatbot-trial-yields-mental-health-benefits ARTICLE 4: AI Is Providing Emotional Support for Employees — But Is It a Valuable Tool or a Privacy Threat? Explores workplace use of AI support tools and the tension between access, effectiveness, and privacy. Link: https://theconversation.com/ai-is-providing-emotional-support-for-employees-but-is-it-a-valuable-tool-or-privacy-threat-266570 ARTICLE 5: AI Mental Health Tools: Breakthrough or Band-Aid? Examines whether digital tools meaningfully expand access or risk becoming substitutes for care when systems are under strain. Link: https://hrzone.com/ai-mental-health-tools-breakthrough-or-band-aid-for-employee-wellbeing/ ARTICLE 6: From Clinical Judgment to Machine Learning Looks at how AI is beginning to influence clinical decision-making and what that may mean for professional roles. Link: https://societyforpsychotherapy.org/from-clinical-judgment-to-machine-learning-rethinking-psychotherapeutic-decision-making-with-artificial-intelligence/ Connect with The Mental Health Evolution Website: https://www.traumaspecialiststraining.com/mental-health-evolution-podcast Instagram: /thementalhealthevolution/ LinkedIn: /the-mental-health-evolution Facebook: /TheMentalHealthEvolution Music Credit: Music by Zach Harrison

    22 min
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4.9
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

The Mental Health Entrepreneur podcast is back—with a slightly new name and an expanded focus. We're excited to introduce The Mental Health Evolution, where we'll continue the journey of exploring what's changing in the mental health field, and we're so glad to have you with us as a listener. Explore the rapidly changing world of mental health with The Mental Health Evolution, hosted by Rachel Harrison. Each episode brings honest conversations with clinicians, tech founders, investors, insurance companies, and other key voices shaping the industry. We dive into what's working, what's not, and what's next—from innovative startups and ethical considerations in tech-driven therapy to policy changes, access to care, and the human connections that remain at the heart of mental health services. Whether you're a professional in the field, someone seeking care, or simply curious about the evolution of mental health, this podcast provides insights, perspectives, and practical information to help you navigate a complex and fast-moving landscape. Join us to stay informed, challenge assumptions, and be part of the conversation shaping the future of mental health.

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