AI Regulation in Mental Health: Where are we and where do we need to go?
Event Details:
Join the Tech Hub in collaboration with CREATE on April 8th, 2026 12-1pm PT to hear from Dr. Acacia Parks and Dr. Jessica Jackson on AI regulation in mental health.
AI Regulation in Mental Health: Where are we, and where do we need to go?
Millions of Americans are using AI tools for mental health support, but the rules governing these technologies are fragmented, fast-moving, and often poorly understood — even by clinicians and researchers working in this space. This webinar brings together experts at the intersection of mental health, technology, and regulatory policy for a candid conversation about where things stand and where they need to go.
Drawing on recent developments including the FDA's first advisory committee on generative AI mental health devices and the Trump administration's executive order challenging state AI laws, the discussion will examine how AI-enabled mental health technologies are currently categorized, what existing frameworks can and can't do, and what a more coherent approach might look like. The session is designed to be accessible to those new to the topic while offering substantive depth for those already working in this area.
About the Speakers:
Acacia Parks, PhD, MBA, RAC is a digital health executive with 20+ years experience in scientific and regulatory strategy for digital health products along the entire regulatory spectrum, from general wellness and enforcement discretion to those subject to FDA oversight. As Chief Science Officer at Happify Health, Found Health, and Unmind, she was responsible for designing clinical evidence strategy for deals with employer, health plan, health system, and Pharma clients. Now, as a medical device consultant, she specializes in regulatory and clinical evidence strategy to support regulatory authorizations in the US, Canada, and the EU for a wide variety of products, including (but not limited to) SaMD and AI-enabled products, DTx, and neurology-focused devices.
Jessica Jackson, PhD is a licensed psychologist with more than 15 years of experience across startups, hospitals, nonprofits, and the United Nations. She operates at the nexus of equity, innovation, and care delivery, helping organizations build culturally responsive, tech-enabled solutions. Serving on leadership advisory boards of the nation’s top mental health associations, and behavioral health startups, Dr. Jackson helps innovators drive the future of mental health in ways that are equitable, inclusive, and accessible to every individual that needs it most.Dr. Jackson consults behavioral health startups from post-MVP to hyper-growth phases and designs innovative clinical solutions. She is a respected speaker at conferences and roundtables around the globe, and runs her own Houston-based clinical practice that provides mental health leadership and strategy consulting. Dr. Jackson frequently speaks on neuroscience innovation, digital mental health, and mental health equity.Dr. Jackson is the former appointed chair of the American Psychological Association (APA) inaugural Mental Health Technology Advisory Committee and she serves as a member of the FDA's Digital Advisory Committee.
Moderator:
Ashleigh Golden, PsyD, MSCP, RPsych, HSPP, ACT is a licensed clinical psychologist and AI mental health executive working at the intersection of responsible AI, product innovation, and health policy. She is Co-Founder and Chief Clinical Officer of Wayhaven, an AI-powered wellness platform for higher education, and Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor at Stanford Medicine's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, where she serves on the Mental Health Technology and Innovation Hub Leadership Committee and is Affiliate Faculty at the AI for Mental Health Initiative (AI4MH) and Center for AI in Medicine and Imaging (AIMI).
Dr. Golden co-authored the Framework for AI Tool Assessment in Mental Health (FAITA-MH), the first structured rubric for evaluating mental health AI, and has published on diffuse and covert risks of general-purpose AI chatbots in mental health. She serves on the APA's Mental Health Technology Advisory Committee, contributed to APA's Health Advisory on generative AI chatbots distributed to state and federal agencies, and co-chairs the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies' AI Subcommittee. She is a founding member of the Coalition for Health AI's Mental Health Chatbot Guidelines Workgroup.
Previously, she held senior clinical product leadership roles at Woebot Health, Lark Health, and Brightside Health, and led suicide and self-harm trust and safety policy enforcement at YouTube. She is a founding leader of Therapists in Tech and has been recognized as a Forbes Healthcare Innovator, a Digital Health Canada Emerging Leader, and a Rising Star honorable mention by the Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies at Northwestern University. Her work has been featured in The Washington Post, The Verge, APA's Monitor on Psychology, and APA's Speaking of Psychology podcast.
CME credits: You may be eligible to receive CME credits for attending this webinar. More information will be provided at the start of the event. If you have questions, please reach out to the Tech Hub (techhub-psychiatry@stanford.edu)
Recording: This event will be recorded and a password protected recording will be shared with our Tech Hub community. We ask that participants do not use AI note taking or recording tools unless they are needed for personal accessibility purposes.