Behavioral Health AI Summit: A Practical Playbook for Executives Leading AI in Care and Operations
AI is moving from theory to day-to-day practice in behavioral healthcare. The leaders who set clear guardrails, pilot with intention, and measure what matters will set the pace for the next decade.
HMP Global's Behavioral Health AI Summit, April 7-8, 2026 in Nashville, brings together executives, clinical leaders, and technologists to translate AI from hype into results-improved outcomes, streamlined operations, and sustainable growth.
What Executives Will Gain
- Strategic clarity: Where AI fits across your organization and how to prioritize initiatives with ROI and clinical quality in mind.
- Operational wins: Practical use cases that reduce documentation time, streamline intake, strengthen revenue cycles, and support workforce productivity.
- Risk and compliance readiness: Concrete steps to address privacy, security, bias mitigation, and governance aligned with emerging standards such as the NIST AI Risk Management Framework.
- Peer insight: Case studies, open Q&A, and candid lessons learned from leaders doing the work today.
Program at a Glance
Day one follows the patient journey. Day two dives into real-world deployments and leadership playbooks.
- AI in Patient Acquisition
- AI in Clinical Tools and Documentation
- AI in Financial Reporting
- AI in Privacy, Security, and Compliance
- AI in Workforce Management
- Case Study: Community Medical Services - A multi-site provider's experience integrating AI while maintaining quality and engagement
- Empathetic Breaks: What Happens When AI Enters the Therapy Room
- Stories from the Frontlines of AI in Treatment
- Learning Labs featuring solution partner demos
Featured Faculty and Experts
- Nick Stavros, Chief Executive Officer, Community Medical Services
- Rachel Jackson, BA, MS, LMHC, MBA, Chief Operating Officer, Recovery Unplugged
- Brian Wind, PhD, Chief Clinical Officer, Regard Recovery / JourneyPure
- Signa Meyers, LPC, ICS, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, Rogers Behavioral Health
- Andrew Heckman, Corporate Director of Information Management Services, Caron Treatment Centers
- Kyle Hillman, CAE, CMM, Director of Legislative Affairs, National Association of Social Workers (Illinois), and author of the Illinois and Nevada laws banning unregulated AI in mental healthcare
Voices Guiding the Conversation
"As AI moves deeper into behavioral health, we have a rare chance to shape how technology supports care rather than replaces it," said Kyle Hillman, CAE, CMM, Director of Legislative Affairs, National Association of Social Workers. "The choices we make now will determine whether innovation strengthens or weakens the therapist and client relationship."
"In behavioral health, our moonshot should be to make technology invisible-to let AI handle the burden of documentation behind the scenes so clinicians can focus entirely on the person in front of them," said Andrew Heckman, Corporate Director of IMS at Caron Treatment Centers. "This dialogue is how we get there, responsibly and collaboratively."
"Behavioral health leaders are facing a defining moment as AI reshapes the way care is delivered, measured, and supported," said Doug Edwards, SVP, Psychiatry & Behavioral Health, HMP Global. "This summit is essential because it equips executives with the strategic clarity and real-world guidance they need to adopt AI responsibly and strengthen the organizations and patients they serve."
Closing Keynote: Your Monday-Morning AI Action Plan
Beyond the Summit: Your AI Action Plan for Behavioral Health Leadership
Lisa Henderson, LPC-MHSP, Founder and Chief Operating Officer, Synchronous Health
Henderson will distill two days of discussion into a practical sequence leaders can apply immediately-governance, use case selection, data readiness, workflow design, change management, and measurement. "AI isn't replacing the human connection at the core of mental health care-it's amplifying it," she said. "Just as the microscope transformed medicine as a tool that reveals what was once invisible, AI is changing what we can see and understand of the human experience, offering new clarity, new reach, and new hope."
Why Leaders Should Attend
- Strategic advantage: Position your organization as a leader in technology-enabled, patient-centered care.
- Operational efficiency: Reduce administrative burden and optimize resources through AI-driven systems.
- Quality and outcomes: Enhance decision-making, predict risk, and support earlier intervention.
- Risk and compliance: Address ethical and regulatory issues with a defensible governance model.
- Executive networking: Connect with peers and innovators moving behavioral health forward.
Event Details and Registration
- Event: Behavioral Health AI Summit
- Dates: April 7-8, 2026
- Location: Nashville, Tennessee
- Learn more: Visit HMP Global for updates and registration.
Practical Next Steps for Your Team
- Adopt an AI governance framework and risk register mapped to enterprise goals. If you need a starting point, review the NIST AI RMF.
- Stand up two quick-win pilots: one administrative (e.g., documentation) and one clinical support (e.g., risk stratification). Define success metrics before launch.
- Upskill key roles. For curated learning paths by job function, explore Complete AI Training: Courses by Job.
About HMP Global
HMP Global is the omnichannel market leader in healthcare events, education, and insight-focused on improving patient care. For 40 years, the company has built trusted brands including Psych Congress and the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC). The organization delivers 450+ annual events and engages nearly 2 million clinicians across 600 specialties.
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