Use case 3: AI training room

Description:

A trainee or care provider can engage in role-play with AI-generated clients that are designed to simulate diverse scenarios and test the care provider’s ability to navigate different challenges. Trainees and care providers receive real-time feedback and tailored suggestions as the conversation unfolds, delivered through video, voice, or text.

Example scenario:

A trainee interacts with an AI-generated client who struggles with social anxiety and avoids social situations because they are afraid of being judged. The AI training room simulates a realistic conversation, allowing the trainee to practice identifying negative thoughts, developing coping strategies, and setting realistic goals. The AI system evaluates the trainee's communication style, empathy, and adherence to technical skills (such as CBT techniques), then provides real-time feedback to enhance learning and application of skills.

Opportunities unlocked:

The AI training room could address several challenges in mental health task sharing programs, including the following:

• Lack of realistic scenarios. Traditional role-plays are done with peers who may not accurately reflect real-life patients or situations, limiting opportunities for realistic practice. AI roleplays can present trainees with a wider variety of realistic scenarios.
• Resource-intensive training process. Traditional role-plays require human facilitators, physical spaces, and logistical coordination, making them costly and challenging to scale. By simulating realistic interactions virtually, the AI training room could decrease the reliance on human role-players, allowing trainees to practice a variety of realistic scenarios at their own pace.
• Limited number of experienced trainers. In many regions, a shortage of qualified trainers limits the number of mental health care providers who can be trained. The AI training room could bridge this gap by providing real-time feedback on therapeutic techniques, communication skills, and other skills required by the program. Trainees could learn independently while maintaining high training standards, ensuring consistent education even in remote or underserved areas.
• Ensuring adherence to protocol. Maintaining consistent training quality is challenging without robust monitoring. The AI training room could track each trainee’s progress, ensuring that all essential modules are completed, and that the skills required by the program are consistently applied.
• Drift and post-program adherence. The AI training room could serve as a continuous resource with role-play simulations to reinforce best practices and ensure skills remain sharp long after the completion of a task-sharing program.

How could the end user(s) benefit from this solution?

The primary end user who could directly benefit from this solution is:

• Care provider.  Trainees or care providers could directly engage with the AI training room and benefit from realistic practice scenarios that build confidence and competence in their skills.

Real-world example 1:

The Trevor Project is a suicide prevention and crisis intervention nonprofit organization that provides information and support to LGBTQ+ youth. Through text, chat, and phone calls, the organization connects young people in crisis with trained volunteer counselors who offer immediate and confidential support.

To expand the capacity of its services and meet increasing demand, The Trevor Project developed an AI-powered crisis counselor training bot. This AI tool simulates realistic conversations, enabling trainees to practice crisis scenarios in a safe, supportive, and scalable environment before live interactions with youth.

By using the crisis counselor training bot, The Trevor Project trained more than 1000 crisis counselors in about one year, enabling the organization to scale their counselor base more quickly and serve a higher volume of LGBTQ+ youth in crisis.

Real-world example 2:

Partnership to End Addiction is a national nonprofit focused on preventing and addressing substance use disorders by providing families, communities, and professionals with practical knowledge they can trust to support young people at risk or struggling with addiction. Families and caregivers can get evidence-based resources and support services to take confident action in preventing and treating substance use.

To enhance its peer coach programming, Partnership to End Addiction has embedded AI simulations into their peer coach training curriculum. Simulations offer a cost-effective way to train coaches in having compassionate interactions with the parents they will be working with. AI is also allowing the Partnership to assess the quality of active coach conversations and provide feedback to the coaches to support ongoing skill development. AI is helping Partnership to End Addiction serve more families and improve the efficacy of this support.