Use case 6: Provider-client matching

Description:

An AI-powered tool analyzes provider skills (such as foundational helping skills, technical skills, language fluency, and caseload capacity) and client needs (such as language preference, case complexity, and cultural background) and matches care providers to clients using a standardized matching algorithm.

Example scenario:

A newly trained care provider fluent in Spanish, is ready for their first client. Meanwhile, a new client who is experiencing moderate anxiety and who prefers to speak Spanish, awaits their initial counseling session.

The provider-client matching tool analyzes the care provider’s skills, language fluency, and caseload capacity while also assessing the client’s anxiety level, language preference, and cultural background. The AI tool matches care providers with clients based on similarities and compatibilities in each person’s background.

The supervisor receives a notification that one of their supervisees has matched with a new client. The supervisor reviews the care provider’s schedule to assess capacity and approves the match with one click. The care provider begins sessions with the client that they matched with. During the session, the client feels understood, building a strong therapeutic alliance from the start.

Opportunities unlocked:

The provider-client matching tool could address the following challenge in mental health task-sharing programs:

• Inefficient or ad hoc matching. Without structured criteria or data-driven tools, manual matching is labor-intensive and prone to human bias. The AI tool could apply standardized matching algorithms, to ensure that clients are matched with the most suitable care provider based on skill set, language fluency, case complexity, and client needs. This feature reduces mismatches in personality or capacity and optimizes the use of the provider’s time and skills.

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

The primary end users who could directly benefit from this solution are:

• Care provider. Care providers could benefit from being matched with clients that align with their skills, experience, and language fluency. More appropriately matches could lead to a higher confidence in and commitment to the program.
• Client. Clients could get better care from and feel more understood by care providers who align with their preferences, cultural background, and primary concerns (such as anxiety, depression).