AI in Clinical Practice: Duty of Care in the Age of Intelligent Tools

Artificial intelligence is rapidly entering the mental health landscape – through documentation tools, chatbots, clinical decision supports, and everyday productivity platforms.  While these technologies offer potential benefits, they also introduce significant ethical, legal, and professional risks.  Many clinical counsellors are already using or considering AI tools, often without a clear understanding on what is appropriate, safe, or responsible.

This 2-hour webinar provides clinical counsellors with a practical, ethics-focused framework for the responsible use of AI in clinical practice.  Grounded in professional codes of ethics, privacy obligations, and emerging AI governance standards, the session will help participants understand how AI changes their duty of care – and what responsible use actually looks like in day-to-day clinical work.

By the end of the webinar, you will be able to:

• Understand common AI tools and their emerging role in clinical counselling.
• Identify key ethical, legal, and professional risks associated with AI use.
• Apply and ethics-based lens to your AI decision-making.
• Implement practical safeguards for confidentiality, consent, and documentation.

About the presenter:

Candice Alder is a clinical counsellor and AI ethicist working at the intersection of healthcare and human services, and emerging technology.  She is the co-founder and principal consultant at Synthetica, advising organizations, Boards, and professionals on integrating AI responsibly into high-stakes human-services work.  Candice is a teaching fellow at the Center for AI and Digital Policy, an IEEE CertifAIEd authorized assessor of emerging AI systems for ethical compliance, and a contributor to international AI governance and standards initiatives.  Candice is also the author of the BCACC’s guideline for the integration of AI into clinical practice – the first in Canada for clinical counsellors – released in March 2025.  With over two decades of experience across mental health, education, and professional leadership, her work emphasizes ethics, risk, and duty of care in clinical practice.