Strategic Initiative Fund (SIF)

AI-Enabled Scalable Training for Global Mental Health Service Providers

Worldwide crises, including conflicts, public health emergencies, climate change, and natural disasters, have significantly increased psychological distress globally, creating demand for mental health support that far exceeds the available counseling workforce in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This project will create an AI-enabled, culturally adapted platform to train and assess mental health counselors and therapists, specifically in Latin America (in Spanish, a widely spoken language) and in South Africa (in isiZulu, the most spoken language in South Africa).

Building on U-M's strengths in global mental health training, advanced natural language processing, and community-grounded research in LMICs, the project will develop and evaluate an AI-enabled platform that supports hands-on counselor training, reflective skill development, and automated, actionable feedback on real counseling sessions.

The project is expected to significantly expand the availability and improve the quality of mental health support by enabling scalable training and skill assessment for service providers, positioning Michigan as a leader in applying advanced AI technologies to major global challenges in human health and well-being. It will produce a functional AI platform along with methodological frameworks, implementation guidelines, and culturally grounded adaptation strategies that enable replication and extension to additional countries, languages, and health contexts.