Wayhaven

??Exciting news! Wayhaven has been verified and added to the Ethical AI Database (EAIDB) (https://eaidb.org/)! We're honored to be recognized for our work in #ResponsibleAI by EAIDB founder?Abhinav Raghunathan, who noted, "It's very clear to me that you do great work within the responsible AI space." EAIDB is an independent organization that sources, vets, and catalogues #EthicalAI companies. This certification reflects our ongoing commitment to developing AI tools for #StudentWellbeing that are ethical, responsible, and impactful. Thanks to the entire Wayhaven team for your dedication to #ResponsibleInnovation in AI. We're thrilled to continue our mission of supporting #StudentWellness through #EthicalTech! #AIforGood #AIEthics #EthicalAI #ResponsibleDevelopment #EthicalDevelopment #EthicalInnovation #HigherEdTech #AIforEducation #StudentSuccess

A recent University of Toronto ?? study (see link in comments) offers compelling insights into the potential of #AIChatbots to elevate post-secondary #StudentWellbeing. Key takeaways: ? Chatbot interventions can make support more accessible, personalized, and effective ? These tools have potential to reach a broad, diverse student audience??? ? Chatbots encouraging active skill-building were more effective for long-term benefits than those only facilitating stress-related discussions The researchers encourage educational institutions to integrate these tools into their support systems, suggesting that they could "pave the way for a comprehensive approach that actively cultivates positive emotional states, #Resilience, and overall wellbeing among students." We at Wayhaven are excited to see research aligning with our approach. We're developing an AI companion that: ??Serves as a digital front door, lowering barriers to well-being support ?? Aims to dramatically increase access to evidence-based support for all students ?? Encourages skills practice and behavior change in the real world ?? Augments existing #CampusResources, rather than replacing human support This study reinforces the potential of AI to help address the growing well-being needs of student populations by mitigating barriers like: ?? Long wait times ?? High costs ?? Stigma How do?you?see AI-powered tools fitting into the larger ecosystem of hashtag #StudentSupport on college and university campuses???? ?? #AIforEducation #CampusInnovation #StudentWellness

At Wayhaven, we're on a mission to revolutionize mental wellness support for college students. As mental health needs continue to grow, we’re proud to offer 24/7, personalized AI wellbeing coaching that empowers students and supports counseling centers. By partnering with colleges and universities, we're not only supporting their wellness initiatives, we're actively reshaping the way care is delivered on campus. We envision a Higher Ed experience where comprehensive, personalized mental wellness care is accessible to every student. We believe mental wellness should be a cornerstone of the college experience, nurturing a generation of mentally resilient, successful students prepared to face the challenges of tomorrow. Together, with campus leaders, counseling centers, and student support teams we're building a future where mental wellness is prioritized and woven into the fabric of campus life. ?? Join us as we work towards a brighter, healthier future for college students everywhere! ?? #MentalWellness #StudentSupport #HigherEd #Wayhaven #AIforGood #Mission #Vision

Thrilled to announce our latest contribution to the field of #ai in #mentalhealth! I'd like to introduce you to the Framework for AI Tool Assessment in Mental Health (FAITA - Mental Health) in the October 2024 issue of #WorldPsychiatry. The framework, inspired by One Mind PsyberGuide's original mental health app scoring guide (shoutout to Stephen Schueller and team) and developed in close collaboration with Elias Aboujaoude, MD, MA, aims to comprehensively evaluate genAI-powered mental health tools. It considers key aspects such as credibility, user experience, user agency, equity, transparency, and crisis management. As AI rapidly transforms #mentalhealthcare, it's essential that we have robust, thorough methods to assess these new technologies. The FAITA - Mental Health rating system provides a structured approach to help industry leaders and product developers, clinicians, and users make informed decisions about AI mental health tools. This work stems from a deep commitment to responsible and #ethicalAIdevelopment in mental #healthcare. I’m grateful for this opportunity to contribute to such a prestigious publication and to the broader conversation on AI in mental health. A huge thank you to Dr. Aboujaoude for his invaluable guidance and collaboration. Feel free to share with colleagues - article in comments. Also available soon for free download from the PubMed system (https://lnkd.in/g6umEP7G). Feel free to DM me if you'd like a copy of the full version of the October 2024 edition of World Psychiatry containing the article. Stay tuned for a more comprehensive, forthcoming publication on FAITA - Mental Health! #AIinMentalHealth #DigitalHealth #ResponsibleAI #EthicalAI #ResponsibleDevelopment #EthicalDevelopment #ProductDevelopment #ClinicalProductDevelopment #FAITAMentalHealth

?? At Wayhaven, we’re committed to reshaping student well-being by combining scientific excellence with innovative solutions.?? Together we blend cutting-edge AI with evidence-based methodologies to provide college students with 24/7 personalized well-being support. Here's how we do it: ?? Evidence-Based Practices: Our platform incorporates proven mental wellness approaches like CBT, DBT, and mindfulness, customized for the digital world. ?? Expert Guidance & User-Centered Design: Guided by well-being experts and feedback from students, we create tools that resonate with the unique needs of today's university students. ?? Rigorous Evaluation: We integrate research-backed metrics to continuously refine our platform, ensuring we track tangible well-being outcomes. ?? Ethical Innovation: With ethics and privacy at the forefront, we constantly update our technology to prioritize user safety and effectiveness. Learn more about our approach below. #MentalWellness #AI #StudentSupport #HigherEd

I understand that using AI conversational agents to combat social isolation may sound daunting or unusual. At Wayhaven, we're tackling the loneliness epidemic on college campuses by leveraging evidence-based techniques to reduce social stress and connect students with personalized, relevant events and clubs to foster a sense of belonging. Recent research strongly supports the potential of this approach. A study by Alotaibi & Alshahre (2024) found that 60% of participants strongly agreed that conversational AI helped improve their well-being. Moreover, 70% strongly agreed that engaging with AI fosters camaraderie, suggesting its potential to mitigate isolation and loneliness. These findings reinforce our belief in the power of thoughtfully implemented AI solutions to address the critical issues of social isolation and mental well-being on college campuses. However, we recognize that this is an evolving field, and we're committed to ongoing research and refinement of our approach. I'm interested in how you see tech supporting human connections to address loneliness on campus. #highered #loneliness #ai #wellbeing

?? ?? Ethical AI in student mental wellness As a clinical psychologist and digital mental wellness product leader, I see both the immense potential and ethical challenges of AI in supporting #StudentMentalWellness. My work at Stanford developing a framework to evaluate AI-powered mental health products has convinced me that we're at a critical juncture - one that demands thoughtful implementation to truly benefit #CollegeStudents. In my latest white paper for #Wayhaven, I outline an approach to #EthicalAI in student mental wellness that I believe is key as we navigate this rapidly evolving landscape: Privacy & informed consent: We must prioritize data protection and transparent communication about AI capabilities and limitations. Evidence-based methods: Integrating demonstrated mechanisms from well-being science is non-negotiable. Cultural sensitivity: Promoting equitable access and reducing bias is essential for truly inclusive support. User empowerment: Our tools should encourage self-efficacy and informed choices, not reinforce dependency. Rigorous research: Continuous scientific evaluation drives innovation, enhances effectiveness, and ensures that we're making a meaningful impact. Comprehensive safety protocols: We have a duty to respond appropriately and effectively to crisis situations. Interdisciplinary collaboration: Merging mental wellness and technology expertise creates more robust, ethical solutions. I'm driven by a vision of creating trusted, effective resources for students while advancing the field of #DigitalWellnessSupport. Realizing this vision requires a commitment from all of us in tech and higher ed to prioritize ethics alongside innovation. I invite you to read the full white paper on our blog (link in comments) and join this crucial conversation. How can we best harness AI's potential to meet students' needs while upholding our ethical obligations? #StudentWellness #StudentSuccess #ResponsibleAI #EthicalDevelopment #ResponsibleDevelopment #ResponsibleInnovation #EthicalInnovation #HigherEd #AIEthics #AITransparency

?? I'm thrilled to be able to officially announce Wayhaven's partnership with Furman University! Together with cross-functional leaders across Student Life, the Counseling Center, Student Success, New Student Orientation, Health Promotions, and Academic Affairs, we co-designed a Furman-specific AI Well-Being Coach, accessible to students whenever they have questions or concerns. The Paladin coach is well-versed and trained on evidence-based techniques in well-being coaching, the multitude of resources across campus, all 217 student clubs, and upcoming campus events. Rather than hunting across dozens of web pages, students can share exactly what's on their mind and be recommended hyper-local in-the-moment support. Check out the quick example in the video of a lonely first-year student and the coach's ability to help make connections on campus. Shoutout to Jason Cassidy, Allyson Brathwaite-Gardner, Connie Carson, Stephanie Boyd, Meghan Slining, Tracy Carner, Gwen Hirko, and Sarah Gonzales for your thought leadership on this project. Well done, Team! Who wishes they had a personal AI coach to support their well-being in college?

??? Exciting news! ?? Wayhaven is thrilled to welcome Dr. Jennifer Huberty, PhD as our newest Advisor! ?? Jen's extensive expertise in #ScientificResearch and #EvidenceGeneration will be invaluable as we strategically develop a robust pipeline of analyses and studies. ??? Her expertise will support us in: ?? Forming academic partnerships ?? Crafting roadmaps for research and evidence generation ?? Designing and executing comprehensive studies ?? Publishing impactful papers Jen’s addition aligns perfectly with the urgent need highlighted in the Abelson et al. (2024) report (link below), which calls for more thorough and updated information on the effectiveness and engagement of digital mental health interventions due to the limited direct evidence for many commonly used interventions in college populations. ???? Together, we’re on a mission to demonstrate the evidence and outcomes for our products, paving the way for better mental wellness support for college students everywhere! ???? Welcome, Jen! Looking forward to filling gaps in the literature and empowering higher education leaders with the insights they need to support student mental health effectively! ???? #CollegeCounseling #MentalHealthInHigherEd #StudentSuccess #StudentMentalHealth #DigitalMentalHealth #EvidenceBased #ResearchStrategy #PeerReviewedPublications ?? Jen Huberty's Website: https://lnkd.in/gGx_25Ck ?? Digital Mental Health Interventions at Colleges & Universities: https://lnkd.in/gASpTHPG

??Shoutout to our VP of Psychology, Ashleigh Golden, PsyD, RPsych, HSPP, ACT for winning an award as an Emerging Leader of the Year by Digital Health Canada! Digital Health Canada Award winners were announced at the e-Health 2024 Conference and Tradeshow, held this year in Vancouver from May 26 -28. Congratulations to all of the award winners ??