Set Up Mentalyc for HIPAA-Compliant AI Progress Notes

1. Go to mentalyc.com in your browser
2. Click "Get Started" or "Sign Up"
3. Create an account with your professional email address
4. Select your role (Licensed Therapist, Counselor, Psychologist, etc.)
5. Choose your plan — most counselors start with the individual plan; a free trial is available

What you should see: Your Mentalyc dashboard with an empty client list and the option to create your first session. Troubleshooting: If you don't receive the verification email, check your spam folder. Mentalyc emails sometimes get caught by spam filters on first contact.

This is the most important step and must happen before you use Mentalyc with any client. You have an ethical and professional obligation to disclose AI-assisted documentation.

Add a disclosure to your informed consent form. Here is example language you can adapt:

"This practice uses a HIPAA-compliant AI documentation tool (Mentalyc) to assist with clinical note-writing. Sessions may be transcribed to help create draft progress notes. The AI transcript and draft notes are accessible only to your clinician and are stored on HIPAA-compliant servers. All notes are reviewed, edited, and finalized by your licensed clinician before being included in your clinical record. You may opt out of AI-assisted documentation at any time — please discuss this with your clinician."

Options for obtaining updated consent:

• Add this to your standard intake consent form for new clients going forward
• For existing clients: discuss it verbally and document in the session note, or send an updated form through your EHR's client portal
• Many counselors ask for consent at the start of the first session where they plan to use it

What you should see: Updated consent form that covers AI documentation.

1. In Mentalyc, go to Settings → "Documentation preferences"
2. Select your preferred note format: SOAP, DAP, BIRP, or other (Mentalyc supports multiple formats)
3. If you use SimplePractice or TherapyNotes, look for the integration option:

   • Go to Settings → "Integrations"
   • Select your EHR
   • Follow the authorization steps (typically involves logging into your EHR within Mentalyc)
4. Once integrated, notes generated in Mentalyc can be pushed directly to your EHR chart

What you should see: Your preferred note format selected and your EHR connected (if integrating). Troubleshooting: If integration setup fails, use manual copy-paste for now — go to Settings → "Integration" → "Manual mode." You can add integration later.

1. Click "New Client" in Mentalyc
2. Enter the client's name or identifier (you can use initials or a case number if you prefer — Mentalyc doesn't require full identifying information)
3. Click "New Session" for that client
4. Select the recording method:

   • Audio recording: Mentalyc listens through your device microphone (best for in-person)
   • Transcript upload: For telehealth, download the Zoom transcript and upload it to Mentalyc
   • Manual notes input: Type brief session notes, Mentalyc expands them into a full note

For audio recording in in-person sessions:

1. Place your device (phone or laptop) where the microphone can capture both speakers
2. Click "Start Recording" in Mentalyc
3. Conduct your session normally
4. Click "Stop Recording" when the session ends

What you should see: A recording timer running during the session.

1. After stopping the recording, Mentalyc processes the audio (typically 3–8 minutes)
2. A draft progress note appears in your preferred format
3. Review the note carefully:

   • Check accuracy: Does the note accurately reflect what happened in the session?
   • Add clinical assessment: The AI describes the session; you add your clinical judgment about progress, risk level, and clinical impressions
   • Edit interventions: Verify the interventions listed match what you actually used
   • Review the plan: Ensure the next-session plan reflects your clinical recommendation
   • Delete anything that shouldn't be there: Highly sensitive disclosures or content you chose not to document formally
4. Edit the note to reflect your finalized clinical record
5. Click "Finalize" or copy and paste to your EHR

What you should see: A signed, complete progress note ready for the client's chart. Troubleshooting: If the note is significantly off, check the transcription first — errors in the transcript create errors in the note. You can edit the transcript before regenerating the note.

Week 1: Use Mentalyc for 3–5 sessions (your most straightforward cases) Week 2: Expand to all sessions (keep monitoring quality) Week 3+: The workflow becomes automatic — record → 5-minute review → done