Rula Health, a nationwide behavioral health provider ("Rula") delivering accessible, high-quality care, announced the formation of the Rula Clinical AI Review, Ethics, and Safety Council (Rula CARES), an external advisory council of clinical, academic, and AI experts who will provide independent perspectives as Rula moves from concept to development of AI-enabled products.

Rula CARES will provide an additional layer of expert review as Rula advances its technology capabilities, bringing outside perspectives to help inform responsible and ethical implementation and align Rula's approach with emerging industry standards and best practices.

The council will provide guidance across several areas, including:

• Clinical safety and risk mitigation
• AI ethics and responsible development
• Informed consent and transparency
• Applications of AI in clinical care
• Measurement of patient and provider outcomes
• Alignment with emerging AI standards and best practices

Council meetings are planned for a quarterly cadence, with a focus on retrospective case review and prospective guidance on planned development. Individual advisors will also be leveraged to provide guidance on specific projects that align with their given expertise.

Rula's approach to AI is grounded in the belief that technology should strengthen the role of clinicians and enhance the delivery of high-quality mental health care, not replace the human relationship at the center of therapy. Rula CARES puts that philosophy into practice by bringing independent expertise into how AI-enabled products are developed, evaluated, and integrated to administratively support care.

"Our philosophy is that the future of mental health care should be AI and therapy, not AI or therapy," said Dr. Doug Newton, Chief Medical Officer at Rula. "AI can play an important role in supporting care, but clinicians must remain at the center of it. As these technologies evolve, we have a responsibility to ensure they're developed and used with appropriate clinical oversight, and with the same rigor and commitment to patient safety that guide every aspect of our care. This group will help us hold that bar as we explore how AI can best support behavioral health care."

"This council represents deep expertise in all facets of AI clinical development, from how we obtain informed consent to how we demonstrate that our AI-enabled features are safe and effective," said Dr. Tim Campellone, Director of Clinical Product. "Their collaboration and guidance will help us build on the already high clinical care quality foundation that Rula is known for."

The launch of Rula CARES reflects Rula's commitment to bringing diverse perspectives on clinical care and technology to the evolving conversation around AI in behavioral health. By engaging respected authorities across clinical, academic, and technology communities, Rula is creating an ongoing dialogue to help thoughtfully shape how AI can complement clinicians and expand what's possible in mental health care, while bringing the perspectives of leading experts into how these innovations are introduced to providers and the broader field.