In the Public Eye — Fall 2025
Illinois Passes Law Restricting AI Use in Mental Health Treatment
Kyle Hillman
Illinois lawmakers made a landmark move, passing a bill banning artificial intelligence from acting as a standalone therapist and placing restrictions on how mental health professionals can use AI to support care. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed the bill into law Aug. 1.
Prior to the signing of House Bill 1806, Kyle Hillman, director of legislative affairs for the NASW Illinois Chapter, was quoted in a June 27 thecentersquare.com article about the importance of the proposal. He said the measure draws a clear line that AI can support mental health professionals, but it can’t pretend to be one.
“The law ensures AI tools in therapy are just that—tools—used under the supervision of licensed professionals,” Hillman told The Center Square. “They can help with documentation or scheduling, not diagnosing trauma or offering coping strategies.”
Hillman said filling a gap with unregulated, unaccountable bots isn’t the solution. “[I]t’s a gamble with people’s lives,” he said in the article. “AI doesn’t have ethics. It doesn’t escalate when someone’s in crisis. And when it gets it wrong, there’s no malpractice insurance or license to suspend.”
He noted the bill includes guardrails. “Illinois—now one of the first states alongside Nevada to pass this kind of legislation—has laid out a common-sense roadmap: here’s where tech can innovate, and here’s where the public needs protection,” Hillman said.
Rachel Zielinski
NASW-New York
Rachel Zielinski
“Animal-assisted social work is an umbrella term that includes different animal-assisted therapies and activities, equine-assisted psychotherapy and veterinary social work,” says NASW-New York member Rachel Zielinski, who has used animal-assisted therapies in her social work practice for the past decade.
Zielinski was quoted in a July 10 article by the University of Buffalo’s UBNow.com. She uses her therapy dog, Maxwell, and her class to teach students about animal-assisted social work in the School of Social Work at UB.
“All people can benefit from therapy animals,” Zielinski says in the article. “Maxwell is great for grounding when clients get really activated or have a high level of anxiety. He can be helpful for teens or people with autism. Some clients even see us as a team together, so it reduces anxiety for clients who count on him being there for sessions.”
Dominique Gadson
NASW-Indiana
Dominique Gadson
NASW-Indiana member Dominique Gadson was noted for being included in Marquis Who’s Who for her trailblazing work in trauma-informed life coaching, leadership development and systems healing.
In a press release posted June 30 at 24-7pressrelease.com, it noted Gadson, PhD, MSW, CSAYC, is the founder and chief executive officer of Gadson Blueprint Academy, a national training and consulting institute established in 2017 to disrupt cycles of generational harm and rebuild systems through trauma-informed education, leadership development and cultural accountability.
“I don’t just break cycles—I build new systems where healing becomes legacy, and leadership becomes liberation,” she says in the article.
Gadson also has a clinical practice that specializes in trauma recovery, family restoration and court-involved youth.
Neil D. Brown
NASW-California
Neil D. Brown
Parent-teen relationships can often feel like a battlefield. NASW-California member Neil D. Brown, LCSW, has crafted a course to help parents identify destructive cycles and implement proven techniques to break free from them.
“Too often, parents feel trapped in an exhausting struggle with their teens, unsure of how to set limits while maintaining a positive relationship,” says Brown in story posted at KUAM.com on June 29. “This course offers a roadmap to transform the parent-teen dynamic from conflict to collaboration.”
The course provides parents with expert strategies to address critical issues with their teen’s behaviors and development. “This course offers a roadmap to transform the parent-teen dynamic from conflict to collaboration,” Brown said.
Gloria Ho
NASW-Delaware
Gloria Ho
Delaware’s “Speak Out Against Hate” launched its statewide initiative, Hate Has No Home Here, at a meeting in Lewes earlier this year. The initiative is a response to the Trump administration’s mass deportations, escalating ICE raids and military politicization.
Among the speakers at the meeting was Cape school district social worker Gloria Ho, an NASW member from Delaware. Ho spoke about the ways in which hatred manifests in schools in Cape and beyond. A child sitting silently at his desk can be consumed with fear after learning that his father, who was missing for three days, was deported, she explained.
“Now he wonders how his mother will pay rent and how she’ll be able to feed them,” she said in the June 27 article at CapeGazette.com. “When we stay silent in the face of injustice, when we allow hate to go unchecked, what are we teaching our students?” she asked the audience. “Change doesn’t start with someone else; it starts with us.”
Crystal Mullen-Johnson
NASW-Alabama
Crystal Mullen-Johnson
The City of Birmingham and Nurture of Alabama hosted the Fourth Annual City of Birmingham Mental Health Day in Linn Park to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and improve access to mental health resources across the Birmingham area.
NASW-Alabama member Crystal Mullen-Johnson was quoted in a June 23 Birmingham Times article promoting the event. Mullen-Johnson, LCSW, founder of Nurture Alabama, said that since June is also Men’s Health Awareness Month, it’s important to encourage men to prioritize health visits with the doctor.
“This event underscores the collective effort to prioritize mental health, promote resilience and ensure that all Birmingham residents have access to the tools they need to thrive mentally and physically,” Mullen-Johnson said.