Florida weighs limits on AI mental-health services
Florida lawmakers considered restricting artificial intelligence from providing licensed psychological, clinical social-work, and mental-health counseling services. House Bill 281 and Senate Bill 344 both died in legislative committees in March, according to the Florida Senate.
The issue was also part of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ proposed Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights in December 2025. The proposal included restrictions on companies offering licensed therapy or mental-health counseling through AI chatbots, as well as measures concerning children and personal data, WUSF reported.
Crisis-line activity shows demand for support
Demand for behavioral-health support is also visible in crisis-line activity. United Way of Northeast Florida said its 988 team handled 14,457 calls in 2025 and 11,382 calls so far in 2026, while local call volume increased 18% over one year. Callers sought help for issues including depression, anxiety, grief, financial stress, and suicidal thoughts, according to United Way of Northeast Florida.
How Florida’s crisis system and AI safeguards fit in
Florida Department of Children and Families guidance describes 988 as an entry point to trained crisis counselors, with a broader response system built around someone to talk to, someone to respond and somewhere to go. The national figures cited in this article should be distinguished from that state and local service structure: according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, its 988 performance metrics cover the overall national network, including all 988 Lifeline network centers, rather than a Florida-specific count.
The American Psychological Association says no AI chatbot has been FDA-approved to diagnose, treat or cure a mental-health disorder, underscoring the distinction between emerging tools and licensed clinical care. It recommends that people tell their health providers which generative-AI tools or wellness apps they use so clinicians can identify guidance that may be unhelpful, unsafe or inconsistent with treatment plans, according to the American Psychological Association and its health advisory.
What the 988 figures show
The available figures should not be read as a statewide Florida count. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, its 988 performance metrics cover the overall national network, including all 988 Lifeline network centers. The official information cited here therefore does not establish a Florida-specific statewide trend or breakdown of caller needs. The Northeast Florida figures do show that callers to that local 988 team sought help for depression, anxiety, grief, financial stress, and suicidal thoughts.
The conference provided a local setting for discussing those policy and service pressures.
The Florida Behavioral Health Conference was held in Orlando in August, with nearly 2,000 mental-health professionals attending, according to Tampa Bay 28. Organizers listed more than 195 speakers, nearly 120 training sessions, and 155 exhibitors, under the theme “Lights, Camera, Action.”
Melanie Brown Woofter, president and CEO of the Florida Behavioral Health Association, told Tampa Bay 28 that the conference recognized frontline workers and supported professional connection. The association represents community mental-health and substance-use treatment providers, primarily serving low-income, uninsured, and Medicaid-eligible residents. It also connects people with low-cost care, including through the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay’s 211 referral line, according to the same Tampa Bay 28 report.
AI was among the conference topics. Brown Woofter told Tampa Bay 28 that AI could assist with assessments and early intake while professional providers continued to manage therapy and ongoing treatment. She also expressed concern that the technology could eventually replace in-person therapists.
The program also included a mini-plenary on emerging medicinal-psychedelic science, according to Tampa Bay 28.
