Research & Professional Development 3 - Working In Digital Mental Health: Roles, Career Paths, and Lessons Learned

Research, clinical applications, and interest in digital mental health has steadily increased in recent years. Behavioral health specialists working in academic, industry, and other settings (e.g., professional organizations, non-profits) all have an important role to play in realizing the potential impact digital mental health interventions can have to increase access to inclusive evidence-based mental health treatments and to reduce the burden of mental health disorders. Despite an increase in the number of behavioral health specialists finding work in the growing field of digital mental health (APA, 2024), resources for psychologists, therapists, and graduate students to learn about career paths in digital mental health across various contexts are severely lacking in most training programs and in the field more broadly.
In response to employment trends, the need for more professional development resources on careers in digital mental health, and the opportunity to increase innovation and access to CBT, this panel will focus on career paths in digital mental health. Panelists are seven clinical psychologists who have expertise in digital mental health and have worked in a range of roles in academia, industry, and scientific and professional organizations, and range from early career to more senior professionals. Each panelist will describe their current role including how they apply their clinical, research, and cultural responsiveness training to their work, along with their career path to their current role. In addition, panelists will provide specific concrete recommendations for how audience members can learn more if they are interested in careers in digital mental health in a range of contexts, and will end with time for questions from the audience. This panel is relevant with this year’s theme of Bridging the Divide in that it gives audience members the opportunity to learn about non-traditional ways to promote evidence-based practices through digital health and is relevant to ABCT’s mission and goals to increase innovation in the science of behavioral health and to build relationships with ABCT members and diverse stakeholders.