Large language models often struggle to handle psychiatric emergencies safely. In this session, Dr. Benjamin W. Nelson, PhD presents the Verily Behavioral Health Safety filter (VBHSF), a specialized guardrail evaluated against clinical datasets to identify mental health crises in text-based conversations. Dr. Nelson demonstrates the system’s high sensitivity and specificity compared to standard industry guardrails, emphasizing the need for clinically oriented AI performance to minimize missed crises.

About Dr. Benjamin W. Nelson:

Dr. Nelson is a Senior Clinical Research Scientist at Verily Life Sciences on the Science and Innovation Team, an Adjunct Professor at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and a licensed psychologist. He leads Verily’s mental health science and innovation efforts, advancing precision AI health strategies and developing generative AI–enabled safety systems and clinical decision support tools across the company’s mental and behavioral health portfolio. He also contributes to the Division of Digital Psychiatry at BIDMC, bringing integrated expertise in clinical care, AI, and applied research.

Read the full paper: https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.12083

About the 2025 Society of Digital Psychiatry Symposium:

The 2025 Society of Digital Psychiatry Symposium is an event focused on the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and mental healthcare. With this year’s theme, "Advancing Digital Mental Health Through AI," the symposium provides a unique platform for thought leaders and innovators to explore the latest AI advancements reshaping the mental health landscape.