AI Scribe for SimplePractice: A Faster Notes Workflow (Without Switching EHRs)

First, an Honest Definition

"AI scribe" often means a tool that listens to a session and drafts from a transcript. Mental Note AI's web app records the session only after you start recording, and drafts the note after the session ends; it does not run as an automatic background recorder.

For a no-audio workflow, use the optional Word add-in: type or paste a brief summary about presentation, interventions, response, and plan, and it creates a structured draft in the format you choose. Review and edit it because you are the clinician and remain responsible for the final record. Since Mental Note AI does not write into SimplePractice, you paste the reviewed result into SimplePractice yourself.

When you record, obtain appropriate consent and follow your practice's policies. If you do not want audio captured, use the typed-summary workflow in the Word add-in instead.

Why SimplePractice Users Look for an AI Drafting Tool

SimplePractice has its own AI Notes feature built into the EHR, and for many practices it's a perfectly good answer — we say so plainly in our Mental Note AI vs SimplePractice comparison. Clinicians who add Mental Note AI alongside SimplePractice usually do it for one of these reasons:

• They want a separate drafting workspace. Use the browser app first, or the optional Word add-in if Word fits your workflow.
• They want format options. Available workflows include SOAP, DAP, BIRP, GIRP, PIRP, Progress, Intake, and Treatment Plan; verify the chosen structure against current requirements.
• They want a free way to test AI drafting. The browser web app's free tier includes 5 scribe sessions per month, so you can evaluate the workflow before paying. The optional Word add-in has a separate 2,000-AI-writing-word monthly allowance.
• They want a no-audio option. Typed-summary drafting in the optional Word add-in lets you create a draft without recording the session.
• They want to evaluate a shared structure. A practice can test whether common drafting formats improve consistency, while each clinician still reviews the final note.

The Workflow: Mental Note AI Alongside SimplePractice

Here is the entire workflow, including the manual step. There are five parts, and we're not going to hide step four.

1. Finish your session as usual. Nothing changes in how you use SimplePractice for scheduling and billing.
2. Provide the session context. If you recorded the session at app.mentalnote.ai with appropriate consent, the draft is created after the session ends. For a no-audio workflow, type or paste the relevant context into the optional Word add-in.
3. Generate the draft. Choose an available note or planning workflow and generate a structured draft.
4. Review and edit. Verify the draft against the encounter and correct anything that does not match your clinical judgment. This step is required — the AI produces a draft, not a finished record.
5. Paste into SimplePractice. Copy the reviewed note and paste it into the progress-note field in SimplePractice. There is no integration doing this for you.

Measure the Full Workflow

Time saved varies with note length, the context you provide, review requirements, and your existing process. Compare the complete workflow against your own baseline, including drafting, clinician review, corrections, and the manual transfer into SimplePractice.

• The copy-paste step is overhead that an AI feature built into your EHR doesn't have. If SimplePractice's own AI Notes meets your needs, it removes that step entirely.
• Evaluate both speed and correction burden over several representative sample notes before deciding whether the workflow is worthwhile.

If you're weighing the built-in option against this workflow, the full comparison covers pricing, platforms, and which setup fits which practice.

What Mental Note AI Does Not Do

So there are no surprises after you try it:

• No automatic background recording. The web app records only when you start a recording; for a no-audio workflow, use typed or pasted context in the Word add-in instead.
• No SimplePractice integration. No sync, no write-back, no API connection. The transfer is you, pasting.
• Not an EHR. No scheduling, billing, claims, or client portal — that stays in SimplePractice.
• Not a replacement for clinical review. Every draft needs your eyes before it enters the chart.

What it does do — structured note and planning workflows, editable drafting, and an optional Word add-in — is covered on the features page.

What About HIPAA?

Pasting PHI between tools raises an important data-handling question. Your Business Associate Agreement (BAA) is included on every plan and accepted in the app before your first session. Review the current Security, Privacy, and HIPAA pages for the details.

Frequently Asked Questions