AI scribe for social workers (LCSW)
Facts checked on 15 October 2026.
MentalNote is an AI scribe for LCSWs and clinical social workers in private and small group practice: record the session in your browser, pick DAP, BIRP, GIRP, SOAP or a Progress note, and get a structured draft to review, on a free plan or Premium at $99 a month, with a BAA on every plan.
Your caseload is full, and every session needs a note that shows what you did and why. MentalNote writes the draft from the session itself, in the format your agency or payer expects, so you can close notes the same day instead of on the weekend.
5 free scribe sessions a month. No credit card. BAA on every plan.
The short answer
- Record the session in your browser, in the room or on a telehealth call in a browser tab, and get a draft note when the session ends.
- Pick the format you chart in: DAP, BIRP, GIRP, SOAP, PIRP, Progress, Intake / Biopsychosocial or Treatment Plan, or your own structure with custom instructions.
- It is told not to fill gaps. The app instructs the AI to write "Not documented in session" for anything the session did not cover, and not to add a denial, a diagnosis or a risk rating you did not state. Check every draft.
- Start free: 5 scribe sessions a month, no time limit, no credit card. Premium is $99 a month or $990 a year.
- MentalNote is HIPAA-compliant, with a BAA included on every plan.
Who it is for
Solo clinicians and small practices that want to sign up today, pay a published price and start without a sales call or an IT project. Premium is for solo clinicians. Practices can apply for the Practice Pilot.
Built for clinical social work
- BIRP and GIRP drafts separate the interventions you used from the client's response, which is what reviewers look for.
- Referrals, resources and coordination you discuss, such as housing, benefits or a psychiatry referral, go in the Plan.
- The app instructs the AI to include risk and safety content only if it was explicitly discussed in the session.
- Prefer to type? The optional Microsoft Word add-in drafts a note from a short typed summary, with no recording.
Note formats you can generate
| Format | Sections | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| DAP | Data, Assessment, Plan | Fast, compact progress notes |
| BIRP | Behavior, Intervention, Response, Plan | Showing what you did and how the client responded |
| GIRP | Goals, Intervention, Response, Plan | Tying each session to treatment plan goals |
| SOAP | Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan | Insurance-friendly notes and scores such as the PHQ-9 |
| PIRP | Problem, Intervention, Response, Plan | Problem-focused sessions |
| Progress note | Session overview, client report, interventions, response, risk and safety, plan | A fuller narrative note |
| Intake / Biopsychosocial | History, mental status observations, risk and safety, impressions, plan | First sessions and assessments |
Also available: SIRP, PIE and Treatment Plan, plus custom instructions for your own structure. Format guides: DAP notes for LCSWs, BIRP notes for LCSWs, GIRP notes for LCSWs, SOAP notes for LCSWs.
What a BIRP draft looks like
A human-written, shortened illustration based on a fictional session (no real client). It is not verbatim app output, and your drafts will vary with what is said.
Fictional example: An individual session focused on housing stress and depression (BIRP)
Behavior
Client reports low mood and poor sleep since receiving an eviction notice 2 weeks ago. States she has been "shutting down" at work. PHQ-9 total 14, reviewed in session.
Intervention
Validated stress response. Used problem-solving therapy to break the housing problem into steps. Provided information on the county emergency rental assistance program and legal aid clinic.
Response
Client identified two next steps and wrote them down. Reported feeling "less frozen" by the end of the session.
Plan
Client to call legal aid and submit the rental assistance application this week. Behavioral activation: one walk a day. Weekly sessions; review PHQ-9 in 2 weeks.
The resources appear because the clinician named them in the session. MentalNote is instructed not to add interventions or resources that were not discussed.
What it will not do
These are instructions the app gives the AI for every therapy note. They are meant to reduce errors, but they are not a guarantee. Review every line.
| What can go wrong | What MentalNote instructs the AI to do |
|---|---|
| A risk statement that was never asked ("denies SI") | Include risk and safety content only if it was explicitly discussed, and never write that the client denied something the session did not ask about. |
| A diagnosis the AI guessed | Give no diagnosis, diagnostic impression or code unless you stated it in the session. |
| An intervention you did not use | Use only what the session contains: no invented interventions, scores, dates or homework. |
| A gap filled with typical content | Write "Not documented in session" for anything the session did not cover. |
How it works
- Confirm you have your client's consent. The web app asks you to confirm it before every recording.
- Record in the browser, in the room or on a telehealth call in another tab.
- When the session ends, choose a format and get the draft, with the speaker-labeled transcript beside it.
- Review and edit every line, then copy or export it into your EHR.
Prefer Microsoft Word? The optional Word add-in drafts a therapy note from a short typed summary, with no recording.
What it costs
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0, no time limit | 5 web-app scribe sessions a month. No credit card. |
| Premium | $99 a month, or $990 a year ($82.50 a month) | Unlimited note generation, browser app and Word add-in. |
| Practice Pilot | Apply | A guided evaluation for practices. |
No sales call needed: sign up and choose a plan yourself. MentalNote is HIPAA-compliant, with a BAA included on every plan. You accept the BAA in the app before your first session.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free AI scribe for social workers?
Yes. MentalNote's free plan includes 5 scribe sessions a month, with no time limit and no credit card. Premium is $99 a month or $990 a year.
Which note format should an LCSW use?
Use the format your agency or payer asks for. DAP is compact, BIRP and GIRP show interventions and response, and SOAP suits sessions with scores. MentalNote drafts all of them from the same recording.
Does it work for LMSWs and case managers?
Yes. Any clinician who documents counseling sessions can use the therapy formats. You review and sign every note.
Will it write "denies SI" if I did not ask?
The app instructs the AI to include risk content only when it was explicitly discussed, and never to write a denial for a question that was not asked.
Is MentalNote HIPAA compliant?
MentalNote is HIPAA-compliant, with a BAA included on every plan. You accept it in the app before your first session.
Does it connect to my EHR?
Not directly. Copy or export the reviewed note into your EHR or practice management system.
Write tonight's notes in minutes
Start free: 5 scribe sessions a month, no credit card, BAA included.
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A clinician must review every AI draft. MentalNote does not give medical advice or make diagnoses. Spotted something out of date? Email support@mentalnote.ai and we will fix it.