AI scribe for substance use counselors
Facts checked on 16 October 2026.
MentalNote is an AI scribe for substance use and addiction counselors (CADC, LADC, LCADC) in outpatient and private practice: record the session in your browser, pick DAP, BIRP, GIRP, SOAP, Progress or Intake, and get a structured draft to review in minutes, on a free plan or Premium at $99 a month, with a BAA on every plan.
You see clients back to back, and the notes wait for the evening. MentalNote listens to the session (with your client's consent), then writes the note in the format you already use. You review it, edit it and paste it into your EHR. No sales call, no IT project.
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, the free plan too. Many AI scribes offer only a time-limited trial.
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 substance use counseling
- BIRP and DAP drafts record use since the last session, cravings, coping skills used and the plan, as stated in session.
- Write custom instructions to organize notes around your program's structure, such as the ASAM dimensions. The same no-invention instructions still apply.
- Group sessions get a speaker-labeled transcript beside the draft.
- If your program is covered by 42 CFR Part 2, its records have confidentiality rules on top of HIPAA. Check with your program's privacy officer before you use any AI tool, MentalNote included.
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: BIRP notes for substance abuse counselors, DAP notes for CADCs, Progress notes for substance use disorder, Progress notes for certified peer specialists.
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: Session 6, outpatient alcohol use counseling (BIRP)
Behavior
Client reports 30 days without alcohol. Reports two strong cravings this week, both at the end of the workday. Attended 3 mutual-support meetings. States: "The drive home is the hardest part."
Intervention
Reviewed the craving log. Practiced urge surfing in session. Built a plan for the drive home: call a support contact and take a different route.
Response
Client engaged and identified two people to call. Rated confidence in using the plan 7/10.
Plan
Continue weekly individual sessions. Homework: craving log, use the drive-home plan daily, attend 3 meetings. Review the plan next session.
Risk content is not in this draft because it was not discussed in this fictional session. MentalNote is instructed never to write "denies SI" for a question you did not ask.
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 substance use counselors?
Yes. MentalNote's free plan includes 5 scribe sessions a month, with no time limit and no credit card. The BAA covers the free plan too. Premium is $99 a month or $990 a year.
Does MentalNote meet 42 CFR Part 2?
MentalNote is HIPAA-compliant, with a BAA included on every plan. Part 2 adds rules for some substance use programs; check with your program's privacy officer before you use any AI tool.
Will it add a diagnosis I did not give?
The app instructs the AI to give no diagnosis, diagnostic impression or code unless you stated it in the session. Review every draft before you sign it.
Does it work for telehealth sessions?
Yes. Record a telehealth call that runs in a browser tab, or an in-person session in the room.
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.