This is the active research pilot for He@lio, our youth mental-health platform.
Explore He@lioProgram Overview
A six-month collaborative research program with University of Washington Master of Science in Information Management (MSIM) students as part of their Capstone project. Each phase focuses on a distinct dimension of responsible AI deployment in mental health contexts — building toward a comprehensive evaluation of He@lio's effectiveness, safety, and ethical posture.
6
Research Phases
6
Months Duration
UW
MSIM Capstone 2026
MSIM Capstone Researchers
University of Washington
Amber Lee · Casey Frizzell · Jaspreet Bhamipuri · Ko-Ching Lu · Rebecca Ko · Saba Ziadlou · Tim Joo · Trudy Xia · Veronica Lee
Project Sponsors
Compassion8Innovation
Joydeep Hazra · Brian Ho
Supported by: Amazon · Bellevue School District
Phase Tracker
Program Phases
January – June 2026 · 6 Phases
Study of Mental Health Topics
Teams received AI fundamentals training from Google experts and conducted in-depth research into mental health topics affecting teens. The goal was to ground the research in real-world youth mental health challenges before engaging with He@lio's AI system.
Do No Harm
Establishing safety guardrails to ensure He@lio does not suggest, imply, or reinforce harmful behaviours. This phase evaluates the chatbot's responses across high-risk mental health scenarios including crisis situations, self-harm language, and harmful coping suggestions.
From Testing to Building
With a safer AI foundation in place, the teams shifted from safety evaluation to product strategy. He@lio's core algorithm underwent a refresh and a new round of testing to ensure it continues to meet safety standards before reaching any user.
Strategy Meets Story
Building on March's product proposals, the teams continued refining He@lio's product strategy while extending research into human-centered design principles. That work culminated in startup pitch decks and drafted investor narratives, translating months of research into a compelling product vision.
Topic to be announced
Final Outcomes & Recommendations
Phase 1 — Study of Mental Health Topics
Teams received AI fundamentals training from Google experts and conducted in-depth research into mental health topics affecting teens. The goal was to ground the research in real-world youth mental health challenges before engaging with He@lio's AI system.
- Received hands-on AI fundamentals training from Google experts, including prompt engineering best practices for large language models (LLMs).
- Conducted extensive research into teen mental health topics including depression, anxiety, bullying, eating disorders, and substance use.
- Studied how to craft effective prompts to generate reliable, safe, and useful AI responses in a mental health context.
- Combined AI training with mental health research to begin preparing He@lio to recommend content that is safe, evidence-informed, and appropriate for students.
Phase 2 — Do No Harm
Establishing safety guardrails to ensure He@lio does not suggest, imply, or reinforce harmful behaviours. This phase evaluates the chatbot's responses across high-risk mental health scenarios including crisis situations, self-harm language, and harmful coping suggestions.
- Reviewed He@lio's response corpus against established mental health safety frameworks including Safe Messaging Guidelines (AFSP) and Crisis Text Line protocols.
- Identified and flagged response patterns that could inadvertently minimise distress signals or provide ambiguous guidance in crisis contexts.
- Began iterative prompt and guardrail refinement in collaboration with the Compassion8Innovation team to harden response safety.
Phase 3 — From Testing to Building
With a safer AI foundation in place, the teams shifted from safety evaluation to product strategy. He@lio's core algorithm underwent a refresh and a new round of testing to ensure it continues to meet safety standards before reaching any user.
- Conducted structured market research to map the existing mental health tool landscape, identifying where He@lio has the opportunity to lead.
- Completed product management training to build shared fluency around users, roadmaps, and outcomes.
- Each researcher developed and presented an individual product proposal, marking a shift from prompt-testing to product strategy.
Phase 4 — Strategy Meets Story
Building on March's product proposals, the teams continued refining He@lio's product strategy while extending research into human-centered design principles. That work culminated in startup pitch decks and drafted investor narratives, translating months of research into a compelling product vision.
- Began preparing the final Capstone report for the University of Washington.
- He@lio received another backend update, with continued refinements to improve overall stability.
This is a living document — updated as each phase of the pilot program progresses.
A final outcomes report with recommendations will be published upon program completion in June 2026.
Want to discuss this work?
Connect with the program leads on LinkedIn.
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