Not long ago, the leadership team at Hillsides—a century-old behavioral health nonprofit in Los Angeles—found themselves grappling with 25 vacant clinical positions and a direct care staff running on empty.
Documentation was falling days—sometimes even weeks—behind, morale was low, and any new initiative, no matter how promising, elicited fatigue and skepticism. Clearly, something wasn’t working, and it was time to try something different.
“At that time, we had extreme burnout across all of our mental health providers,” recalled Correnda Perkins, LCSW, Chief Program Officer at Hillsides.
In a recent episode of No Notes, Perkins told host Dr. Denny Morrison how her team went from viewing AI as “one more thing” to seeing it as a beneficial tool that gave them time back, improved their notes, and even showed up in client satisfaction surveys.
Their conversation covered:
- What it took to introduce this new technology without making burnout worse,
- How to get buy-in from a mix of tech-averse and tech-savvy staff, and
- Why protecting your “why” matters when efficiency gains tempt other organizational leaders to ramp up expectations.
Want to hear the full conversation? Listen to the podcast episode here.
The Shift from Burnout to Buy-In
The first time Hillsides mentioned AI to staff, it wasn’t met with applause. Perkins said the initiative caused “all kinds” of negative reactions—concerns about job loss, groans about learning yet another system, and frustration at the idea of leadership adding to their already-full plates.
But instead of just pushing ahead, leadership slowed things down. After making sure everyone on the executive team understood the end goal, they built a pilot group of 50 staff members who represented just about every perspective they could think of, from tech-savvy to tech-averse. They also included a wide range of roles—such as clinicians, paraprofessionals, and supervisors—and levels of documentation performance (i.e., staff who excelled at creating and submitting timely and compliant notes, and staff who struggled to keep up with administrative demands).
“We figured if everyone in that room could get on board, then we could get anyone on board with this,” Perkins explained.
During that first year, participation remained optional for the rest of the staff. Providers were allowed to opt in when they were ready, which helped shift the tone from “here’s one more thing you have to do” to one of genuine curiosity.
Keeping the rollout smooth was just as important as building buy-in. Because Eleos embeds directly into the EHR, there were no extra logins or disruption to the way telehealth and in-person sessions were run. Staff could start a session by either letting a bot into Zoom call or pressing a single button. That ease of use quickly turned skeptics into regular users.
“Eleos just made it seamless,” Perkins said. “It was like another part of our EHR.”
Better Notes, Better Presence, Better Outcomes
The change in documentation time alone was dramatic. Before AI, it took staff five to seven days to turn in notes. Now, they submit them, on average, within 24 hours—well ahead of the 48-hour requirement. And the notes themselves are stronger.
“Using Eleos, the notes are much more robust,” Perkins said, adding that documentation is more varied, more reflective of what actually happened in the session, and more likely to include evidence-based practices that might otherwise go undocumented.
“Sometimes [therapists] go back and review the note and say, ‘I can’t believe I did all of this in the session,’” Perkins shared.
The impact of Eleos showed up outside of the EHR, too. In a recent quarterly survey, user satisfaction hit 100%. Staff were so eager to be included in training that during one of the early cohorts, “they all clapped” when their names were called. Clients noticed changes, too. Multiple comments on client satisfaction surveys mentioned that their therapists were more present, listening instead of typing.
“We have had staff tell us they feel like they are more present for their clients,” Perkins said. “It’s 100% noticeable to our clients.”
Productivity also improved, with more staff meeting or exceeding targets. But Perkins pushed back on using that extra capacity to increase quotas. “The purpose was to give time back to our staff,” she said. When finance floated the idea of raising productivity expectations, she reminded them why they started: to address burnout, not to squeeze in more sessions. “If you remember all of that, it should be an easy battle to push back on increasing productivity,” Perkins explained.
Impact Beyond Productivity
Some of the biggest shifts at Hillsides haven’t shown up in the usual metrics. During exit interviews, several departing staff disclosed that they hesitated to leave because their new employer didn’t have Eleos. The tool has also become a recruitment talking point, appearing in job postings and sparking interest from candidates who’ve heard of it elsewhere.
Internally, adoption rates got a boost from peer support. Perkins’ team hosted lunches where “super users” sat down with colleagues who rarely opened the tool. In one case, a reluctant user admitted they just couldn’t figure it out. A co-worker walked them through it on the spot, and within months that same person was wondering why they hadn’t started using Eleos sooner.
Language access has been another win. About 70% of Hillsides’ sessions are with monolingual Spanish-speaking clients, so translation was a must-have. During the pilot, staff surfaced this need, and within a year Eleos rolled out automated Spanish transcription and translation—later adding even more languages.
“Eleos has been willing to hear us out, and in almost everything, they’ve delivered,” Perkins said.
These changes may not fit neatly into an ROI spreadsheet, but they’ve helped make Hillsides a place where clinicians work more effectively, stay longer, and serve clients better.
Leadership Lessons for AI Adoption
Two years after rolling out AI at Hillsides, Perkins has a clear sense of what made it work—and what other organizations should keep in mind if they’re looking to achieve similar results. Her advice is both practical and cultural, because success came as much from how they introduced the tool as it did from the technology itself.
- Don’t be afraid of AI. In behavioral health, technology can support providers, but it can’t replace the human relationships at the center of care.
- Do your homework. Choose a system that integrates with what you already use, so it feels like part of the workflow instead of an add-on.
- Roll it out slowly and strategically. Avoid blanket, non-negotiable mandates. Give staff a choice in when they start, and let early adopters prove the benefits to those who are reluctant.
- Use peer influence. Encourage “super users” to coach colleagues who are hesitant or unsure. A recommendation from a trusted peer can be more convincing than a directive from leadership.
- Protect your “why.” If the goal is to reduce burnout, make sure efficiency gains don’t turn into higher quotas. Remember the purpose you identified at the beginning.
AI hasn’t completely erased staff challenges at Hillsides, but it has given them time back, improved the quality of their documentation, and created more space for them to be present with clients. The results show up in faster notes, stronger compliance, less burnout, and better client experiences.
Want to see how Eleos can help your clinicians reclaim their time and reduce burnout? Request a personalized demo today.
