Ariella VanHara
Expert in social work Florida Gulf Coast University
- Fort Myers FL
Ariella VanHara is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Clinical Assistant Professor.
Florida Gulf Coast University
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Media
Biography
Areas of Expertise
Accomplishments
Educator of the Year Award, NASW-FL Southwest Unit
2025
GiANT Sherpa Leader, David Lawrence Center
2022
Leading the Way Leadership Award, David Lawrence Center
2017
Education
Florida Atlantic University
Doctor of Social Work (Anticipated)
School of Social Work
2027
Indiana University Indianapolis
Master of Social Work
Social Work
2016
Florida Gulf Coast University
Bachelor of Psychology
Psychology
2013
Affiliations
- National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
- Clinical Social Work Association (CSWA)
- Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
- Higher Education Case Management Association (HECMA)
- American College Health Association (ACHA)
- Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
Selected Media Appearances
Does cold weather have an impact on mood?
Gulf Coast News tv
2026-01-27
Ariella VanHara explains that cold weather disrupts routines and leads to feelings of isolation.
What's sparking road rage incidents across Florida's Gulf Coast
Gulf Coast News tv
2025-09-04
Ariella VanHara explains how drivers may be reacting to stressors in their lives.
'Take some responsibility’: Sheriff says family’s inaction factored in Sergeant Diaz’s death
FOX 4 News online
2024-12-20
Ariella VanHara speaks as a mental health professional on the effects of hallucinogens on trauma.
#DIDITAGAIN: Cape Coral TikToker steals from Target...again, police say
FOX 4 News online
2024-12-02
Ariella VanHara unpacks what could lead to kleptomaniac behavior.
Family attorney, experts speak on death of Port Charlotte mother
Gulf Coast News Now online
2024-09-16
Ariella VanHara offers advice for other families dealing with a child who has violent tendencies.
Research Focus
Mental Health and AI
Ariella’s research focuses on mental health and the exploration of artificial intelligence (AI). She has coauthored a book chapter on the utilization of artificial intelligence in training students in mental health-focused programs and an article on the unintended ramifications of AI-assisted documentation. Her research on mental health explores students' experiences of simulated auditory hallucinations and understanding student distress levels for seeking urgent clinical services. Bridging her interests together, she has also examined the relationship between emotional responses and personality constructs related to AI use.
Selected Articles
Unintended ramifications of AI-assisted documentation: Navigating pragmatic & ethical clinical social work workload challenges
Journal of Evidence-Based Social WorkVanHara & Hage
2025-10-08
Mental health professionals are often challenged with limited resources and high caseload volumes to support the demand for mental health services. A lack of available qualified providers contributes to waitlists for these vital services. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (Citation2024), the current data suggests that as of 2022, for every 350 people in the United States, there is only one mental healthcare provider available, resulting in a shortage of behavioral health providers. AI-assisted documentation has become an increasingly popular resource used to decrease the demands of traditional documentation burden (Batkhina, Citation2025). A recent survey found that 27% of clinicians used AI for documentation support; however, they were less inclined to use AI for diagnosis support or data analysis (American Psychological Association, Citation2024). A notable gap remains in the current clinical social work literature specifically regarding the extent and impact of AI documentation adoption. A recent systematic review exploring artificial intelligence integration in social work emphasizes an important gap in the scientific literature. There is a major lack of empirical research concerning the integration of AI technologies in clinical social work practice, that highlight both the scarcity of studies, and the necessity for researchers to further explore how AI technologies influence the efficacy and experiences of clinical social work practice (Garkisch & Goldkind, Citation2024).
Navigating Ambiguous Loss
Social Work TodayAriella VanHara
2025-05-01
Referring patients to residential treatment centers may elicit this complex form of grief.
