Sonar Mental Health has introduced a chatbot named Sonny, designed to support students' mental health by combining AI technology and human expertise. With a partnership established in January 2024, Sonny is now available to over 4,500 middle and high school students across nine districts. The chatbot interacts with students through text, suggesting responses while being monitored by trained professionals. CEO Drew Bavir clarifies that Sonny is not a substitute for a therapist but serves as a referral tool, addressing the critical shortage of school counselors impacting student support.
Sonny is a chatbot that combines human expertise and AI to provide mental health support, addressing the shortage of counselors in schools.
With 4,500 students across nine districts, Sonar Mental Health aims to support students by providing a 'wellbeing companion' chatbot.
CEO Drew Bavir emphasized that Sonny is not a therapist but a tool to guide students to appropriate mental health resources.
The initiative comes in response to a significant lack of counselors, with the Education Department reporting 17% of high schools lacking adequate staff.
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