School districts are facing challenges in supporting the mental health of their students. To address this issue, a startup named Sonar Mental Health has developed a “wellbeing companion” known as Sonny.
As reported by the Wall Street Journal, Sonny is a chatbot that combines the capabilities of artificial intelligence with human oversight. When students send their questions to Sonny via text, the AI suggests responses, but the final messages are crafted by human staff members.
Sonar Mental Health initiated its first school partnership in January 2024. The service is now accessible to over 4,500 middle and high school students across nine districts. The conversations held through the chatbot are monitored by a team of six professionals with expertise in psychology, social work, and crisis-line support.
CEO Drew Bavir emphasized to the Journal that Sonny does not function as a therapist. The Sonar team collaborates with schools and parents to assist in finding appropriate therapists for students when necessary.
This approach has become appealing to school districts, partly due to the current shortage of counselors. According to the Education Department, 17% of high schools lack any counselors.
