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Frequently asked questions
What is Alongside?
Alongside is a digital platform that provides self-guided wellness tools to help navigate everyday challenges and build resilience. Modules are delivered via a chatbot that tailors content to the specific student’s preferences, concerns, reading level, and language. Students can also engage in journaling, watch educational videos, track healthy habits, identify emotional states, and give anonymous support (high fives) to other students. Alongside is not therapy.
Who is Alongside for?
Alongside is designed to support students in grades 4-12. Alongside for Educators is a self-help platform for all faculty and staff working in education.
How do students use Alongside?
Students and staff log in via Clever or their school issued email address to access Alongside on any modern browser, with the additional option to download it as an app on iOS and Android devices.
Does Alongside provide licensed medical care or therapy?
No. Alongside is a self-help educational platform and should never be used by students or staff as any form of therapy, medical advice, or treatment of any kind. Alongside offers universal mental health screening as an optional add-on to its self-guided wellness platform. Screening does not provide a diagnosis, and Alongside never provides clinical diagnoses. If any questions or concerns related to physical or behavioral health arise during the use of Alongside, ALWAYS seek the advice of a licensed health care provider or other qualified health care professional. Alongside is not a crisis service and directs students and staff to contact 988 or 911.
Will Alongside replace school counselors and other student support staff?
No. There will always be a need for school counselors and other student support staff, and there is no replacement for human connection. Alongside provides additional support as a Tier 1 resource available to students 24/7 to help with everyday challenges.
How is AI (artificial intelligence) used in Alongside?
Alongside uses generative AI to personalize evidence-based skill-building chats within a system of strict safety guardrails. Licensed psychologists create the content and AI personalizes delivery, ensuring every chat-driven skill module is reliable, safe, and grounded in clinical expertise.
Alongside does not use AI for the following:
- AI is not used in universal screening, we only use pre-written validated measures.
- AI is not used to assess severity of crisis issues -- as soon as a severe issue is detected, Alongside follows a pre-written safety protocol.
Can Alongside detect if a student is in crisis?
All free text input is monitored for a student mentioning self-harm, suicidal ideation, homicidal ideation, abuse, bullying, and harassment. Once a student's input is flagged for a severe issue, we follow a standardized safety protocol.