“offer students somewhere to turn to that puts no extra burden on our staff... a game changer”
Students are really struggling, in a post-pandemic, social media led world. We see it everyday. Being able to offer students somewhere to turn to that puts no extra burden on our staff is a game changer.
Brian T.
School Administrator
“very differentiated from other mental health services we've seen”
Sonar has a very unique angle to prevention. An early warning system coupled with real-time support that is very differentiated from other mental health services we've seen.
Helen S.
School Administrator
“identify challenges earlier and support students outside school hours”
We are so overwhelmed and don’t have enough capacity to support all our students in a timely manner. Sonar is amazing because they act as an extension of our services, identify challenges earlier and support students outside school hours.
Marissa J.
School Counselor
Our core benefits to students include:
- Identifying potential wellbeing challenges early through private and secure review of social media and mobile activity.
- Providing personalized support from certified peer counselors who use clinical techniques like motivational interviewing (MI) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
- Offering a safe space for students to share their thoughts and feelings, and learn healthy coping strategies that will serve them throughout their lives.
Wellbeing Companions are highly vetted & certified peer counselors aged 18-28.
- Our vetting process includes multiple interviews, a live case, references, and a background check.
- We take them through a certification & training process, led by an adolescent psychiatrist. This includes instructional sessions and role shadowing.
- We also use continuous training and supervision to ensure students are receiving the highest quality support.
- Having tested peer counselors vs. therapists for our use case, we have found that peers were more effective at connecting with students and helping them cope with challenges! If we believe a therapist is required, we can help the student and their family find one.
Anything that’s on their mind, from daily stresses and annoyances to more serious challenges and mental health concerns.
We’ve seen students talk to their Wellbeing Companion about:
- Poor grades or stressful presentations
- Issues with friends or relationship problems
- Bullying at school
- Anxiety, depression, and grief
Wellbeing Companions are dedicated to building a trusted relationship with students, making it easier for them to reach out and get early support when they need it.
We have an escalation protocol that follows clinical best practices. In the event of a crisis situation, we:
- Engage with the student to support them and suggest crisis resources (e.g., 988), and
- Reach out to their emergency contact(s) with detail to enable immediate support.
Should the student stop responding, we can’t reach their emergency contact, and we believe there is imminent risk of harm to self or others, we will reach out to the emergency department.
Sonar and its Wellbeing Companions do not provide medical advice, provide medical supervision, practice medicine, engage in clinical social work, or practice mental healthcare in any way. Please contact a licensed professional to receive such services or, in an emergency, call 911.
We understand that every school has unique needs, so we work closely with schools to develop a customized implementation plan to ensure a smooth onboarding experience for students, teachers, and staff.
In general, implementation usually follows one of two methods:
- Student Self-Registration: Students sign up for Sonar during a designated onboarding session, typically during homeroom. This process usually takes around 10 minutes, and students can use their personal or school-provided devices. We will provide an onboarding guide and any necessary materials to facilitate this process.
- School-Managed Registration: We will work with your school to gather the necessary information and create Sonar accounts on behalf of students. This method can help streamline the registration process and ensure every student has access. We will provide clear instructions on how students can activate their accounts.
For further information or to discuss your school's specific needs, get in touch with us.
