Akron Children’s partners with Sonar Mental Health to bring 24/7 text-based wellbeing coaching to adolescents
06-24-2026 (Ohio)
Akron Children’s is partnering with Sonar Mental Health to offer its patients access to 24/7 chat-based well-being support, combining real human connection from trained well-being coaches with AI tools that help them deliver timely, consistent support to more young people.
The partnership marks Sonar's first relationship with a children's hospital, and a significant next step in Akron Children's nationally recognized effort to integrate behavioral health into pediatric primary care. Akron Children's TABBICAT® model (Triage, Assessment, Brief Behavioral Interventions, Care Coordination, Tracking) has already transformed how the health system delivers behavioral health care by improving referral rates and access to behavioral health services. Sonar will complement this model by helping extend support beyond the clinical visit.
Starting in mid-June, five of Akron Children’s primary care practices will be able to recommend Sonar to patients ages 13 and older, with plans to expand availability to patients across the entire system. The platform is most often recommended for youth experiencing mild to moderate stress, anxiety or sadness, as well as those who may not yet feel comfortable seeking help from a clinician. Topics such as academic stress, social conflicts, dating and break-ups, bullying and peer pressure, anxiety, depression and grief are commonly addressed.
“We are excited to partner with Sonar because the platform combines trained well-being coaches with a structured, clinically informed oversight, quality assurance and escalation model,” says Dr. Eva Szigethy, Lois C. Orr Chair of Pediatric Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Akron Children’s. “AI operates in the background to help support coach consistency, safety, quality and care coordination. A human is always communicating with the user. Patients do not interact with AI.”
"Akron Children's has built one of the most thoughtful, results-driven models for integrated pediatric behavioral health in the country," said Drew Barvir, CEO of Sonar Mental Health. "Our data shows 77% of Sonar conversations happen late at night or early in the morning, exactly the hours outside the reach of even strong clinical models. Serving as the digital layer within TABBICAT® means we can extend what Akron Children's has built into those critical in-between moments, so young people always have somewhere to turn.”
Dr. Szigethy says Akron Children’s providers may recommend Sonar as a supplement to therapy, as support after hours and between appointments, and for youth who may benefit from support but do not require specialty behavioral health care.
“Young people are comfortable communicating through texting,” she said. “While not therapy, the well-being coaches can be there in-the-moment to provide positive reinforcement or reinforce mindfulness skills.”
If there are signs that a teen using the platform is in crisis, Sonar will follow jointly defined safety and escalation protocols established with Akron Children’s to intervene quickly to ensure the teen receives additional behavioral health support.
Akron Children’s and Sonar plan to implement a research study in the coming months to assess Sonar’s role and impact within Akron Children’s TABBICAT® model.
Watch Akron Children’s clinicians discuss Sonar here: Sonar mental health support: A message for parents
About Sonar Mental Health
Sonar Mental Health (“Sonar”) helps health systems, pediatric care organizations, schools, and community behavioral health providers strengthen and scale youth behavioral health support. Sonar provides 24/7 chat-based well-being coaching, triage, escalation, and care navigation for young people, helping close the gap between when a need is identified and when care is received. Every conversation is led by a trained well-being coach. AI is used behind the scenes to support coach workflows, consistency, documentation, personalization, and risk flagging. Users do not interact directly with AI. Sonar is designed to complement, not replace, therapy, licensed clinical care, or emergency services. By extending support beyond scheduled visits, school hours, and traditional care settings, Sonar helps partners keep youth supported, visible, and connected to the right care pathways. Sonar is available to more than 25,000 young people across the US. Learn more at sonarmentalhealth.com.
Akron Children’s is an independent, nonprofit pediatric health care system that has been caring for children since 1890. With two hospital campuses, seven regional health centers and more than 50 primary and specialty care locations throughout Ohio, it is the only health care system in northeast Ohio fully dedicated to pediatric care. Its vast network of Akron Children’s Pediatrics offices offers convenient access to expert pediatric primary care for patients from infancy through young adulthood. From School-Based Health Care to Quick Care Online virtual visits and Akron Children’s Anywhere app, Akron Children’s makes it easy for today’s busy families to find the high-quality care they need. In 2024, the health care system provided nearly 1.5 million patient encounters and employed more than 7,300 employees. Learn more at akronchildrens.org.
