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Alongside

What Alongside is
Alongside is a wellness platform for K–12 schools, with self-guided tools for students in grades 4–12 and a separate self-help platform for educators and school staff. Students can confidentially chat about challenges at any time and receive clinically informed techniques based on CBT, DBT, ACT, and mindfulness. They can also track moods, set goals, journal, watch mindfulness and social-skills videos, and complete personalized exercises. The platform says its support covers more than 50 common concerns, including friendships, self-esteem, and anxiety.
Schools can add universal mental health screening and social-emotional competency assessments. School and district dashboards show usage and the concerns causing students the most distress. For detected suicidal ideation risk, Alongside describes a process involving the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale, connection to 988, notification of school or district personnel, and safety planning. It says AI is not used for universal screening or crisis severity assessment; severe issues trigger a pre-written safety protocol. Alongside is an educational self-help service, not therapy, treatment, medical advice, or a crisis service, and its screening does not diagnose. Access is available through a browser, iOS, or Android. The service is paid, with some offers providing a trial of up to seven days.
Who it suits
Alongside suits schools seeking self-guided wellness tools for students in grades 4–12 and self-help resources for educators. Its coaching chats, student activities, optional screening, and school dashboards are relevant to school and district communities.
What it does well
- Confidential student coaching chats are available 24/7.
- Activities include mood tracking, journaling, goals, and skill-building exercises.
- Support covers more than 50 common concerns.
- Optional screening and school or district dashboards are available.
- Browser, iOS, and Android access is supported.
What to know first
- There is no free plan.
- The service is not therapy, treatment, medical advice, or a crisis service.
- A free trial of up to seven days may be offered only in some cases.
- Screening does not provide a diagnosis.
Limits
There is no free plan. Some offers may include a free trial of up to seven days; screening does not diagnose, and the service is not therapy or a crisis service.
Getting started
- Open the Alongside website or download the iOS or Android app.
- Sign in with Clever or a school-issued email address.
- Use the student platform for grades 4–12 or Alongside for Educators.
- Ask about a trial of up to seven days, which may be offered in some cases.
- Contact [email protected] or book a Zoom call for product questions.
Verdict
Schools looking for student self-help, coaching chats, educator resources, and optional screening should consider Alongside. Its central limitation is that it is an educational wellness platform rather than therapy or a crisis service; schools needing those services should look elsewhere.
Questions
Is Alongside free?
No. Alongside has no free plan and uses paid monthly or annual subscriptions; some offers may include a free trial of up to seven days.
Who is Alongside for?
The student platform is designed for grades 4–12. Alongside for Educators is for faculty and staff working in education.
Which platforms can I use?
Alongside is available in a modern browser and through iOS and Android apps.
How can students and staff sign in?
They can sign in with Clever or a school-issued email address.
Does Alongside provide therapy or diagnosis?
No. It describes itself as an educational self-help platform, not therapy, medical advice, treatment, or a crisis service. Screening does not provide a diagnosis.
What integrations are listed?
Possible integrated services include Google, Microsoft 365, Clever, ClassLink, and direct integrations with a SIS, portal, or product dashboard.
Facts from Alongside's own pages
- Access and sign-in
- Students and staff can access Alongside in a modern browser or through iOS and Android apps, and can sign in with Clever or a school-issued email address. · alongside.care, 7 Oct 2026
- Activities
- Students can track moods, set goals, journal, watch mindfulness and social-skills videos, and complete personalized skill-building exercises. · alongside.care, 7 Oct 2026
- AI safeguards
- Alongside says AI is not used for universal screening or to assess crisis severity; severe issues trigger a pre-written safety protocol. · alongside.care, 7 Oct 2026
- Coaching
- Students can confidentially chat about challenges 24/7 and receive clinically informed techniques drawing on CBT, DBT, ACT, and mindfulness. · alongside.care, 7 Oct 2026
- Company
- Alongside says it was founded in 2022 as a research-backed wellness platform for K–12 schools. · alongside.care, 7 Oct 2026
- Compliance claim
- Alongside states that its infrastructure is COPPA- and FERPA-compliant and that student data is not sold or used to train third-party models. · alongside.care, 7 Oct 2026
- Crisis response
- When student input is flagged for a severe issue, Alongside follows a standardized safety protocol; its described response can include notifying school personnel and providing links to 988. · alongside.care, 7 Oct 2026
- Founded
- 2022 · alongside.care, 28 Sept 2026
- Integrations
- The privacy policy lists Google, Microsoft 365, Clever, ClassLink, and direct integrations with a SIS, portal, or product dashboard as possible integrated services. · alongside.care, 7 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- Alongside is designed to support students in grades 4–12 and offers a self-help platform for education faculty and staff. · alongside.care, 7 Oct 2026
- Platforms and access
- Students and staff can use Alongside in a modern browser or download its app for iOS and Android. · alongside.care, 7 Oct 2026
- Privacy and compliance
- Alongside states that student data is never sold or used to train third-party models and that its infrastructure is COPPA/FERPA compliant. · alongside.care, 7 Oct 2026
- Product limitation
- Alongside says it is a self-help educational platform, not therapy, medical advice, treatment, or a crisis service, and that screening does not provide a diagnosis. · alongside.care, 7 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Alongside provides self-guided wellness tools and clinician-built coaching chats to help students navigate everyday challenges and build resilience; it states that it is not therapy. · alongside.care, 7 Oct 2026
- School dashboards
- School and district dashboards report usage and the issues causing students the most distress. · alongside.care, 7 Oct 2026
- Screening
- Universal mental health screeners and social-emotional competency assessments are available, and screening is described as an optional add-on. · alongside.care, 7 Oct 2026
- Screening and dashboards
- The platform offers optional universal mental health screening and school and district dashboards with usage and student concern data. · alongside.care, 7 Oct 2026
- Security and privacy
- The privacy policy says service data hosted on AWS is encrypted in transit and at rest using AES-256, and chat messages sent to Anthropic, Google Gemini, and OpenAI are sent without user identification and are not stored by those providers. · alongside.care, 7 Oct 2026
- Support
- For product questions and support, Alongside lists [email protected] and offers a Zoom call booking option. · alongside.care, 7 Oct 2026
- Topics covered
- The product page says personalized support covers more than 50 common issues, including healthy friendships, self-esteem, and anxiety. · alongside.care, 7 Oct 2026
- Trial
- The terms say a free trial of up to seven days may be offered in some cases. · alongside.care, 7 Oct 2026
- Trial and pricing
- The terms say the service is offered as prepaid monthly or annual subscriptions and that some offers may include a free trial of up to seven days; no subscription price is stated there. · alongside.care, 7 Oct 2026
- What it does
- Alongside is a research-backed wellness platform for K–12 schools that provides personalized coaching for students and educators. · alongside.care, 7 Oct 2026
- Who it serves
- The student platform is designed for grades 4–12, and Alongside for Educators is for faculty and staff working in education. · alongside.care, 7 Oct 2026
Where Alongside stands on Freedom251
- AI Mental Health Chatbots#17 of 21
