The Center for Child Counseling is using artificial intelligence and data tools to identify childhood adversity earlier and connect Palm Beach County children and families with help before they reach a crisis, according to the agency.
The Center recently hosted HOPE Amplified, an event that drew about 100 leaders from business, government, philanthropy and community groups. Attendees saw demonstrations of technology already in use and tools still being tested.
Since 2019, the Center has worked with WebAuthor on a data dashboard that now includes information from more than 14,000 unduplicated clients. The dashboard shows where clients live in the county and the issues they face. The Center uses that mapping to guide its Mobile HOPE Unit, which takes services to neighborhoods, schools and community spaces.
The Center has also built two AI agents. HOPE Assistant is a free chatbot on the Center’s website that answers caregivers in their own language at any hour. Its answers draw on the Center’s clinical resources and its HOPE framework, which stands for Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences. E.L.I.O., short for Elevating Learning, Inspiring Outcomes, is an internal tool that gives staff access to the agency’s clinical expertise.
CEO Renée Layman said the tools are meant to reach parents who need help outside office hours. She stressed that the technology is not a replacement for clinicians or human connection.
