NEWS RELEASE
October 30, 2026
For immediate release
Media contact: Cara Scarola Hansen
Center for Child Counseling Public Relations Counsel
[email protected]
Center for Child Counseling demonstrates how technology is identifying childhood adversity earlier and helping prevent children from reaching crisis.
As artificial intelligence rapidly changes how organizations work, the Center for Child Counseling is harnessing technology to improve support for children and families in Palm Beach County.
Recently, the Center hosted HOPE Amplified, convening approximately 100 leaders from business, government, philanthropy, and community systems. Attendees saw firsthand how Center for Child Counseling is using AI, data, and technology to recognize childhood adversity earlier, strengthen prevention efforts, and connect children and families with support before challenges reach a crisis point. The event also explored how technology can help human-service organizations reach more people while preserving the human connection at the heart of their work.
“We don’t have to wait for a child to fall apart emotionally before we do something,” is a steadfast motto at the Center for Child Counseling. The agency leverages innovation, technology, and data-driven solutions in response to the escalating youth mental health crisis and barriers to treatment. Attendees experienced demonstrations of technology currently being used by the organization and new technology being tested.
Since 2019, the Center has partnered with WebAuthor to develop a Data Dashboard addressing the youth mental health crisis. The dashboard now includes data from more than 14,000 unduplicated clients served by the Center, showing where they are located within the county and the various issues they face. This geomapping drives Center for Child Counseling’s vision to better serve children and families through its Mobile HOPE Unit, which brings services directly to neighborhoods, schools, and community spaces where support is needed most.
Most recently, the Center has built two AI agents: HOPE Assistant, a free tool answering caregivers in their own language at any hour, and E.L.I.O. (Elevating Learning, Inspiring Outcomes), an internal agent putting the organization’s full clinical expertise at every staff member’s fingertips.
“One of the most powerful things we can do is make HOPE accessible, and the HOPE Assistant is one of the easiest ways to do it,” said Renée Layman, CEO of Center for Child Counseling.
The HOPE Assistant is a free, AI-powered guide available on the Center’s website. Answers from the chatbot are grounded in the Center’s A Way of Being with Children philosophy, the HOPE framework (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences), and the Center’s own clinical resources. It provides instant answers to everyday questions about children’s mental health, parenting strategies, coping skills, and the Center’s programs—any time of day.
Throughout the event, Layman and her team emphasized using AI as a bridge to support, “but it should never be viewed as a replacement for human connection.”
Stephania Linares, a mother and parent advocate, shared her story as a parent seeking help. Overnight, her life changed dramatically. Linares became a single mom raising two young children, one with special needs, while navigating grief, trauma, and the impact of parental incarceration.
Linares said, “Discovering the Center for Child Counseling was truly a breath of fresh air for my family. During an incredibly difficult season, their compassionate, family-centered approach gave us clarity, tools and, most importantly, hope. What stood out to me was that they didn’t just focus on one child or one challenge. They saw and supported our whole family. We learned that our challenges don’t exist in separate boxes, and neither should the solutions. The Center helped us feel heard, supported and, above all, no longer alone.”
While human connection is at the heart of the Center’s work, a live person is not always available 24 hours a day.
“We built these tools because somewhere, a parent needed help in a crisis at 2:00 a.m. and had no one to turn to. Now they can turn to us and get an answer grounded in our clinical practice. No waitlist. No appointment you aren’t ready for yet. Any time, anywhere,” added Layman.
As many organizations discuss AI in human services, Center for Child Counseling is trailblazing its use. While technology will never replace a clinician, it ensures that families in need know the next right step to take.
For more information on the Center for Child Counseling’s programs and services, visit centerforchildcounseling.org.
If you have a question about children’s mental health or how to support a child in your life, visit centerforchildcounseling.org/hope-assistant.
ABOUT CENTER FOR CHILD COUNSELING:
Center for Child Counseling has been building the foundation for playful, healthful, and hopeful living for children and families in Palm Beach County since 1999. The Center supports thousands of children each year, providing counseling, education, prevention, and training that help children heal from adversity, build resilience, and thrive–while strengthening the adults and systems that surround and support them every day. www.centerforchildcounseling.org Twitter: @ChildCounselPBC Facebook: @CenterforChildCounseling Instagram: @childcounselpbc
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