- UNO professors built chatbots specifically designed for school counselors
- 2025 study finds more than 1 in 8 people 21 and younger use AI for mental health advice
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) – School counselors in the Omaha area are beginning to use specially designed AI chatbots to help identify causes and solutions for students dealing with mental health challenges, even as concerns about AI's impact on young people's mental health continue to grow.
Karla Sextro, a counselor at DC West Schools in Valley, said she had not used AI to assist her work with students until recently. A specially designed chatbot provided her with ideas on causes and treatments for a first-grade boy who refused to go to school.
"I'm scared to use AI," Sextro said.
The chatbot walked through details the counselor had already discussed with the student's caregiver.
"It explained a lot that we've already discussed with the caregiver," Sextro said.
More than 1 in 8 people 21 and younger use generative AI for mental health advice, according to a study published in November 2025. Most of those tools are general-use AI chatbots.
Thang Tran, a professor at the University of Nebraska Omaha, and a team developed specific chatbots designed for school counselors. One helps counselors identify possible causes and solutions for students, and the other addresses ethical concerns.
"I don't know exactly what the AI is actually saying to them for their particular situation, so that's where the consultation, supervision, and really the follow up is helpful, important and necessary," Tran said.
Tran said AI can make mistakes and that there are concerns about confidentiality. Sextro said she plans to incorporate AI more into her work but describes it as one tool among many.
"I think it's a great tool. I don't think it's what you should go to and use completely," Sextro said.
Tran said he is working on an updated version of the chatbot to address counselors' ethical questions.
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