How it works
A few things worth knowing before you ask.
Why does this exist?
Peer support is expanding. As it grows, we want to protect and carry forward the research, lived experience, and dedication that have gone into understanding this vital field.
That means protecting the heart of the work: trust, choice, connection, and respect for what people know about their own lives. Sidekick exists to make that knowledge easier to use in an ordinary, sometimes difficult moment on the job—while keeping the relationship between you and the young person at the center.
For more on the field: SAMHSA on expanding peer support (PDF, opens in a new tab)
Who is Sidekick for?
Adult peer support staff working with young people. It gives you a place to think through a moment, prepare for a conversation, or find words when you’re running low on them. The person building trust with a young person is still you.
What can I bring here?
A conversation that went sideways. A boundary you’re unsure how to explain. A young person who doesn’t seem interested in engaging. Tell Sidekick what’s happening without identifying anyone, and ask for what would help: a few possible next steps, something you could say, or a question worth sitting with. You can ask it to be shorter or try a different approach.
Where do the answers come from?
Sidekick gives the AI a curated collection of supplied Youth Era training material, peer support research notes, and practice guidance to draw from with each question. That collection is a starting point. It doesn’t contain every study or all of Youth Era’s training backlog, and using those references isn’t the same as training a new model.
Can I see what an answer is based on?
Yes. When an answer cites a source in the collection, open its source preview below the reply. You can see where it came from, what it covers, and any recorded limits. Some entries are notes on an abstract or selected sections, rather than a full publication. A source is a way to check an answer—not a guarantee that every suggestion fits your situation.
Why can’t I save my conversations here?
Because a useful conversation can quietly become a record of someone else’s life. We’ve chosen to leave out saved chat history so Sidekick holds onto fewer sensitive details.
Your conversation stays in the open page while you use it. Clearing it or refreshing starts fresh, and there’s no saved transcript to restore later. Opening this FAQ in a separate tab lets you keep your chat where it is.
This is a choice about how Sidekick works today. If you need to document something for your job, use your organization’s approved system and follow its guidance about what belongs in a record.
Does that mean nothing leaves my browser?
No. After the privacy filter runs, Sidekick sends the conversation to an external AI service to generate a reply. That service may retain messages and replies under its own policies, separately from Sidekick’s choice not to save chat history. We don’t promise that messages are never retained anywhere, so please leave out identifying details.
What if I type someone’s name or age?
Detected names become stand-ins, like [Alex], and detected exact ages become broad age groups before the message is sent. A second check runs on the server. You’ll see a warm, brief note when details have been changed, and you can open the privacy preview before sending.
The filter can miss details. Please leave out schools, addresses, birthdates, and anything else that could identify someone. Share enough to understand the situation, without sharing the person’s identity.
How much should I trust an answer?
Treat it as a thoughtful draft you can question, check, and adapt. AI can miss context or sound confident while getting something wrong. Your training, supervision, and approved agency procedures lead. Some policy materials in the collection are proposals; they aren’t automatically your organization’s rules.
Sidekick isn’t a therapist, a supervisor, or a crisis service. If someone is in immediate danger, follow your organization’s urgent-response process and contact appropriate emergency help. Don’t wait for a chat reply.
What’s the phone icon for?
It introduces the idea of practicing peer support conversations. Right now, the icon opens a short explanation. Live calls, assessed practice, and certificates aren’t available in this version.
If you opened this from a conversation, your chat is still in the original tab.