Collaborative Support for Mental Health Innovation
I joined a diverse, international team with the goal of building an application that would help patients track their mental health symptoms. The app featured a diary-like interface with carefully crafted questions designed in collaboration with psychology experts, making it simple and intuitive for users during vulnerable moments.
Global Team Collaboration
Our team spanned multiple time zones, with members from Guatemala, Ukraine, and the United States. Despite the geographical distances, we maintained effective communication and collaborative workflows using agile methodologies adapted for remote teams.
Technical Implementation
The application was built using:
- Frontend: React SPA with a focus on accessibility and responsive design
- Backend: NestJS providing a robust API architecture
- Database: PostgreSQL for secure data storage
- Hosting: AWS cloud infrastructure with encryption at rest and in transit
Patient Privacy & Regulatory Compliance
Working with sensitive mental health data required strict adherence to healthcare regulations. Our approach included:
- End-to-end encryption for all patient data
- HIPAA-compliant data storage and transmission protocols
- Role-based access control with multi-factor authentication
- Anonymized data processing for analytics
- Comprehensive audit logging of all system interactions
Security-First Architecture
We implemented a security-first approach through:
- Tokenized authentication with short expiration windows
- Data minimization principles to collect only necessary information
- Regular dependency audits to address potential vulnerabilities
- Encrypted backups with strict access controls
The resulting application provided a secure environment for patients while giving therapists valuable insights into symptom patterns between sessions.