County Officials Hear Proposal for New Tulsa Mental Health App

(TNS) – Rogers County commissioners heard Monday from a Tulsa company that wants to develop the use of mental health resources.

Representatives of the company, Inhouse Web Services, say it will cost about $19,850 to design, develop and launch the app. The commissioners accepted this estimate.

“I think it’s a great idea to have a collection point for all of our equipment — a one-stop shop, if you will,” said District 2 Commissioner Steve Hendrix.

District 1 Commissioner Dan DeLozier announced in September that the county will use part of the $289,000 mental health grant money to create a tool that people can use to quickly access mental health resources.

The idea was inspired by the Erie Path, a resource plan created in 2023 by the government of Erie County, New York.

Libby Pele, marketing strategist for Inhouse, said Erie Path was the first of its kind, and the Rogers County facility will be the first in Oklahoma.

First he said Oklahomans badly need a mental health resource; according to the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Oklahoma has the fifth highest rate of mental illness in the United States.

“Mental health tools have the potential to bridge those gaps,” Pele said. “Especially in remote areas or [among] people are reluctant to seek that individual treatment, it can be an important tool to reduce the stigma associated with seeking help for mental health issues, allowing people to access resources discreetly in the comfort of their families see. “

The Department of Mental Health estimates that 13,662 Rogers County residents need mental health treatment, but only 13.5% of those who need treatment actually receive it.

He previously said Inhouse would initially design the app to serve Rogers County residents only. DeLozier said he hopes the county can eventually open it up to residents of nearby counties.

“We will also build it with the idea of ​​inviting other districts of the state to be able to add this tool for their equipment,” said Pele. “So this has a lot of potential to grow over time, and it can be expanded. We’re already thinking about that big picture of what the building is going to look like.”

Brent Buchert, the company’s chief operating officer, said Inhouse will design the app to be simple. He said he plans to land users on a page with three buttons that read “Mental Health Resources,” “Disaster Resources” and “I Need Help Now.”

He said people should find what they need in the app only three times.

“Rogers County has a lot of great resources, but half of the problem that came up in the conversation is that nobody knows what to get, what to get, how to use it,” Pele said. “This provides one place to get all that information.”

He previously said that in addition to coding the main interface of the device, Inhouse will come with a logo.

He suggested calling the tool “Better Together” — a nod to Better Together in Rogers County, a group that maintains a local tool guide and has held several tool shows in Claremore.

In-house staff will also design a logo and create a color palette that will “welcome” those seeking mental health help, Pele said.

“It’s very important to have a style guide from the beginning, especially if it’s something that you’re going to be inviting other districts across the country to participate in, so that everyone has a sense of consistent and things look cohesive and consistent,” First. said.

Buchert said the district will assume full ownership of the app and its name once Inhouse is complete.

First and Buchert said Inhouse will handle testing the app, uploading it to app stores and fixing it after it’s released.

Buchert said Inhouse will develop the app in two phases that will take about eight weeks.

Inhouse Web Services is a subsidiary of Inhouse Advertising, also based in Tulsa. Hendrix said the app will only benefit people if they know about it and asked if Inhouse’s services include advertising.

Prior said Inhouse may advertise on behalf of the district, but the cost is not included in the $19,850 estimate.

District 3 Commissioner Ron Burrows said commissioners found it important to get the word out about the app.

“Good idea,” Burrows said. “But if it’s not widely sold across the county, no one will know about it. We’re talking about different ways to sell it and make sure it’s in the hands of people who need it.”

County spokeswoman Diana Dickinson said that although the commissioners approved the estimate, they have not yet formally involved Inhouse because they have not signed the contract.

© 2024 of the Claremore Daily Progress (Claremore, Okla.). It is distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.