Overview
Task:
- The first and the most important task was to establish the process of distributing client requests among volunteers. But scaling up led to more tasks added to my area of responsibility:
- developing a product concept;
- organizing workflows (hypothesizing, testing, implementation, correction, formalization);
- quality management at all stages;
- assigning tasks and contributing to the development of a CRM system;
- branding:
- collecting and organizing data on the target audience;
- target audience analysis;
- market and competitor analysis;
- creating a brand platform;
- product naming;
- providing guidelines for brand identity design;
- developing complex, versatile brand and communication strategies;
- overseeing content creation.
- collecting and analyzing feedback provided by colleagues, volunteers and clients;
- implementing changes to workflows according to feedback
Terms and duration:
02.2022 ‒ 08.2022
Links to the Center’s resources:
Target audience
The largest segment of our target audience was people aged 20-25: it was 35% of all requests. It was also important to keep the attention of teenagers and people aged 26-35 (17% and 31% of all requests respectively).
Our clients’ Point A is a state of emotional vulnerability, shock and fear caused by the stressful events happening around them. They feel lonely, they don’t know if they can be heard and understood. They are unsure how to proceed, to calm down and to return to normal.
Our mission is to bring clients to Point B, the more stable state of understanding their feelings and knowing how to process them. Besides mental health support, we also provide instruments and resources for self-help in case of emergencies.
Implementation
Google sheets:
The first step was creating databases of clients and volunteers in Google spreadsheets. There was 3 of them:
- the client database, containing the data from the help request form;
- the volunteer database, containing the data from the volunteer application form (later it was also used to count the number of therapy sessions each volunteer held in the last 24 hours/at all);
- the distribution spreadsheet, matching the data from these two databases.
Client-volunteer:
The next step was matching clients with the volunteers. To begin with, we split the psychologists into three categories: students, senior students and specialists.
To prevent burnout, we assigned no more than 3 requests a day to one specialist, no more than 2 to one senior student, no more than 1 to one student.
After the week of active work, we decided to add a new question to the client request form, “how urgently do you need help” — it allowed us to single out the most urgent requests and set priorities. Before that, each request had been treated as urgent.
On top of that, I put together a membership application form for both psychologist and non-psychologist volunteers, based on the NPA application form and edited to better fit our purposes.
Volunteers:
At the time I joined the project (February 24), there was an existing application form meant to collect the most basic data about volunteers, i.e., contact information.
On February 28 applications were closed, as by then our database comprised over 500 psychologists, meaning our needs were covered.
On March 6 we created a new application form for the active volunteers which included clarifying questions: preferred working hours, age groups the volunteer works with, years of experience, languages, therapeutic approaches and special skills. Besides, we added the “qualifications” section, so that the specialist could attach a photo of their diploma or provide their supervisor’s contact info.
The data about special skills were collected to prevent unnecessary request redistribution and to save time of curators, analysts and volunteers. Knowing each volunteer’s preferred working hours helped with burnout prevention and processing requests more quickly.
Analysts:
I built a team of three analysts who were tasked with request distribution. They worked during the day in shifts, 4-5 days a week. There also was one person living in another time zone, who worked night shifts.
To ensure the effectiveness of their work, guidelines were written, including:
- step-by-step instructions on working with the distribution spreadsheet;
- an algorithm for distributing and redistributing requests;
- an algorithm for distributing a request from a group of people.
The analysts chose the volunteer based on the client request: they considered preferred gender and contact method, the volunteer’s working hours and how urgent the request is. Also, they tried to pick a volunteer from a region close to the client’s location. The specialists were prioritized over the students; therapeutic approaches and special skills were considered as well.
As time went on, the algorithm was getting more and more nuanced; changes were implemented according to feedback provided by volunteers and the team, as well as to new data on volunteers.
Curators:
At the beginning of our work, the need arose for curators, who would fully take over the communication with volunteers. The implementation took 24 hours. During this time volunteers were given access to the distribution spreadsheet.
We wrote step-by-step guidelines for curators, which included:
- instructions on working with the distribution spreadsheet;
- different templates for messaging volunteers, depending on the situation – they were specified and expanded as the time went on;
- answers to the most common questions.
On March 9 the number of requests exceeded 1,000. By then, the issue of checking the quality of volunteers’ work arose. As we couldn’t collect client feedback due to confidentiality issues, the lead curator and I developed the following workflow.
After each consultation/session the volunteer provided their feedback; their curator put it in their personal spreadsheet, which could be accessed only by this curator and the lead curator. Later these feedbacks were analyzed and used for planning content and collaborations, as well as maximizing ad reach.
For convenience, we created an instruction on working with a personal spreadsheet, which was subsequently added to the guidelines for curators.
The CRM system:
By the time the number of requests exceeded 1000, the spreadsheet wasn’t able to process that amount of data anymore: it became buggy, loaded very slowly, and changes were often lost. So, I was looking for a CRM software that would satisfy our needs and allow us to implement the workflows required. To ensure that the developers fully understand our needs, I spelled out “The path of client request” and the overall algorithm for the existing workflows.
The search took us 2 weeks, and by the end of March we were able to start configuring our workflows in the CRM system.
Besides taking part in the technical processes and communicating with the developers, I handled the issue of client confidentiality and looked for ways to implement it in the CRM system. For example, we denied access to the client’s contact information to everyone but the specific analyst and curator working on the request:
- the analyst checked the contact info (sometimes there was a mistake in a client’s phone number, so we had to look for the right one);
- the curator sent the contact info to the volunteer.
We also added the separate field “feedback provided by the volunteer” to the client request workflow, and set it up so that only the volunteer’s curator and the head curator could access it. Everyone else couldn’t even view it.
Working with a large amount of data led to a fear of missing a request or forgetting to change its status. The curators and analysts were stressed, because they knew we were working with real people who needed our help and whose mental condition depended on our job being done well. So, for their convenience, an automated notification system was developed, using a Telegram bot connected to the CRM system. It freed analysts’ and curators’ time and helped them to avoid excessive stress.
Additionally, I set up the process of testing the system after each stage of development.
When the bulk of development and optimization was done, I conducted the training on using the CRM system for the analysts and curators. The team had two weeks to provide their feedback and suggestions, which were immediately analyzed. This allowed us to improve the system even more effectively. I.e., we added a way to check the client’s request history: the system searched for the client’s phone number in the request database and showed the past requests if any were found. What’s important, it didn’t interfere with the confidentiality implementation.
Branding:
To develop a brand platform, I created a survey for the team. Their answers became the basis for:
- a general description and working principles of the Center;
- naming;
- positioning (short-term and strategic goals, uniqueness, a mission, a vision, values);
- archetypes (2 client images, an image of the Center as a brand);
- identifying the target audience;
- content (ideas, 4 types of content for different target audience segments).
A brand strategy was created together with the organization co-owner. It included:
- the project’s goals and tasks;
- positioning (a mission, a vision);
- values;
- TOV;
- brand archetypes;
- target audience;
- content (post ideas, different types of content different target audience segments, tags, posting frequency).
We have also conducted a competitive analysis focused on the next attributes: do they have a website/Facebook page/Telegram channel/Telegram chat; do they provide urgent therapy sessions; if so, how urgently; are their services free of charge; if not, what is the session fee; do they accept donations; colors used, posting regularity and frequency, content categories, content types, a motto, a subscriber count.
Brand identity:
I worked on a logo, general identity and visual design, as well as templates for social media, in close cooperation with the designer. The work took about 2 weeks.
Animation:
An US-based animator proposed to create a short animation for the Center, aimed at highlighting the importance of getting timely mental health support. The video is one minute long and has a 16:9 aspect ratio, but its frame composition allows cropping it to fit 1:1 or 9:16.
My tasks included: communication, conveying our values and vision to the animator, ensuring their capture in the animation.
On the basis of the co-owner’s scenario, we developed the main character’s concept, provided visual references, established the story beats, the visuals, the color palette, the character design. Additionally, two more illustrators and one composer were involved.
The animation is expected to be completed in autumn 2022.
Content:
We created a Telegram channel and a Facebook page for in-depth communication with those who might need our help, as well as expanding the interaction funnel and building trust. The additional purpose of the channel and page was collecting feedback to improve the Center’s performance.
Together with the co-owner, we developed a content strategy and a content plan for the Telegram channel: tags, 4 types of content for different target audience segments, post ideas and frequency.
We picked a few co-workers, who had previous experience in SMM, to create a content team. One of them was responsible for communicating with the volunteer authors, creating and editing texts. She and I were also doing the planning and preparing content in advance, to avoid pauses caused by human factors and emergencies. Another person was responsible for posting and communicating in the comments. There was also a designer in charge of visual materials.
Our specialists’ experience allowed us to create quality content that was simple, concise and comprehensible to everyone.
Advertisement:
Together with the team, we searched for the bloggers who could promote the Center and communicated with them.
When choosing bloggers, we analyzed their target audience to be sure it coincides with ours. Also, we checked if the blogger could convey our values accurately. We tested different categories (lifestyle, fashion, food, travel etc.) and different audience sizes, starting with a total daily reach of 20 000 and then gradually increasing it, so as not to overburden the Center. It allowed us to estimate the numbers of both new subscribers and new requests after collaboration with each blogger. Therefore, we could keep track of which categories work better and plan our ad campaign accordingly.
Registering the organization:
The co-owners and I prepared the package of documents, including a statute. A lawyer was involved to ensure that regulations, rights of the organization, rights and duties of organization members etc. would be drawn up properly.
Results
- In the first 2 weeks of work the Center processed nearly 1000 requests for free mental health services;
- In the period from February 2022 to July 2022 the Psychological Support Center “Obiimy” provided free mental health services for nearly 2200 people;
- We put together the database of volunteer psychologists comprised of over 500 specialists, providing free help to people who found themselves in difficult situations and poor mental state because of the war;
- In two months, we created a stable CRM system with all the necessary workflows implemented. The confidentiality issue was resolved as well: no one could view the specific client’s data except the 2 people working with this client – the analyst and the curator;
- In one month, we developed a brand strategy and created a brand identity;
- We created a Telegram channel and a Facebook page to publish the content that helped people to better understand their feelings, emotions and mental states. Besides that, we posted entertainment content, such as lists of stress-relieving movies and TV shows;
- We developed a Telegram bot that provided links according to the user’s request:
- the help request form;
- the volunteer application form;
- the post-session feedback form;
- the Telegram channel with the relevant content;
- the Telegram chat;
- Over 20 bloggers promoted us on their Instagram pages and linked to our Telegram channel, including: Max Ptashnik (5K), Maria Grebenyuk (120K), Anastasia Krivitska (35K), Vika Temnova (19K) and others. The total reach of the promotion on Instagram was about 280K. We were also promoted by the Telegram channel “Перша приватна мемарня” (@privatnamemarnya) with a reach of 67K. After the promotions, nearly 500 people sent requests for free mental health services.
- During my work in the Center, nearly 700 people subscribed to the Telegram channel.
- We created a “library” of educational resources for the volunteers;
- We developed an automated notification system to prevent the curators and analysts being stressed about missing something important;
- We conducted a training together with Robota.ua;
- Together with The Educational Center of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, we held a series of online lectures about:
- techniques for self-regulation and reducing traumatic stress
- helping children who lost the motivation to study;
- coping with anxiety and stress before exams.
- Our collaboration also included Facebook posts on the topics relevant for Ukrainian citizens:
- a child’s feelings during the war;
- a child’s personal boundaries;
- helping a child to express their emotions;
- helping a teenager to stay focused when studying, while preventing conflict with them;
- 5 ways to stay yourself, remain calm and resilient despite losses and limitations;
- 5 ways to restore your child’s calm;
- preventing a child from panicking;
- traumatic memories in children and their consequences.
- We collaborated with an animator from the US who decided to join our team and create an animation highlighting the importance of getting timely mental health support.