Case study - Miricyl

Edinburgh-based charity Miricyl has been helping people access mental health resources in one place. Its website features a web app providing a range of online resources and can point you in the right direction to get help- and the Scottish Tech Army made it happen.

Thanks to the Scottish Tech Army, the app makes accessing vital mental health services more straightforward than a traditional search engine. All the user needs to do is visit the page, select one or more options relating to their personal status (e.g. under or over 18, student, parent, LGBTQ or BAME) and then choose from a list of areas they need help with, for example stress, anxiety, anger management, bereavement or wellbeing resources for young people.

Miricyl’s mission is to create a world without stigma attached to mental illness, as well as ensuring that research on infant, child, adolescent, adult and family mental health is funded securely.

Alex Conway, Miricyl CEO, was delighted with the time and effort put into the development of the web app

“It has been great, it was so much fun to work with the volunteers. Most of the people working on this project had full time jobs. They were working on the project in their spare time. During the project we were given a demonstration of software development lifecycle, and seeing as we were going digital, it has been very helpful to learn more about that. It is great to see that everything is now one click away.”

The app was designed particularly for, but not limited to, young people and parents of young people suffering from mental ill-health or who simply may need support. Caitlin Jilbert, an intern with Miricyl, believes that thanks to the app created by the Scottish Tech Army, people in need of support now have the ability to receive support much quicker than what they would have before. The app even has some organisations that may not always appear in a traditional internet search.  “It definitely makes it more accessible. Before the app was available, you had to go through different groups just to get the same answer but now there’s all different resources and everything is in the same place.”

Alex and Caitlin both thanked Mark Kiehlmann for the project management and for making it all happen.

“It was great to have so much enthusiasm from everyone involved. They were a great help. It was a learning process because they did things we didn’t expect, Mark was great as a project manager and he sorted everything out. It was like being on a free training course on how to manage a development project. The STA Miricyl team came together, sharing skills and knowledge to achieve a common goal.”