Q&A with Ray Cheever, developer of mental health app for CAPS

Sophomore Ray Cheever is in the process of developing an app for the Counseling and Psychological Services with other students and faculty. Daily Tar Heel staff writer Tiffani Gibbs talked with Cheever about his plans for the app.

The Daily Tar Heel: How did you get involved with CAPS?

Ray Cheever: I just wanted to make it more accessible to students here. So, getting into the purpose of the app, I think it would be great to students who might not otherwise consult a mental health professional. It’s also good for people with concerns who might not require professional help, for instance things that can be talked through with friends or family members. I still think it’s good having something on their phone that constantly reminds them to take care of themselves. So how I got started, I created a pamphlet on common negative thinking styles.

DTH: Can you describe the app in depth and how it works?

RC: It’s actually going to look a lot like the Instagram app as far as the way it’s structured. As far as content, we want personal stories and testimonials of students here. That’s going to be a really big piece of it. Many students have already been getting involved with the app and they have their own unique ideas with how to contribute. There’s going to be a literature database of articles that are going to provide information about different mental illnesses, and there are also going to be self-diagnostic inventories. We are going to have daily tips and reminders that are going to pop up on someone’s phone via notifications. There’s also going to be information about how to support a distressed student.

DTH: What is your position involving the development of the app?

RC: The name of my project is the Touch Initiative and the name of the of the app will be “Touch,” we think. My role is consulting with the director of CAPS, and I am learning about what information he wants to be included in the app. I am organizing it in a way that I think will best benefit students. Other (students) within the group are programing the app. They are putting it together.

DTH: Is it already finished and open to the public?

RC: It is not finished. We hope to have it completed in about a month to two months. I think a great goal would be to have it as something incoming students can download at orientation. It will be an iPhone and Android app.

DTH: What are your hopes for this app?

RC: For people who might not otherwise consult mental health professionals, I think it would give them some resources to help them. There has just got to be some kind of benefit of having something on your phone all the time that reminds you to smile. I think the personal stories will be important because they help treat this big sense of guilt that goes along with mental disorders. I think knowing that you’re in good company on our campus and having an open discussion about these kinds of issues will make (mental disorders) a front-and-center issue.

DTH: Is there anything else you would like to say about the app?

RC: We want to publicize other sources on campus such as the (Carolina) Women’s Center and the LGBTQ Center, as well as some other student led groups like Active Minds and Rethink (Psychiatric) Illness. We would like to coordinate with them.

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