Mind-Connect

MindConnect is a mental health web application that connects individuals with mental health professionals. It offers resources for stress management, direct access to licensed counselors, and a chatbot for immediate support. MindConnect is designed to provide mental health services in areas experiencing social unrest, with a focus on trauma, anxiety, and stress management.

Table of Contents

• Features
• Tech Stack
• Installation
• Usage
• API Endpoints
• Contributing
• License

Features

• Counselor Directory: Users can browse through available counselors based on their expertise.
• Appointment Booking: Users can book appointments with selected counselors.
• Chatbot Support: Offers immediate support and answers mental health-related queries via chatbot.
• Resources Section: Provides resources like stress management techniques, emergency contacts, and support groups.
• Responsive Design: Works on both desktop and mobile devices.
• Backend Integration: Connects to a Flask-based API for chatbot interactions and appointment booking.

Tech Stack

Frontend:

• HTML5: Structure of the web pages.
• CSS3: Styling of the web pages.
• JavaScript (Vanilla): Client-side functionality including chatbot and form submission.

Backend:

• Flask (Python): Provides API endpoints for chatbot functionality and appointment booking.
• Flask-CORS: Enables cross-origin requests between the frontend and backend.

Installation

Prerequisites

• Python 3.7+
• Flask
• A modern web browser

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/mindconnect.git
cd mindconnect

2. Install Backend Dependencies:

pip install flask flask-cors

3. Run the Flask Backend:

python app.py

By default, the Flask app will run at http://127.0.0.1:5500.

4. Open the index.html file in your browser:

Navigate to the frontend directory and open index.html in any browser:

cd frontend

Open index.html in a browser by double-clicking it or using a local server like Live Server in VSCode.

5. Access MindConnect:

Now, the app is accessible in your browser and connected to the Flask backend for appointment booking and chatbot interactions.

Usage

1. Browsing Counselors:

Go to the Counselors section to view a list of licensed mental health professionals. Each counselor’s expertise is outlined, and users can book an appointment by clicking on the "Book Now" button.

2. Booking an Appointment:

Click on a counselor’s "Book Now" button to fill out a form with your name, email, and preferred appointment date. This information is sent to the Flask backend, which processes the booking request.

3. Chatbot:

Use the chatbot for instant support by typing in a message. The chatbot responds based on your query using the backend Flask service.

4. Mental Health Resources:

Access the Resources section to find guides on managing stress, mental health support groups, and emergency contacts for immediate help.

API Endpoints

The Flask backend handles the following API requests:

1. /api/chat

• Method: POST
• Description: Sends user input to the backend chatbot and returns a response.
• Payload:

  {
    "message": "Your message here"
  }

• Response:

  {
    "response": "Chatbot's response message"
  }

2. /api/book-appointment

• Method: POST
• Description: Handles booking appointments with a selected counselor.
• Payload:

  {
    "counselor": "counselor-name",
    "name": "user-name",
    "email": "user-email",
    "date": "appointment-date"
  }

• Response:

  {
    "success": true,
    "message": "Appointment booked successfully!"
  }

Contributing

We welcome contributions from the community! To contribute:

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a new branch (git checkout -b feature/your-feature).
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add new feature').
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/your-feature).
5. Create a new Pull Request.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.

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This README.md provides all essential information for developers and users to understand, install, and run the MindConnect application. You can modify it as needed based on specific project changes.