"Reach Out," an app intended to promote mental health among students, has been customized for use by 13 additional colleges and universities. Usage rates are growing suggesting an increased need for mental health services for students coping with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Originally launched in 2016, "Reach Out" was envisioned as a peer to peer app that would allow students to reach out and help each other. The app evolved into a tool for school administrators to help students gain access to mental health resources. Conceived of by a staff member and developed by former Lakeland students, "Reach Out" has grown through funding from state level grants in the years leading up to the pandemic. With the arrival of COVID-19 the app has seen an increase in downloads from all of the colleges and universities that use it. Lakeland Community College is in the process of customizing the app for even more schools.
LCC released an update regarding "Reach Out" in January, where it provided details about the app's origins, and its future. The creation of the app was led by Dr. Ken Browner, campus psychologist at Lakeland Community College. Dr. Browner described the benefits provided, "I like to say that the app is for suicide prevention and mental health promotion. It is designed to connect people with potentially life-saving resources and information and to provide guidance to anyone who may be concerned about a friend or loved one."
Dr. Browner took the concept to colleague Joe Kozlevcar, professor of information technology and computer science to people who would want to work on development. Kozlevcar recruited a couple of former students, Jason Osher and Brian Eaton, to develop the app. Osher continues to work on customizing the app for other schools. The project received its original funding from The Lakeland Foundation, along with other grants from state agencies. After the initial launch, the app project grew through a partnership with Ohio Sucide Prevention Foundation, which provided LCC with additional funding.
Statistics provided by LCC show that the app has been downloaded a total of 1,333 times by Lakeland students and 6,143 times for all participating colleges. The college also reports that app activity increased at a higher rate since the start of the pandemic, implying a growing need for mental health resources. Lakeland Community College reports that it is currently working on three customizations and continues to contract with other colleges.