User Registration: Allow clients and counselors to register and create accounts, including personal details and credentials.
Profile Management: Enable users to manage their profiles, including updating personal information, contact details, and preferences.
Role-Based Access: Implement role-based access control to differentiate between counselors, clients, and administrators.
Counselor and Client Matching
Counselor Search: Provide functionality for clients to search and select counselors based on specialties, availability, and ratings.
Matching Algorithm: Use algorithms to match clients with appropriate counselors based on their needs and counselor expertise.
Appointment Scheduling
Calendar Integration: Allow counselors and clients to schedule and manage appointments, integrating with personal calendars.
Availability Management: Enable counselors to set and manage their availability and appointment slots.
Reminders: Send automated reminders and notifications to both counselors and clients about upcoming appointments.
Session Management
Virtual Sessions: Facilitate secure and stable video, audio, and chat communication for online counseling sessions.
Session Recording: Provide optional recording of sessions (with consent) for future reference or review.
Session Notes: Allow counselors to take and store notes during or after sessions, accessible only to authorized users.
Communication Tools
Chat Functionality: Offer real-time text chat functionality for communication between counselors and clients.
Video/Audio Calls: Support secure video and audio calls, including screen sharing if needed.
File Sharing: Enable sharing of documents, resources, and other files during sessions.
Billing and Payments
Payment Processing: Facilitate online payment for counseling services, including handling different payment methods (e.g., credit/debit cards, digital wallets).
Invoicing: Generate and send invoices to clients, including session details, fees, and payment instructions.
Payment History: Maintain a history of payments made by clients, accessible to both clients and counselors.
Record Keeping and Documentation
Session Records: Store and manage records of counseling sessions, including notes, session logs, and other relevant documentation.
Confidentiality: Ensure that all records and communications are kept confidential and secure, adhering to privacy regulations.
Reporting and Analytics
Usage Reports: Generate reports on system usage, including appointment statistics, session frequencies, and counselor performance.
Client Progress: Track and report on client progress, including session outcomes and goal achievements.
Compliance and Security
Data Protection: Implement data protection measures to comply with regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, or other relevant standards.
Secure Communication: Use encryption for all communications and data transfers to ensure confidentiality and security.
Support and Help Desk
User Support: Provide help desk functionality for users to report issues, request assistance, and access support resources.
FAQ and Resources: Offer a knowledge base with FAQs, user guides, and troubleshooting tips.
Integration
Third-Party Tools: Integrate with third-party tools for calendar management, payment processing, and communication.
EHR Systems: Integrate with Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems for counselors who need access to client health records.
Non-Functional Requirements
Performance
Response Time: Ensure fast response times for user interactions, including session initiation, messaging, and data retrieval (e.g., under 2 seconds for most operations).
Scalability: The system should handle increasing numbers of users, sessions, and data without performance degradation.
Reliability
Uptime: Ensure high system availability with minimal downtime (e.g., 99.9% uptime).
Error Handling: Implement robust error handling and recovery mechanisms to manage system failures and ensure data integrity.
Security
Data Encryption: Encrypt sensitive data, including communications, personal details, and session records, both in transit and at rest.
Access Controls: Use secure authentication methods and role-based access control to manage user permissions and protect data.
Compliance: Ensure compliance with relevant data protection and privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA).
Usability
User Interface: Design an intuitive and user-friendly interface for scheduling, communication, and managing counseling sessions.
Accessibility: Ensure the system is accessible to users with disabilities, following accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG).
Maintainability
Code Quality: Write high-quality, well-documented code to facilitate system maintenance and updates.
Documentation: Provide comprehensive documentation for users, administrators, and developers, including user guides, technical manuals, and troubleshooting guides.
Availability
Backup and Recovery: Implement regular data backups and establish procedures for data recovery in case of system failures or data loss.
Failover: Ensure the system has failover capabilities to switch to backup systems or servers if necessary.
Portability
Cross-Platform Compatibility: Ensure the system is compatible with various devices and operating systems used by users, including desktops, tablets, and mobile devices.
Supportability
Technical Support: Provide mechanisms for obtaining technical support and resolving issues, including help desks, online resources, and customer service.
Error Reporting: Include functionality for reporting issues or bugs and tracking their resolution.
