Build two purpose-specific applications
School staff and provider organizations received independent applications and administration workflows rather than one generic interface with every function exposed to every role.
Media, Communications and Telehealth
SchoolBridge - School-Based Telepsychiatry Platform
A purpose-built school telepsychiatry platform with independent school/provider applications, custom WebRTC, P2P/TURN, scheduling, referral workflows, whiteboard, screen sharing, local recording, and remote device control.
School telepsychiatryDual application platformWebRTCCollaborationResilient sessions
The system
SchoolBridge consists of two independent applications: one for school staff and one for the telepsychiatry/provider organization. Each application has its own administration interface, users, and workflows, while a custom WebRTC communications system connects the student, therapist, and participating school counselor or nurse during a live session.
The school application manages student and referral creation, parent or guardian information, waiting-room and preparation workflows, counselor/nurse participation, the therapist/student session, and follow-up. Parent or guardian information belongs to the case workflow; this page does not imply guardian participation in the live video session.
The provider application manages therapist scheduling, student/referral records, student history, notes, follow-up, therapist administration, and session management. These are purpose-built telepsychiatry workflows and are not presented as a certified electronic health record.
Engineering relationship
Approximately 10 engineers built and delivered the platform across an approximately one-year program. OPTIME engineered the Electron desktop applications, React interfaces, TypeScript/Node.js logic and services, custom WebRTC media path, collaboration tools, recording/composition functions, and school/provider workflow integration.
The system was built for school telepsychiatry rather than adapted from a generic meeting application. Its real-time architecture had to accommodate school connectivity constraints, participant roles, collaborative session tools, local recording, and reduced dependency on central infrastructure during an active session.
Engineering constraints
- Maintain distinct school and provider applications, administration boundaries, and operational workflows.
- Connect the verified live participants-student, therapist, and school counselor or nurse-through custom real-time communications.
- Establish direct P2P media where possible and use TURN when restrictive network conditions prevent direct connectivity.
- Support screen sharing, collaborative whiteboard, and authorized remote device control inside the session workflow.
- Record participant media locally and create a composed session output without disclosing storage formats or retention policy.
- Allow a live communications session to continue without continuous dependency on the centralized database.
- Handle student, referral, guardian-information, scheduling, history, notes, and follow-up data without presenting the platform as an EHR or making compliance claims.
What OPTIME engineered
- Independent Electron applications for the school and telepsychiatry/provider environments.
- React user interfaces and separate administration experiences for school and provider workflows.
- TypeScript application and communications logic plus Node.js application/backend services.
- Custom WebRTC communications using P2P media where possible and TURN when direct connectivity is unavailable.
- School-side student/referral creation, parent or guardian information, waiting room, session preparation, counselor/nurse participation, and follow-up.
- Provider-side therapist scheduling, student/referral management, student history, notes, follow-up, therapist administration, and session management.
- Real-time screen sharing, collaborative whiteboard, and authorized remote device control.
- Local participant recording and a video composer producing a composed session recording.
- A session architecture that avoids continuous dependency on the centralized database while a live call is in progress.
- Completed system integration, delivery, and validation across the two applications and real-time communications layer.
Architecture
School application
An independent Electron/React application manages students, referrals, guardian information, waiting-room preparation, counselor/nurse workflows, and follow-up.
Provider application
A separate Electron/React application manages therapists, scheduling, referrals, history, notes, follow-up, administration, and sessions.
Session establishment
TypeScript and Node.js application services coordinate the authorized student, therapist, and school counselor/nurse session.
P2P or TURN connectivity
WebRTC uses a direct peer media path where possible and TURN when school or provider network conditions prevent direct connectivity.
Shared real-time workspace
Video/audio, screen sharing, whiteboard, and remote device control support the purpose-built telepsychiatry interaction.
Local participant recording
Participant media is recorded locally without disclosing customer-specific format or retention details.
Video composition
Recorded participant media enters a composer that produces the requested composed session output.
Central administration and data
Central services support administration, scheduling, referral data, history, notes, and follow-up across both applications.
Resilient active session
The live communications path does not require continuous centralized-database access, reducing disruption when connectivity to central services varies.
Key engineering decisions
Use P2P first with TURN fallback
Direct peer media supports suitable sessions, while TURN provides connectivity when restrictive school or provider networks prevent a direct path.
Reduce active-session database dependency
The communications architecture allows a live session to continue without continuous access to the centralized database. This resilience applies to the active communications path rather than every application function.
Keep recording and composition local to the workflow
Participant media can be recorded locally and then combined by a video composer into the requested session layout without claiming a specific storage format or retention policy.
Delivered platform
The completed system combined two application environments, their separate administration and workflow needs, and a shared real-time communications layer. Screen sharing, whiteboard, remote device control, recording, and composition were integrated as telepsychiatry functions rather than generic meeting add-ons.
Verified capability
OPTIME completed and delivered the platform. It supports school referral and preparation workflows, provider scheduling and documentation workflows, verified student/therapist/counselor-or-nurse sessions, P2P/TURN communications, collaboration tools, local recording, and composed session output.
Verified result
The engineering program produced a delivered school telepsychiatry platform. No claims are made about current school count, therapist count, production scale, clinical use, certification, or healthcare/education compliance.
Technology & Engineering Role
- Electron
- Desktop runtime for the school and telepsychiatry/provider applications.
- React
- User interfaces and independent administrative workflows.
- TypeScript
- Application and communications logic.
- Node.js
- Application and backend services.
- WebRTC
- Real-time therapist/student/counselor-or-nurse communications.
- P2P
- Direct media path where network conditions allow.
- TURN
- Connectivity when direct P2P communication cannot be established.
- Local recording
- Preservation of participant session media.
- Video composer
- Creation of the requested composed session recording.
- Screen sharing
- Real-time sharing of session content.
- Whiteboard
- Collaborative visual workspace within the session.
- Remote device control
- Authorized interaction with school-side equipment.