openCHS

Appearance

Helpline Case Management System - Getting Started ​

The openCHS Helpline Case Management System is a comprehensive platform designed for child protection helplines and call centers. It combines web-based case management with AI-assisted services to improve response efficiency, case quality, and decision-making.

This guide walks you through setting up and accessing the system, from prerequisites to deployment.

Key Features ​

  • Case Management: Create, update, and track cases with detailed narratives, categorization, and status updates.
  • Client & Contact Management: Maintain records for clients, reporters, and perpetrators.
  • Multi-channel Communication: Handle calls (VoIP), SMS, and other message sources.
  • User Roles & Permissions: Agent, Supervisor, and Admin roles with specific access rights.
  • Dashboard & Reporting: Real-time and historical data visualization for calls, case loads, and agent performance.
  • Call Center Operations: Monitor agents, calls, and queue statuses.
  • Authentication: Secure OTP-based login.
  • File Attachments: Attach documents or media to cases.
  • AI Integration: Optional AI modules for transcription, translation, entity extraction, classification, summarization, and actionable insights.

Technology Stack ​

  • Backend: PHP (custom REST API)
  • Frontend: PHP, HTML, CSS, JavaScript
  • Database: MySQL 8.0
  • Web Server: Nginx
  • Containerization: Docker & Docker Compose
  • AI Services: Python, FastAPI, Celery, PyTorch, Whisper, spaCy, Transformers

Prerequisites ​

  • Docker
  • Docker Compose
  • Optional GPU for AI acceleration (for transcription, translation, and NLP processing)

Installation & Setup ​

1. Clone the repository ​

bash
git clone <repository-url>
cd helplinev1

2. Configure Environment ​

Copy the environment template and edit settings as needed:

bash
cp .env.example .env
nano .env

Configure database credentials, AI service URLs, and resource limits.

3. Start the Services ​

Run the following command to build and start all containers:

bash
docker-compose up -d

This will start:

  • Nginx web server
  • PHP-FPM backend
  • MySQL database (initialized with required schema)
  • Optional AI pipeline containers if enabled

4. Access the Application ​

Open your browser and navigate to:

Log in with the default admin credentials (update on first login).

Project Structure ​

/
├── application/        # Frontend (PHP, JS, CSS)
├── rest_api/           # Backend API (PHP)
│   ├── api/            # Endpoint logic
│   ├── lib/            # Core libraries (rest.php, session.php)
│   └── config/         # Database schemas & configuration
├── docker/             # Dockerfiles and service configs
│   ├── mysql/
│   ├── nginx/
│   └── php/
├── ai_service/         # AI pipeline (optional, FastAPI + Celery)
└── docker-compose.yml  # Orchestrates all containers

Integrating AI Services ​

If AI services are enabled, the system automatically connects to the openCHS AI pipeline to provide:

  • Real-time transcription and translation
  • Named Entity Extraction
  • Case Classification and Risk Scoring
  • Summarization of call narratives
  • Data-driven insights for dashboards and reporting

AI services can be deployed in separate containers or on a GPU-enabled server for performance.

API Documentation ​

The backend REST API provides full access to case data and system functions.

Next Steps:

  • Configure user roles and permissions
  • Connect AI services if needed
  • Start logging calls and creating cases
  • Explore dashboards and reporting for actionable insights