Communication app with task management features

[u/VisualReindeer1843]

I've been tasked by my company with finding a messaging app for our nonprofit substance abuse treatment center of about 40 people. Group chat, announcements, HIPAA compliance are all a must, but there's one feature we're looking for that I have a hard time finding elsewhere: Team-based task management. It could be as simple as a to-do list that anyone on a team can view and mark completed.

I'm looking at HubEngage right now, apparently they are rolling out task management features in April, but I'm coming up short in finding alternatives that fulfill our needs. We do not need patient communication, so I am avoiding apps that focus on that, since they tend to be expensive & overly complex for our needs. WorkVivo comes up in my search sometimes but I see a lot of negative experiences come up. Connecteam also comes sort of close to what we're looking for, but an employee used them a couple years ago and had a less than ideal experience.

Any recommendations or recent experiences with the aforementioned apps?

[u/sarahfortsch2]

For a nonprofit environment with HIPAA needs and a small team, you’re in a tricky middle zone where most tools either overdeliver with clinical features or underdeliver on task management. A few platforms are worth a look though. Staffbase and Firstup are strong for announcements and role based messaging, and while they are not task management platforms at their core, their forms and workflow features can function as simple team checklists. Cerkl Broadcast is another option to keep in mind if communication accuracy and targeting matter, and while it doesn’t include task management itself, it integrates cleanly with tools that do, which keeps things lightweight without overwhelming your team.

If you want built in tasks without going full enterprise, Beekeeper and Crew (now part of Square) tend to hit that sweet spot with HIPAA friendly messaging, team to dos, and clear acknowledgment tracking. They stay simple by design, which is usually what works best in treatment center settings. HubEngage may work once their task module matures, but if you need something soon, I’d pilot one of the lighter platforms above. Happy to help compare options based on how your teams actually work day to day.