Cope Notes Expands Mental Health Support to Students
What began as a collection of sticky notes has evolved into a mental health and telehealth startup that dispatches millions of text messages to those seeking a daily dose of positive psychology. Cope Notes, a Tampa-based venture founded by musician and entrepreneur Johnny Crowder, was born from Crowder’s personal journey in navigating his own mental health challenges.
While studying psychology, Crowder began writing brief messages on sticky notes to help reframe his thoughts. He recognized the potential of messaging technology to provide new Ecological Momentary Intervention (EMI) opportunities daily for individuals in need. Today, the startup leverages SMS messages to deliver quick, curated notes focused on mental health and well-being.
“[Each message] is reviewed, edited, and approved by mental health professionals to ensure they are based on proven psychology,” Crowder told Hypepotamus. “It’s not just messages like ‘smile’ or ‘have a good day.'”
Users can access Cope Notes for $8.99 per month, with personalized gift subscriptions being a popular option. The platform’s strength lies in its provision of a unique daily message or prompt to each individual. As Crowder explained, “If I’m the only person in the universe to receive this message at this time, we hope users will ask Why? How can I apply this to my life? Why me? Why today? And those are powerful questions.”
Cope Notes for Students
Cope Notes has sent over 4 million text messages to date, and has recently seen a strong use case in schools, as educators and parents look for more digital support options for students. Cope Notes recently announced a new partnership with the Central Florida Behavioral Health Network (CFBHN) to provide its mental health services to faculty, staff, and students in the Pasco, Charlotte, and DeSoto County school districts, making CopeNotes available to over 100 schools during the spring semester. CFBHN is offering Cope Notes subscriptions at no cost to those school districts.
Cope Notes messages blend positive psychology, neuroscience, and peer support, demanding less than 10 seconds of daily interaction to generate individual results. Students can sign up using a QR code and receive a unique text message at a random time each day. Each student receives their own message flow, individually written by a human, without the use of artificial intelligence.
Crowder views this school-focused partnership as an opportunity to bolster Florida’s “weak mental health infrastructure,” which is currently unable to meet the needs of all students.
Building Mental Health Technology in the Southeast
Crowder started building CopeNotes in 2018, and transitioned into it full-time during the COVID-19 pandemic. He credits Tampa’s startup scene for welcoming him as a non-technical founder, despite his unconventional appearance, and for helping him grow a tech-based company. The Southeast is home to several growing mental health-focused technology companies, including Atlanta-based Reframe, Nashville-based Psych Hub, Nashville-based Wayspring, and Charlotte-based Candlelit Care.
