The Bounce Coalition was honored to attend the CVS Health Foundation: Centering Youth Mental Health grantee convening from October 28-29 at the Aetna Headquarters in Hartford, Connecticut. The convening aimed to unite coalitions working on youth mental health projects or capacity building, with a focus on strategies for deepening client engagement and building trust with partners. Over the course of the two-day event, grantees had the chance to share best practices, address common challenges, and strategize on ways to move forward collectively and individually within their respective coalitions.
Coalition cohort members included:
- Bounce Coalition – Kentucky
- Flint ReCAST – Flint, Michigan
- Healthy Start Coalition of Hillsborough County – Tampa, Florida
- Reinvent South Stockton Coalition – Stockton, California
- San Antonio Mobile Mental Wellness Collaborative – San Antonio, Texas
- Youth Mental Health System of Care for Winnebago and Boone Counties – Illinois
Representing the Bounce Coalition, Hannah Edelen and Keith Hickman reflected on the convening’s impact. Hickman, Bounce Co-Chair, praised the collaborative and engaging atmosphere fostered by the CVS Health Foundation, noting, “To experience the commitment that the Foundation has towards collaboration, relationships, and capturing mental models in support of the work was purposeful and empowering.”
Edelen echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the liberating structures used to facilitate dialogue among coalition members. “The convening was intentionally designed to embolden participants to celebrate successes, identify challenges, and look optimistically at the work that lies ahead,” she said.
Moving forward, coalition members will continue collaborating throughout the grant period, sharing resources, gaining deeper insights into each other’s work, and boldly learning from one another. The cohort is scheduled to meet again next year to further strengthen their collective efforts.
