Introduction from Bounce Co-Chair Betty J. Adkins, M.Ed.: “Yesterday is experience. Tomorrow is hope.” -John M. Henry That quote captures the philosophy of Bounce, not only for the adults and children Bounce touches, but also for the journey that the Bounce leadership team began in 2013 when it formed as the Coalition for Louisville’s Youth with the intention of “Investing in Kentucky’s Future.” We grew from our experiences and moved forward with hope - spreading the Bounce message into 53 Kentucky counties, engaging legislators, and educating over 2,500 persons in 2021. A positive adult relationship is [...]

The Bounce Coalition recently wrapped up its year-long work with two youth-serving organizations in the Greater Louisville area. With support from the C. E. and S. Foundation, Bounce provided training and technical assistance to the YMCA of Greater Louisville’s Infant, Toddler and Preschool Program and School-Age Child Care Program (K-8), and Boys & Girls Clubs of Kentuckiana’s legacy clubs in the Newburg, Parkland, and Shawnee neighborhoods to become trauma-informed organizations – serving children and families through self-sustaining healing-centered policies and practices. Kids today face a growing number of stressful and traumatic experiences throughout their lifetimes. Kentucky is among the top [...]

The Bounce Coalition is excited to announce a partnership with Louisville Metro’s Department of Health and Wellness to bring a trauma-informed care approach to several of the department's partner organizations. Throughout the next year, Bounce will provide training and technical assistance to Nativity Academy at St. Boniface and several other partner organizations. This collaboration provides opportunities for cross-organizational sharing of best practices that will be integral to become self-sustaining, trauma-informed organizations – serving children and families in their communities in healing-centered and trauma-informed ways. This support will include creating capacity within each organizations to continue to implement trauma-informed approaches by [...]

Thanks to funding provided by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, the Bounce Coalition has spent over two years working in collaboration with the Russell County School District (RCSD) and the Lake Cumberland District Health Department (LCDHD) to bring trauma-informed care to the region. While the work is continuing, we would like to lift up and celebrate the great work that is being done in Russell County and the surrounding communities to ensure all children can grow up in a safe and supportive environment. Over the past two years, Bounce has collaborated with RCSD and LCDHD to provide a number [...]

In 2019, the Jewish Heritage Fund for Excellence (JHFE) awarded the Bounce Coalition a grant to provide training and support to three of Louisville’s adolescent residential services over a two-year period. Since then, Bounce has partnered with Seven Counties’ Bellewood and Brooklawn, Boys and Girls Haven, St. Joseph Children’s Home, and the on-campus Jefferson County Public Schools serving these agencies to become self-sustaining, trauma-informed organizations – serving children and families through healing-centered, trauma-informed policies and practices. Throughout the past year and a half, Bounce has provided a number of training and technical assistance opportunities to the partner agencies in an [...]

When the gavel sounded on the 2019 legislative session, advocates across the state celebrated the passage of Senate Bill 1, the School Safety and Resiliency Act. This bipartisan effort brought together lawmakers, behavioral health experts, and school administrators to ensure all students can learn in a safe and supportive school environment. While the bill encompassed multiple areas of school safety, including requiring procedures and oversight to strengthen school security if a threat occurs, it also required all public schools adopt a trauma-informed approach. Trauma is an emotional response to an event that a person finds highly stressful. Trauma can be acute, [...]