MJJA 2026 Spring Conference
Join the Missouri Juvenile Justice Association for our three-day Spring Conference, a comprehensive gathering dedicated to the heart of child welfare and juvenile justice. This isn’t just a conference; it’s a mission-driven space where Missouri’s leaders and agencies unite to sharpen our systems and advocate for the children we serve. Come prepared to bridge the gap between policy and practice, ensuring every youth in our state has a path toward a brighter tomorrow.
This conference is tailored for:
Juvenile and Family Court Personnel, Juvenile Detention Professionals, Judges, Attorneys, Children’s Division, School Resource Officers, Division of Youth Services, Law Enforcement, Guardians ad Litem, Court Appointed Special Advocates, Educators, Child Advocacy Centers, Child Care Providers, Youth Service Professionals, Social Workers, Private Practitioners, School Representatives, Parents, Community Leaders, State Lawmakers, Policymakers, School Resource Officers and anyone interested in juvenile justice issues.
Credits available from:
• MO Bar accredited for CLEs
• University of MO Columbia—School of Social Work CEUs
• POST Hours
Be an Exhibitor at the Conference
Register via Mail/Invoicing
Become a Member of MJJA
Hotel and Reservation Link
Reserve your room at the exclusive MJJA per diem rate of $150/night!
Sheraton Westport Chalet Hotel St. Louis
191 Westport Plaza, St Louis, Missouri, 63146
Google Maps | Hotel Website
Room Block Cut Off Date: April 27, 2026
Day 1 Afternoon Plenary featuring:
Judge Patricia Joyce and JJ Gossrau (MSW, LCSW)
Judge Joyce and JJ Gossrau will kick start our conference with a dual presentation. This session will discuss the lessons learned from the statewide 3-year effort of Upstream Mapping in Missouri and the System of Care efforts underway to help improve outcomes for children, youth and families in crisis.
Judge Joyce has spent 3-years on the road visiting each judicial circuit and now she will share the lessons learned along the way.
JJ and four panelists will explore the Systems of Care (SOC) efforts, panelists include: Kimberly Farris Wilson, Cheri Thurman, Lorenda Roberson, Noel Land-Roeder. All Missouri judicial circuits mapped their juvenile and child welfare systems in a statewide initiative lead by National Center for State Courts known as Upstream. The judicially led initiative involved stakeholders providing services to juveniles to enhance preventative services and to keep juveniles out of the court system. The workshop discusses planning, implementation, lessons learned from the Upstream model and the role of Systems of Care in providing structure and accountability at the local level.
JJ Gossrau is the Director of Young Adult Services, Early Psychosis Care, and System of Care Expansion at Missouri’s Department of Mental Health. In this role, she leads Missouri’s Early Psychosis Care Center advances young adult initiatives, and supports the growth of System of Care teams across the state to improve access to early intervention and coordinated supports for youth and families, JJ earned her Master of Social Work from the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis and is a licensed clinical social worker. She is passionate about transforming psychosis care and enhancing systems that help young people thrive.
Day 2 Morning Plenary featuring:
Ed Oslica, Domestic Security Strategist with the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC)
Ed and his team will help participants focus on violence prevention by teaching NTAC’s 20 year of Research on risk assessment and behavioral analysis that can help ensure effective and early intervention that mitigates risk of harmful outcomes. Examples will focus on school violence prevention. Ed will also conduct a workshop after the Plenary session.
Ed Oslica currently serves as a Domestic Security Strategist (DSS) with the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) where he interfaces with community safety partners to facilitate access to NTAC resources and the development of targeted violence prevention programs. His area of responsibility includes seven Midwestern states; he is regionally stationed at the Secret Service Kansas City Field Office. In addition to developing relationships and responding to the needs of community partners, Mr. Oslica provides briefings on NTAC research findings, and assists with consultations on threat assessment policy development and on individual complex threat cases.
Prior to joining the Secret Service Mr. Oslica served as the Intelligence Specialist for the US Attorney, in the District of Nebraska. He served in this position for 14 years, assigned to the Criminal Division where he functioned as a liaison to the Joint Terrorism Task Force with the FBI Omaha Field Office. He conducted complex investigative analysis on a wide array of federal, state, local, and tribal criminal investigations. Additionally, he served as the Law Enforcement Coordinator and Suspicious Activity Reports coordinator, working with law enforcement and financial institutions across the state hosting and conducting training events.
Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office Mr. Oslica served 23 years in the U.S. Air Force, Security Forces and retired as a Master Sergeant. He earned a B.A. in Homeland Security from American Military University.
Day 2 Afternoon Plenary featuring:
James Clark, VP Division of Public Safety and Community Response, Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis
James R. Clark has served St. Louis as a thought leader for over 25 years. He is responsible for the design, implementation and oversight of the region’s most innovative programs including: The Serving Our Streets Initiative which provides direct resource delivery and stakeholder mobilization into 4 of St. Louis’ more challenged neighborhoods.
More information coming soon.
Day 3 Morning Plenary featuring:
Sean Joe, Founding Director at Race and Opportunity Lab, Brown School, Washington University and Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Research Fellow
Sean Joe is a nationally recognized authority on suicidal behavior among Black Americans, and is expanding the evidence base for effective practice with Black boys and young men. He writes about Community Science as a new perspective on knowledge co-produced by academic researchers and community members, which has the potential to enrich science by broadening our participatory research theories, designs, analytical methods, and the use of technological innovation. Joe’s epistemological work focuses on the concept of race in medical and social sciences.
Learn more about Sean here. Plenary and workshop descriptions coming soon!
Workshop topics such as:
- Best Practices for Working with Traumatized Children
- Supporting Youth and Each Other in Today’s Climate
- Caught in the Middle: Courts and Collaborative Approaches for Dual Status Youth
- Efforts to Deescalate Gun Violence
- De-Escalation and Crisis prevention
- Services and support for older youth in foster care
- Courage2Report and Handle With Care
- Preventing Predators in the Workplace
- Building relationships, workshop for LEO’s and JO’s
- Interviewing Techniques in Juvenile Justice – From Victims to Offenders
- Black Liberation and the Child Welfare System
- Holding Certified Youth
- National Threat Assessment Model
- Legislative and Case Law Update
- and more! Check back soon for workshop speakers, titles and descriptions.
Conference Registration Rates
MJJA Member Rate: $250
Registration for members of MJJA to attend the conference workshops, meals, breaks and activities as noted on the agenda.
Non-Member Rate: $320
Registration to attend the conference workshops, meals, breaks and activities as noted on the agenda. Comes with a complementary year membership of MJJA.
Day Rate: $150
Attend one day of the conference.
Exhibitor Rate: $425
Includes exhibit table and 1 representative from your organization to participate in the conference workshops, meals, breaks, and activities listed in the agenda.
Add an additional ticket to your registration for $125 (Workshops not included)
MJJA Sponsor Member: 2 Registrations Included with Membership
As a Corporate Sponsor of MJJA, you receive 2 admissions to each conference. Includes all workshops, meals and activities as noted on the conference agenda. You may also receive discounted fees to exhibit.
Add an additional ticket to your registration for $125
Scholarships Available:
MJJA is able to provide scholarships for professionals to attend the Spring conference.
Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare professionals are invited to apply for a scholarship which covers registration and up to two nights of lodging. To be eligible for lodging, the recipient must travel 75 miles or more to the conference location, otherwise the scholarship will cover registration only. You do not have to be a member of MJJA to receive this scholarship. Please make sure you have permission from your agency leadership before applying.
Deadline: Scholarship applications must be completed and sent to info@mjja.org, no later than 5pm on Friday, April 3. Notification to recipients will be made by April 10 at 5pm.
Schedule
Wednesday, May 20
11:00am
12:30pm
1:15pm
2:30pm – 2:45pm
2:45pm – 4:30pm
Registration Opens
Opening Remarks
Plenary
Refreshment Break*
Workshops
Thursday, May 21
7:30 am – 8:15am
8:15am – 8:30am
8:30am – 10:00am
10:00am – 10:15 am
10:15am – 12:00pm
12:00pm – 1:30pm
1:30pm – 2:30pm
2:30pm – 2:45pm
2:45pm – 4:30pm
6:00pm
Breakfast*
Morning Welcome
Plenary
Refreshment Break*
Workshops
Lunch*
Plenary
Refreshment Break*
Workshops
President’s Reception
Friday, May 22
7:30 am – 8:30am
8:30am – 9:30am
9:30am – 9:45am
9:45am – 11:00am
11:30am
Breakfast*
Plenary
Break
Workshops
Conference Adjourns
* Indicates which meals/breaks MJJA provides with conference registration
Stay tuned for the full agenda, keynote speakers, and workshop details coming soon!
A very special thank you to our MJJA Corporate Sponsors:
