MJJA Educational Conference
Join us for a three-day conference on juvenile justice and child welfare. This event focuses on topics relevant to professionals in these fields, aiming to bring together juvenile justice leaders and agencies to enhance the system for children in need of a brighter future.
The conference will feature discussions on evidence-based practices, where you can learn about the most effective methods for working with youth. Additionally, it will provide awareness of current issues, keeping you informed about the latest challenges and practices in the field.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND: 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.
The conference will have credits available from:
• MO Bar accredited for CLEs
• University of MO Columbia—School of Social Work CEUs
• POST Hours
Registration and Lodging are now open! You can now reserve your accommodation with the 2025 MJJA Conference special rate at Margaritaville Lake Resort by clicking the button below.
The final date to reserve your room at Margaritaville with the special rate is September 29. Anyone who still needs to reserve a room will need to call their reservations department directly at 1-800-826-8272 to inquire about availability.
The registration deadline for the conference is October 14.
Become a MJJA Sponsor or Member
Get connected to MJJA. Receive benefits, conference discounts, plus enhance your knowledge in the juvenile justice field.
Exhibit at the MJJA Conference
As an exhibitor, you will have the opportunity to engage with juvenile justice leaders and agencies. Learn more below.
Register Via Mail/Email
If you prefer to register by mail/email and not online, please fill out this form below.
FUNDRAISER
Bring your A-game and strike up some fun at the conference! We’re rolling out a bowling bash to raise funds for MJJA’s Scholarship Program! 🎳 Event will take place Tuesday, October 28 at 6pm. $40 entry or $200 team of 5. Pizza is provided. Awards for the Highest Score, Lowest Score, Best Team Name, Best Team Outfit.
SCHOLARSHIPS
We are currently awaiting the outcome of a grant to fund scholarships. We will have more information soon; in the meantime, we are not accepting applications. Thank you for your interest, and we will keep you informed.
Meet Our Plenary Speakers
Bobby Bostic
In 1995, a 16-year-old Bobby Bostic found himself caught up in a series of poor choices including robbery and armed criminal action. Judge Evelyn Baker, convinced he was a lost cause, handed down a jaw-dropping 241-year sentence on him, parole only becoming a glimmer of hope at the ripe age of 112. While serving the longest sentence in Missouri for a non-homicide juvenile offense, Bobby didn’t crumble. Instead, he evolved, showed significant remorse for his actions and began reshaping what his future could hold. Today, after serving 27 years of his sentence, Bobby is embracing his shot at redemption by teaching writing workshops at juvenile detention centers and using his story to mentor kids to keep them out of trouble.
Plenary Topic: “The Child Of Today Is Our Future Tomorrow”
The kids that we see today have not developed into their maturity and the actions that we see them displaying now is not who they will always be. Kids brains are not static because as science has taught us that the pre frontal cortex (which is responsible for rational decision making) doesn’t fully develop until the age of 26. So we must realize that these kids will change, but most importantly that they are the future. We no longer have to pass them the torch because they will create their own torch. If we listen carefully to them then we can give them evidence based proof and advice on how to carry the torch and to light the flames of positive change.
The ARC of the United States
Leigh Anne McKingsley, MSSW, MPA
Leigh Anne is the Senior Director of Disability and Justice Initiatives for The Arc of the United States where she founded and directs The Arc’s National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability (NCCJD), a clearinghouse for research, information, evaluation, training and technical assistance for criminal justice and disability professionals focused on people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). During her 28 years at The Arc, she oversaw the creation of the Center’s signature training program “Pathways to Justice,” authored scholarly articles, curricula, and other publications, presented national and internationally, and regularly speaks to policymakers and national media outlets.
Jessica Oppenheim
Jessica Oppenheim, Esq. has been a consultant with The Arc of the United States National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability since retiring as the Director of the Criminal Justice Advocacy Program of The Arc of NJ, in June 2021, a NJ statewide program providing advocacy for people with IDD involved in the criminal justice system. Prior to joining The Arc of NJ in 2010, she was an Assistant Prosecutor in the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office and a Deputy Attorney General in the NJ Division of Criminal Justice from 1985 – 2010. She is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Individual Rights Section and the State Bar Foundation Diversity, Equity and Belonging committee.
Plenary Topic: “Supporting Justice-Involved Youth with Disabilities: A Trauma-Informed and Intersectional Approach”
This session provides an overview of challenges facing youth with disabilities (specifically youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities) and important considerations that impact these students. Speakers will discuss the importance of having a trauma informed lens when working with this population.
Sheri Lopez
Human Trafficking Survivor | Founder | Speaker | Advocate
Sheri Lopez is a nationally recognized human trafficking survivor, speaker, and the founder of Pearl at the Mailbox, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the prevention of grooming and trafficking through education, advocacy, regulation, and legislation. With lived experience and professional insight, Sheri works tirelessly to protect children and support survivors by addressing the root causes of exploitation.
She has been instrumental in drafting and passing three survivor-focused bills into law in Arizona, and she continues to work at the federal level on legislation that protects victims, raises penalties for traffickers, and ensures survivors are seen, heard, and believed. Sheri also founded the Arizona Human Trafficking Survivor Coalition, amplifying survivor voices in courts and policy discussions.
A passionate prevention educator, court advocate, and author, Sheri uses her voice and platform to equip communities with the tools to recognize, prevent, and respond to grooming and exploitation. She is also the founder of the National Grooming Prevention Hotline (623-688-3214), a first-of-its-kind national resource.
Sheri brings a wealth of personal and professional experience to her advocacy. She is a retired Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), holds a business degree, is a former flight attendant, and is a business owner. Her journey from survival to leadership is a powerful testament to resilience and purpose-driven change.
Plenary Topic: “Grooming Before Trafficking: A Survivor’s Perspective”
This 1 hour and 45-minute training provides judges, child protective service workers, attorneys, and allied professionals with a deeper understanding of grooming—the hidden process that often precedes child trafficking. Through the lens of survivor Sheri Lopez, participants will learn how traffickers manipulate vulnerabilities, gain trust, and create trauma bonds that keep children silent and compliant.
The session covers the stages of grooming, real-life red flags professionals may overlook, and the impact of trauma on disclosure and testimony. With a focus on trauma-informed practices, attendees will gain practical strategies to better identify at-risk children, respond without causing further harm, and hold perpetrators—not victims—accountable.
By the end, participants will leave with survivor-informed tools and insights that can improve courtrooms, child welfare systems, and professional responses, ultimately protecting more children before exploitation begins.
Anita Brooks
Anita Brooks motivates organizations to dynamic breakthroughs as a national speaker, certified personality trainer, communications specialist, certified training facilitator, and in-demand business coach. As a community bank and nonprofit agency board member, Anita also invests herself for the greater good.
Through her P4 Power Coaching™ practice, Anita helps improve processes and performance by teaching leaders how to plug invisible drains and maximize their people engagement. Her mission is to increase the income, prime the profits, and strengthen the sustainability for American businesses.
Anita’s P4 Personality Perspective™ also delivers a fun factor to team building when she educates, inspires, and encourages her audiences and clients for peak performance. You can connect with Anita at p4powercoaching.com.
Plenary Topic: “The P4 Personality Perspective™: Predictable Patterns that Drive Professional & Personal Behaviors”
Here’s the reality: everywhere we go, we deal with people who don’t think, believe, act, or react the same way we do. It doesn’t matter if they’re male or female, young or old, American or from abroad, a supervisor, a team member we lead, or a peer. The differences we feel aren’t about gender, generation, birthplace, or position. More than any other factor, our differences are influenced by one thing—human personality.
And here’s the good news:
• Personality runs in predictable patterns.
• The very same challenges we face at work show up at home.
That means if we can understand personality—our own and others’—we can transform our outcomes. With the P4 Personality Perspective™, we can communicate better, reduce conflict, and build stronger connections in every area of life.
WORKSHOPS – More coming soon!
Tuesday, October 28
Title: “A Child Who Was Sentenced To Die In Prison Reflects”
Presenter: Bobby Bostic
Summary: Bobby Bostic reflects on his 27 years in prison and how he used that time to mature from a child to a manchild. He will talk about what 27 years in prison was like and it impacts a person. He will reflect on his life journey and how the prison experience is for a child. Bobby will leave significant space open for questions so he can answer them to reflect more on his journey and give them insight into prison and that journey where kids sometimes end up.
Title: Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children
Presenter: Diane White
Summary: We will be defining sex trafficking, familial sexual abuse, sextortion, teen survival sex and CSAM among others. We will also discuss what makes a child more vulnerable to this sexual exploitation – those who identify as LGBTQ+, foster children, or a history of drug use in the home are just a few risk factors. I will also discuss ways to identify victims, such as tattoos, street slang they use, and other behavioral indicators. I will stress the trauma-informed approach to dealing with victims and survivors, including decriminalizing the victims. I’ll discuss the multi-disciplinary team’s role in these cases, and I will also have real cases that we can study as a group. CSEC is a growing crisis in Missouri, so legislation was enacted to address this. The Legislature established that four Child Advocacy Centers (CACs) are to be designated as a CSEC site. Children’s Center is one of these four that has been selected, and we are working closely with the three other sites and Missouri Network Against Child Abuse (MO-NACA) to develop statewide and site-specific protocols for these types of crimes against children. The workshop may contain hard language and images, but there will not be any CSAM shown.
Title: Adolescence as an Opportunity, not an Obstruction
Presenter: Sarah Johnson, Senior Defense Counsel for The Gault Center
Summary: Adolescent development is a legal and scientific framework that must be holistically woven into Missouri’s juvenile legal system, from shaping advocacy by defense attorneys to decisions made by deputy juvenile officers, legal officers, and judges. Adolescent development should inform best practices at every stage of a juvenile court proceeding including, charging decisions, guilt or innocence, transfer, mitigation and disposition. This session will focus on national practices, science, adolescent development and emerging adult principles, positive youth development, and Supreme Court precedent to refocus our conversation and commitment to adolescence as an opportunity instead of an obstruction to court proceedings.
Wednesday, October 29
Title: LEADING WITH COURAGE: Tools for Successful Leadership in Rapidly-Changing Times
Presenters: Dr. Juanita Simmons
Summary: Leading service organizations in today’s time is more challenging than ever before. Workplace climate is impacted by various social and monetary factors that result in employee and client insecurities. This seminar is designed for leaders of such organizations with an emphasis on handling conflict with courage and shaping culturized climate for effective employee-to-manager relations and better client satisfaction. This participatory seminar explores tools for the following: Relationship Building Skills; Recognizing and Assessing your own Leadership Strengths and Weaknesses; and Assessing Organizational Climate (its socialization systems).
Title: Grooming Before Trafficking: A Survivor’s Perspective
Presenter: Sheri Lopez
Summary: This 1 hour and 45-minute training provides judges, child protective service workers, attorneys, and allied professionals with a deeper understanding of grooming—the hidden process that often precedes child trafficking. Through the lens of survivor Sheri Lopez, participants will learn how traffickers manipulate vulnerabilities, gain trust, and create trauma bonds that keep children silent and compliant.
The session covers the stages of grooming, real-life red flags professionals may overlook, and the impact of trauma on disclosure and testimony. With a focus on trauma-informed practices, attendees will gain practical strategies to better identify at-risk children, respond without causing further harm, and hold perpetrators—not victims—accountable.
By the end, participants will leave with survivor-informed tools and insights that can improve courtrooms, child welfare systems, and professional responses, ultimately protecting more children before exploitation begins.
Title: High Stakes: The Impact of Cannabis on Adolescent Well-Being
Presenter: Megan Payton, Program Director for adolescent substance use treatment and prevention services at Preferred Family Healthcare.
Summary: This session examines the impact of cannabis on adolescent mental health, addressing current trends, risks, and developmental concerns. Attendees will explore evidence-based strategies to engage youth, support recovery, and promote long-term well-being.
Thursday, October 30
Title: Streets to System: Uniting Courts, Law Enforcement, and Community to End Gun Violence
Presenters: Lonnie Lockhart Bey and Julian Jackman
Summary: Lonnie and Julian, survivors of our systems with lived experience and knowledge will provide a workshop that touches on the following topics:
• Understanding the Roots of Violence; which will dive into Poverty, Trauma, and the Making of a Gang-Involved Youth
• Breaking down the pipeline: From ACEs to arrest
• The role of family fragmentation, educational exclusion, and systemic neglect
• Inside the Mind – Psychological Triggers of Violence including Habilitation, Identity, and the Culture of Retaliation
• Presentation of the Critical Change Framework
• Gang culture vs. real family: Why youth remain loyal
• Understanding Post-Incarceration Syndrome (PICS) and generational trauma Reimagining Prevention, What Works? Evidence-Based, Culturally Competent Interventions
• Models from Columbia: Critical Change Program and the P.E.A.C.E. and H.O.P.E. Center
• Holistic approaches: SEL, mentorship, wraparound services Systems, Solutions, and What You Can Do From Where You Sit?
Title: Behind the Fear: Supporting Immigrant Families in an Age of Uncertainty
Presenter: Nidia A. López, Child Welfare Workforce Development Specialist with the Children’s Alliance of Kansas
Summary: Immigrant families across Missouri and the nation are facing intense fear and uncertainty due to changing immigration policies, misinformation, and a lack of culturally responsive systems. Juvenile officers and case workers are often on the front lines, supporting youth whose families may be reluctant to engage or afraid to seek help.
In this interactive session, we’ll explore the real-life impact of immigration issues on families, drawing from trauma-informed theory, lived experiences, and practical strategies. Attendees will learn how to recognize signs of fear, respond with empathy, and build bridges of trust that empower families—rather than retraumatize them. Through group discussion, real-world scenarios, and actionable tools, we’ll work together to create safer, more welcoming practices for all.
Whether attendees are experienced in working with immigrant populations or just beginning to navigate this terrain, this session offers a powerful blend of reflection, skill-building, and hope.
Title: Putting Prevention Into Action: Be Part of the Change
Presenter: Randi Hemme, Prevention and Outreach Program Specialist at Missouri Network Against Child Abuse
Summary: As the Missouri Chapter of the National Children’s Alliance and Prevent Child Abuse America, MO-NACA is Missouri’s leading expert in training, community education, and child advocacy for professionals, community members, and partners, who provide children with access to safety, justice, and healing. This session will provide an overview of the work that MO-NACA does, including our Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) and Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) initiatives, and training and educational opportunities that we offer. This presentation will also explore solutions to support the safety of children through community education and outreach.
Title: Moving from Conflict to Cooperation with P4 Personality™
Presenter: Anita Brooks
Summary: Conflict is inevitable at work between organizations, agencies, departments, and people—but so is cooperation, when you know how to unlock it. Turf wars, politics, and silos don’t have to stall progress. Through the P4 Personality™ framework, you’ll learn to decode behaviors, defuse tension, and turn friction into forward momentum. This high-energy, interactive session equips you with practical tools to transform interagency conflict into collaboration that delivers stronger partnerships, greater efficiency, lasting results, and stressed-less workdays.
AGENDA
Tuesday, October 28
11:00am
12:30pm
1:00pm
2:30pm – 2:45pm
2:45pm – 4:30pm
Registration Opens
Opening Remarks
Plenary
Refreshment Break*
Workshops
Wednesday, October 29
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
Breakfast*
Morning Welcome
Plenary
Refreshment Break*
Workshops
Lunch*
Plenary
Refreshment Break*
Workshops
Thursday, October 30
7:30 am – 8:15am
8:15am – 9:45am
9:45am – 10:00am
10:00am – 11:30am
11:30am
Breakfast*
Plenary
Break
Workshops
Conference Adjourns
* Indicates which meals/breaks MJJA provides with conference registration
PRICING
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.
MJJA Corporate Sponsor Member: 2 Registrations Included w/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
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)
Day Rate: $150
Attend one day of the conference.
A very special thank you to our MJJA Corporate Sponsors:
