Meeting Information - Collective Action for Children

Collective Action for Children’s meetings take place six times a year.

Meetings are either in-person at the Children’s Services Fund of Jackson County or held remotely on Fridays from 9am to 10:30am.

A brief synopses of recent meetings can be found below. Please contact [email protected] for full minutes.

December 6, 2024

Agency Highlight: The Children’s Place is a specialized trauma treatment center that provides mental health services to children ages eight and younger who have experienced traumatic events. A highlighted new initiative is The Children’s Place on Wheels, a new mobile mental health therapy unit that will travel to local early education centers to provide mental health services throughout Jackson County.
First Call Presentation: LaTanya Dumas, Community Outreach Specialist for First Call, provided a presentation about First Call’s mission to reduce the impact of alcohol, drug, and addiction by providing quality resources to individuals, families, and community.
The Children’s Division’s Prevention Team: Brian West, Regional Director of Children’s Division, gave an update regarding the impact of Children’s Division’s newly implemented Prevention Team.
Awareness Committee: Lacey Helmig, Director of Marketing and Communications for The Children’s Place, provided a brief overview of the committee’s plans for 2025 National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

October 18, 2024

Agency Highlight: Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA) is a coalition of bikers who aim to create a safer environment for children who have experienced abuse. Working in conjunction with local and state officials, BACA offers their physical and emotional support to children, standing at the ready to shield these children from further abuse.
Harm Reduction Training: Casey Johnson of the University of Missouri – St. Louis’ Addiction Science Team presented about harm reduction in the field of substance abuse to protect the most vulnerable populations through public health.
The Children’s Division’s Prevention Team: Following up on a previous agenda topic, Brian West of the Children’s Division gave an update on the agency’s new Prevention Team.
Missouri Budget Project: Lindsey Baker of Missouri Budget Project updated the group on the status of Missouri’s budget leading into the 2024 election.