Upstream Youth Mapping Collaboration Project

A collaborative project to better resources and services for children and youth in our communities by improving availability, accessibility, and awareness.

The Missouri Behavioral Health Council (MBHC) is partnering with the Missouri Department of Mental Health (DMH), the Office of State Courts Administrator (OSCA), the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) Children's Division, and the Missouri Juvenile Justice Association (MJJA) to conduct Youth Mapping Workshops in Missouri. A Youth Mapping Workshop brings together a team of local stakeholders and utilizes the Upstream tool in strategic planning to assess available resources, identify gaps/challenges in accessing services, and establish a plan for community change (and ultimately statewide change!) of children’s services. Upstream is a community-based approach that leverages judicial leadership and collaborations with child welfare agencies, state and local public agencies, community-based organizations, and community members to increase access to community-based services, prevent child maltreatment and out-of-home placement, reduce court involvement, and support strong, safe, and healthy families. Consultants will facilitate circuit mappings from January through May 2024. Starting in June, in-state trained facilitators will complete mappings for the remaining circuits.

Our goal is to improve the availability, accessibility, and awareness of resources and services for children and youth in our communities. Statewide systems-level solutions and trends in needs will be included in future Annual Reports to state stakeholders. For more information on Upstream: Upstream | NCSC

The project will provide the following:

NCSC Consultants
Facilitator training provided by Upstream.
Support of local mappings, providing technical assistance, mapping toolkits and supplies, food and beverage for attendees, and A/V or room rental assistance if needed for location (MBHC will facilitate these logistics with the workshop coordinators).
An Upstream Summit led by NCSC in the final stages to gather representatives from around the state.
POST certification will be provided for law enforcement.
Continuing education will be provided for licensed staff.

Our project team will help with the planning and logistics of each workshop (including example documents and templates to use). We have trained facilitators from Upstream who are ready to assist, and we will train another group of facilitators early next year. MBHC will assist in matching your workshop with trained facilitators and providing the support you need to conduct a successful workshop.

For more information about planning an Upstream Youth Mapping Workshop in your county, please contact Daisy Cheek at dcheek@mobhc.org.

Additional Online Resources:

Testimonials

Judge Melissa Buckman-Young

"The 12th Circuit is focused and energized following the Upstream Mapping Workshop. We plan to utilize a multi-disciplinary group already in place to accomplish the goals identified in Upstream. The Upstream Mapping added multi-disciplinary members to that group as well."

Dr. Anne Billington, Early Childhood Principal

"The opportunity to participate in strengthening children and families through prevention and intervention strategies is unbelievable. Working with Upstream at the state and local levels will create more resources, promote more community involvement, continue to build existing relationships, and ultimately help us to create an action plan. I am so excited to be a part of this process with Upstream!"

Judge Rebecca Richardson

“It is inspiring to see such a dedicated group of individuals spending their time and talents to help Lincoln and Pike County families. I look forward to seeing the action plans created in this workshop implemented for the betterment of our communities.”

Cheri Winchester, Executive Director - Lincoln County Resource Board

“Breaking down silos. Navigating barriers. Collaborating to address underlying root causes that lead to the brokenness of systems, people, and communities. This is what the Upstream workshops will afford our circuit and county. Only when we can come together to foster understanding, assess roles and outcomes, and pledge commitment to comprehensive, transformative improvements will we accomplish our ultimate objective: Building a bridge to keep our citizens from falling into the depths of despair, leading to healing, hope and community improvement for all.”

Trisha Lambert, Advocate/Trainer

"Navigating the child welfare system can be overwhelming—often leaving families, whether biological, foster, or kinship, feeling isolated, confused, and afraid. That’s why the presence of peer support and family advocates with lived experience is not just helpful—it’s essential. When families are supported by someone who has walked a similar path, it brings a sense of hope, understanding, and guidance that can't be replicated by traditional roles alone. These advocates help bridge the gap between families and the system, offering empathy, clarity, and a voice that says, 'You’re not alone.'

The Upstream Youth Mapping project was like a flashlight in the dark—it illuminated the strengths and challenges in our community and created space for honest, solutions-focused conversations. It helped bring together the right people and showed us that while we may not always agree, we all care deeply. With the help of skilled facilitators and visual tools, we were able to turn dialogue into action steps. It reminded us that change doesn't come from knowing all the answers—it comes from showing up, listening, and working together to build a better path forward for our families."

Amber Killian, CPS

“I don’t want to do what you do, and you can’t do what I do, but together, we can make a difference.”

Janelle Walters, Court Administrator/Chief Juvenile Officer

“Thank you for bringing St. Charles County's stakeholders and community partners together to identify resources available in our community and to discuss how to improve the utilization of those resources.

Our work group decided to look at the problem of Truancy in the schools and the best practices for how the Juvenile Office and school districts can help kids get back into school to obtain an education.

This workshop allowed us to collaborate with community partners about each other's current processes and available resources and to discuss an Action Plan. We will meet again in a few weeks to continue our collaboration on how to implement our plan successfully. “

Presiding Judge Chris McDonough

"Strong, safe, and healthy families are the foundation of a vibrant community. The 11th Judicial Circuit Upstream Mapping Workshop brought together judicial leadership, child welfare agencies, and community partners, all focused on one goal - identifying effective prevention and intervention solutions to serve children and families in our community better.

Harnessing the power of collaboration, we are now creating and implementing specific action plans to deliver on that goal. I encourage every circuit to take full advantage of the Upstream process. You'll be glad you did.

Nothing we do is more important than supporting children and families. Working together, we can significantly increase access to community-based resources, keep our children safe, and reduce the need for formal court intervention. Upstream provides the tools to get everyone rowing in the same direction."