The 2015 Missouri Reentry Conference gathered reentry professionals from around the region and keynote speakers from the across the nation to discuss the current state of reentry issues ranging from peer support to mental health, all surrounding a central theme: family reunification and its importance in the reentry process.

Many STAR organizational members made presentations at the Conference and STAR was represented at the Conference's exhibit area - to promote the upcoming March 2016 Summit. 

The three day Conference was a resource for new ideas surrounding reentry with 25 break-out sessions focusing on everything from substance abuse to forming new partnerships; attendees had a wealth of information to choose from and conversations to engage in.

The four keynote speakers - FBI Task Force Officer, Mark Corbin; Director of Missouri Department of Mental Health, Mark Stringer; Chief Operating Officer for Safer Foundation, Ethel Muhammed; and Assistant Research Professor at Missouri Institute of Mental Health, UMSL, Rachel Wamser-Nanney were well received and offered new insights.

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On October 14, 2015, STAR continued its Professional Development Series with ‘Trauma & Reentry" where Dr. Fred Rottneck - St. Louis County Department of Health - moderated panelists  Dr. Vetta Sanders Thompson, Khatib Waheed and Joey Yancey from the North St. Louis City & County Resilience Commission and Jennifer Brinkman of the Regional Health Commission spoke to St. Louis area reentry professionals on the traumatic circumstances and stress that accompanies those in the process of reentry. Attendees held a Q & A session with panelists and group discussions. Thank you to all the presenters.

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On Friday, August 28, 2015 Employment Connection hosted a special community forum on heroin. Dr. William Harvey – the keynote – spoke to a packed room at Employment Connection's offices in St. Louis; Dr. Harvey has worked to stop heroin’s impact on communities at a national level since the 70s and continues to do so today as he acts as a consultant with several national organizations like the National Drug Information Centre for Families in Action.

Along with Dr. Harvey, Nancy McCarthy – STAR’s Co-Chair & Regional Administrator of Missouri Dept. of Corrections, Scott Anders – Deputy Chief of U.S. Probation Office, and Jared Opsal – Public Awareness Specialist for NCADA, shared their perspectives on the current state of heroin and ways to impact change here in St. Louis.

Thanks to the following organizations for sponsoring the event: Employment Connection, STAR, ARCHS, U.S. Probation Office, and the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (NCADA).

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