Every year thousands of the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable children and families appear before the Massachusetts Juvenile Courts. Over 70% of our clients face vulnerabilities such as mental health problems, behavioral problems, medical issues, substance abuse, histories of abuse and neglect, learning disabilities, and acculturation stressors, most typically a combination of these.
Learn more about vulnerabilities
What exactly is the role of the Juvenile Court Clinics? The Juvenile Court Clinics provide evaluation and intervention services to court-involved children and families struggling with behavioral health issues. These are among the most clinically and systemically complicated cases before the Juvenile Court. Specially trained Juvenile Court clinicians provide emergency evaluations of children in crisis and comprehensive clinical and forensic evaluations designed to understand the root issues causing distress. Clinicians provide recommendations and advocacy for appropriate treatment and service planning and consult to the Court about best practice options.
Learn more about MAJCC’s FY28 Advocacy
Research indicates that for every high-risk youth prevented from drug use, dropping out of school, and a life of crime saves society an average of $5 Million. The graph below highlights the disproportionate amount of youth suffering from mental health disorders within the juvenile justice population:
Our Mission
The mission of the Massachusetts Alliance of Juvenile Court Clinics is to:
- Advocate for services for court-involved children and families,
- Educate legislators, providers, and consumers about the needs of the court-involved children and families, and
- Increase the resources necessary to continue existing services and expand the extent of services the Juvenile Court Clinics provide statewide.
Announcements
Welcome Child Advocate, Marisol Garcia
On June 1, 2026, Marisol Garcia began her service to Massachusetts’ children and families as the third Child Advocate for the Commonwealth. She follows Gail Garinger, known to the Juvenile Court Clinics from her previous position as First Justice of Middlesex County, and Maria Mossaides who left the position in December 2025.
Ms. Garcia comes to the Child Advocate position after 10 years as Deputy Director at Health Law Advocates where she developed and led the Mental Health Advocacy Program (MHAP) for Kids. Under Ms. Garcia’s leadership, the program expanded to a statewide presence, improving children’s access to care, reducing reliance on emergency services, and keeping children out of the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.
Ms. Garcia has prior experience in the Juvenile Court representing children and parents in Care & Protection, Child Requiring Assistance, Delinquency and administrative hearings related to disability benefits and special education services. Ms. Garcia is co-chair of the American Bar Association Children’s Rights Litigation Committee and was selected as one of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly’s Top Women of Law in 2022 and received the Latino Excellence on the Hill Award in 2025.
MAJCC co-chairs, Dr. Pooja Khialani and Rebecca Pries, LMHC, and MAJCC’s legislative advocate Daniel Delaney, met with the Child Advocate and Melissa Threadgill, Sr Director for Policy and Implementation on September 24, 2026. We discussed the crucial role the Juvenile Court Clinics play in providing mental health and substance use services to the Commonwealth’s court-involved children and families and our mutual desire to work toward improved access to mental health and substance use services statewide.
Juvenile Court Clinics Welcome Chief Justice Dana Gershengorn
The Juvenile Court Clinics are excited to work with Chief Justice Dana Gershengorn, Chief Justice of the Commonwealth’s Juvenile Courts. Chief Justice Gershengorn was appointed in June 2024 after 15 years as a Juvenile Court judge. Prior to her appointment to the bench, Chief Gershengorn handled child exploitation/child abuse cases at the Middlesex DA’s Office, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Chief Justice Gershengorn graduated from the University of Michigan and the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
The Juvenile Court Clinic (JCC) Directors and Juvenile Forensic Manager Bridget Nichols met with Chief Gershengorn in February, 2025. The JCCs shared recent developments in JCC services and welcomed the opportunity to work together to meet the needs of court-involved children and families across the Commonwealth. MAJCC Co-Chairs, Rebecca Pries and Pooja Khialani, also met with Chief Gershengorn to introduce her to MAJCC’s advocacy work and goals for FY26 and beyond.
MAJCC Welcomes Delaney Policy Group (DPG) as MAJCC’s Lobbyist
Daniel Delaney, CEO, and Andrea Delaney COO of the Delaney Policy Group (DPG) joined MAJCC as lobbyists in September 2026. DPG is an excellent fit with MAJCC’s mission as it specializes in championing critical public policy and funding needs to support vulnerable populations across the Commonwealth. DPG succeeds Ronna Wallace and Ed Brennan, MAJCC’s previous lobbyists.
Who we are
Back row left to right: Dr. Leah Kelly; Dr. Dan Sanford; Dr. Danielle Audet; Kris Kennedy, LICSW; Dr. Paul Rotkiewicz
Front row left to right: Rebecca Pries, LMHC; Rebecca Harrington, LICSW; Julie Ann Lamacchia, LICSW; Dr. Michelle Lockwood; Dr. Pooja Khialani
MAJCC Leadership:
Co-Chairs: Rebecca Pries, LMHC and Dr. Pooja Khialani
Treasurer: Kris Latour Kennedy, LICSW
Co-Chair Emeritus: Dr. Gary Dube
Member Organizations:
Adolescent Consultation Services (ACS)
Behavioral Health Network (BHN)
Who we serve
MAJCC’s service areas in Massachusetts:
Please support our mission and find out how you can help.
