Executive Director

Sharon “Shel” Millington is a licensed professional counselor and is currently serving as the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs (OJA).

Millington first joined OJA as the Director of Behavioral Health in August 2020 and was promoted to Deputy Executive Director in August 2024. While at OJA, Millington led the implementation of Functional Family Therapy, a nationally recognized evidence-based, family-focused intervention, not previously available in Oklahoma. She also led the implementation of Dialectical Behavior Therapy at OJA’s secure treatment facility.

In addition to her leadership in implementing high-quality behavioral health services for youth and families involved in the juvenile justice system, Millington actively collaborates with community-based child-serving agencies to drive positive change. She supports community and residential placement providers in adopting best practices for custody youth, oversees program-based reforms across all levels of Oklahoma’s juvenile justice system continuum, and delivers statewide training to enhance awareness and implementation of best practices.

Millington has also served as the co-director of Treatment Programs for Children and Adolescents with Problematic Sexual Behaviors at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. She served as a supervisor and lead clinician in an assessment clinic for children with prenatal exposure. She is a Master Trainer in Problematic Sexual Behavior and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with the National Center on the Sexual Behavior of Youth.

Millington is a certified therapist, formally trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). She is a Level I trainer for Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) and has presented at many professional conferences throughout her career.

She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from Oklahoma State University and a Master of Arts degree in psychology from the University of Central Oklahoma.