JJTA was formed in 1983 by a group of trainers working in juvenile justice systems, including family courts, community-based and residential treatment programs.

The original group was composed of 20 people from eight eastern states. Small conferences were held in spring and fall each year at residential academies to keep costs low. Membership began to grow, first by word of mouth, then by planned outreach to new states. The JJTA "Working Papers" publication was created in 1984, giving those who couldn't attend the conferences an opportunity to share information and ideas. In 1989 the Juvenile Justice Trainers Notes newsletter made its debut as the official publication. Members also received the Journal for Juvenile Justice and Detention Services semi-annually.

In 2001, four individual membership organizations serving different disciplines of the juvenile justice continuum formally united under one operational structure called the National Partnership for Juvenile Services (NPJS). Building on years of experience, knowledge and skill, this union allows the individual organizations to focus on their missions while minimizing duplication of efforts and maximizing the impact of limited resources. The founding members of NPJS are JJTA, the National Association for Juvenile Corrections Agencies (NAJCA), the National Juvenile Detention Association (NJDA), and the Council of Educators of At-Risk and Delinquent Youth (CEARDY).

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