Mediation & Conflict Resolution
What is Mediation?
Mediation brings people in conflict together in a comfortable, neutral setting where participants control the decisions that affect them, their families, their neighborhoods, communities and workplaces.
Why Try Mediation?
- Confidential and voluntary
- Alternative to court
- Participants create their own agreements
- Builds communication and helps reduce future conflicts
- Effective and affordable
What to Expect?
When a participant involved in a dispute contacts Coleman Mediation Services he or she will discuss their concern with a staff person and together determine if mediation is appropriate.
If the dispute can best be resolved through mediation, Coleman Mediation Services will take responsibility in contacting each participant.
A convenient time and neutral location will be arranged.
In mediation, a trained mediator will listen carefully to all participants and assist them in identifying concerns, discussing options and creating mutual agreement.
Types of Conflict Mediated by Coleman Mediation Services
- Family Conflicts
- Neighborhood Conflicts
- Landlord / Tenant Conflicts
- Parent / Child Conflicts
- Small Claims Disputes
- Workplace Disputes
- Older Adult Concerns
- School Related Conflicts
About the Truancy Prevention Through Mediation Program:
Things you should know:
ORC Chapter 3321 (Ohio Revised Code) declares that all minors under the age of 18 attend school. School personnel have a legal obligation to report families not in compliance. Schools can elect to mediate or prosecute.
What is Truancy Mediation?
· An effective process that works with parents, caregivers, and schools to find a fair and workable solution to a student’s truancy problems.
· Mediation does not focus on blame or fault. It is a problem solving process which identifies the barriers to educational success.
· Mediation is confidential to the extent provided by law.
· A Mediator is a neutral professional who facilitates a non adversarial, respectful discourse between schools and families to resolve issues surrounding attendance and tardiness.
What is the process of Truancy Mediation?
Mediation is a positive process that allows for information sharing, and problem solving so that a student’s educational experience is maximized.
1. Parent(s), guardian(s), teacher(s), and other pertinent school personnel meet with the Mediator at the student’s school for approximately one hour. An Agreement to Mediate will be reviewed and signed by all participants.
2. Each participant is given an opportunity to speak about their concerns and/or reasons why the student has not been in school (this may be due to tardiness or full days missed).
3. The mediator then summarizes each participants concerns.
4. Problem-Solving from all participants then occurs to better understand and come to some workable solution to each expressed concern.
5. Agreements will be created and written down by the Mediator.
6. A copy of the agreement is signed by all participants
7. A copy of the agreement is placed in the student’s file and all participants receive a copy.
How does a Student get referred to Mediation?
Students are referred to mediation by school personnel or by family request.
Goals
- To increase the likelihood of educational success
- To improve attendance
- To establish the importance and necessity of school attendance.
- To provide intervention in a timely manner so that the effects of absenteeism can be minimized.
- To assist families and school personal in working together to address the root causes of an attendance problem
- Build Family/School Partnerships
- Model a process for future conflict resolution
- Minimize the time educators spend re-focusing students on coursework
Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management. (2011). Truancy Prevention through Mediation Program. Retrieved February 21, 2011, from Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management: http://www.state.oh.us/cdr/
About the Behavior Mediation Program:
What is Behavior Mediation?
Mediation is used to identify and address issues at school and at home which may prevent or interfere with student achievement and educational success. Behavior mediation is an informal process that uses a neutral professional. The mediator is a neutral third party who facilitates a non-adversarial discourse between parents, caregivers, students, and school personnel to discuss and problem solve a student’s behavior.
Who can be referred to Behavior Mediation?
Mediation is provided for students where negative behavior is interfering with educational success. Behavior mediation can be referred by school personnel, or by family request.
What is the process of Behavior Mediation?
Mediation is a positive process that allows for mutual understanding and problem solving so that a student can maximize their educational opportunity.
- Parent(s), guardian(s), teacher(s), and other pertinent school personnel meet with the Mediator at the student’s school for approximately one hour. An Agreement to Mediate will be reviewed and signed by all participants.
- Each participant is given an opportunity to speak about their concerns
- The mediator then summarizes each participants concerns.
- Problem-Solving from all participants then occurs to better understand and come to some workable solution to each expressed concern.
- Agreements will be created and written down by the Mediator.
- A copy of the agreement is signed by all participants
- A copy of the agreement is placed in the student’s file and all participants receive a copy.
Goals
- Provide opportunities for dialogue and negotiation for the youth, parent(s), and school.
- Impress upon students the human impact, and personal consequences of their behavior.
- Work effectively to reduce the frequency and severity of further conflict/disruptive behavior.
- Assist schools and parents in partnering to intervene when a behavior problem arises in the future
- Minimize the student’s time spent out of school
- Teach students skills to manage future conflict in a respectful way
