Mediation

An Alternative Way of Resolving Conflicts and Disputes

The clinic's mediation program helps individuals and businesses communicate effectively and resolve conflict. It promotes meaningful and productive dialogue that enables parties to address problems without escalating the tension that frequently accompanies conflict. It is a cost-free service that avoids the expense and delays associated with litigation.

Disputes That May Be Mediated

Almost any dispute may be mediated. The following are examples of the kinds of disputes we may help resolve:

Community Disputes

• Neighborhood Disputes – includes parking, noise, pets, property lines, trespass, common driveways, trash, overhanging trees, vandalism etc.
• Consumer Issues – includes debt repayment, consumer-merchant, consumer-serviceperson, consumer-travel agency etc.
• Housing – includes landlord-tenant, real estate, condominium boards and owners, roommates etc.
• Employment – includes workplace disputes between co-workers, supervisor-employee, board-staff involving issues such as discrimination, discipline, salary, policy, personality conflicts etc.
  

Family Disputes

Parent-Youth Mediation – Parent-youth mediation is designed for parents and caretakers in conflict with their children. Disputes that come to parent-youth mediation may include issues such as:

• School Attendance
• Curfews
• Behavior
• Friends
• Homework
• Chores
• Allowance
• Sibling Relationships
• Communication

Divorce, Custody and Partnership Dissolutions – For most families in transition, mediation is a faster, less expensive, and more effective method than litigation for resolving financial and child-care issues, such as:

Division of property/equitable distribution
Related financial issues (e.g., taxes, annuities, pensions, investments)
Parenting arrangements/child custody
Child support
Spousal support/alimony

Disputes Involving the Elderly

Isolation and conflict may have an adverse effect on caregivers, care recipients and the quality of care for our elderly population. Even when conflict does not exist, many caregivers have difficulty obtaining information, securing needed resources, and communicating with family members and service providers. The stress of care giving may leave individuals feeling upset, overwhelmed and without the energy to organize help from family, friends and the community. Low- and moderate-income families cannot afford to pay for many needed services and are left to navigate the public system or fend for themselves. Left unaddressed, isolation, stress and conflict may lead to elder abuse and neglect.

What kinds of elder issues can be mediated?

Typical issued addressed in mediation of disputes involving the elderly include:

• Living arrangements
• Driving
• Property maintenance
• Level of care
• Quality of care
• Finances
• Health care matters
• When and whether to make legal arrangements (e.g., trusts and estates, adult guardianship, conservatorship, power of attorney, living wills)

Who should attend a mediation session about elder issues?

Anyone involved may participate. Mediation provides older adults with an opportunity to actively participate and decide for themselves the issues that affect their lives. Mediation may be used to resolve issues among parents, grandparents and grandchildren and other extended family members as well as conflicts that may arise between the older adult and the care-taker or between the care-taker and the family. Faith leaders, support persons, friends, significant others, neighbors, care-takers or other service providers, financial advisors and community resource people may also be invited to attend the mediation session, when all parties agree.

Multi-Party Disputes

Mediation may also be used for large-scale situations that involve groups. Multi-party mediation is used to address intra- and inter-group issues. As a community mediation center, the clinic may be called upon to mediate issues involving neighborhoods, community-based organizations, and public/private issues where diverse interests have caused divisiveness in the group, such as:

• Street vendors
• Noise issues
• Environmental concerns
• Health and safety concerns
• Street closings
• Location of new businesses
• Gangs
• Community-based "quality of life" issues