Become a Volunteer

Event Calendar

We are currently recruiting volunteers for our 2012 New Volunteer Mediation Training Class to be held in March, 2012. We will be accepting new volunteer applications through February 3, 2012.

You are invited to attend a volunteer orientation session to learn and become fully aware of the role of volunteer mediator, the training commitment required, our history, mission, and vision.

Please plan to attend one of the following sessions:

Orientation takes place at the Dayton Mediation Center, 371 W. 2nd Street, Dayton, Ohio.

New volunteer training spans three dates, you must attend all training classes:

Thursday, March 1st, 2012 from 5:30 - 9:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 3rd, 2012 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 10th, 2012 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Volunteer Description and Responsibilities

Volunteer mediators will work to promote the Center and its idea of peaceful resolution to conflicts and mediate within the Tranformative Mediation model, including:

• Helping people communicate in a positive and constructive manner.
• Working to provide all participants with the opportunity to express themselves and to listen to each other.
• Helping participants strengthen their self-understanding and ro recognize the feelings and throughts of the other party.
• Helping participants understand mediation as more than a process to reach agreement.
• Helping participants develop their own unique process to manage the situation, explore the situation with each other, understand waht the situation means to them, explore possible actions and reactions to the situation and determine if and what decisions need to be made about the situation.
• Develop a reflective mediation practice.

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Responsibilities of the Volunteer Mediation:

• Participate in 22 hours of classroom training, 18 hours on-the-job training, 18 hours of skill-builidng sessions, complete a videotaped mediation role play and debriefing session, and participate in ongoing supervision, as well as annual skill building sesssions.
• Volunteer for the Center at least four hours per month for two years (includes nine months as an apprentice mediator and fifteen months as a full mediator.

Volunteer Qualifications

Volunteer mediators must:

• Be committed to helping the greater community find safe and constructive alternatives to violence.
• Have good written andoral language skills.
• Use supportive listening skills and exhibit understanding of participants' feelings.
• Support parties' unique and individualized thinking and decision-making processes.
• Create a supportive, safe environment when faced withpeople in conflict.
• Be sensitive to the fact that some people do not read or write.
• Recognize that the mediation process requires the practitioner toc ontinually learn and practice.

Benefits of Volunteering

Volunteer Mediators will:

• Learn new, and enhance existing skills by learning a mediation process and by taking part in ongoing and periodic update training and supervision.
• Develop positive influence through a community involvement that empowers citizens to develop their own process to manage their conflict(s).
• Develop a network with community volunteers.

Ethical Considerations

• All decisions are to be made by the participants. The mediator will not impose decisioins on the participants including not directing participants to reach agreements.
• Legal advice will not be given in the case development process or mediation process. If it appears that legal or any other technical information is being requested, referrals can be made to the appropriate agencies (if the participants request such information).
• If there is a real chance of violence or if the process is being maintained under duress, mediators iwll support the participants' decision to stop the session.
• Mediators will maintain strict confidentiality of all mediation sessions.
• Mediators will not participate in a session in which they have a financial or personal interest in the outcome of the procedures and will notify the Center staff if they personally know the participant.
• Mediators will not use the Center's training manuals or other materials without permission.
• Mediators will not solicit the Center's clients or use their affiliation with the Center to promote their private practice or business.
• To avoid conflict of interest, mediators engaging in for-profit mediation and/or training will inform the Dayton Mediation Center.

Volunteer Application Form

Volunteer Application Form