Mediation provides an informal, conflict intervention process. A mediator supports participants to create a constructive environment that allows them to talk with each other to express their concerns, to listen, and to make decisions about their situation. A mediator can help participants hear each other in a different way than may have been possible without mediation. Mediation can be conducted between neighbors, youth, youth and parents, landlords and tenants, visitation-parenting issues, family issues, divorce/dissolutions, elder care/care-giving concerns and small-claims issues.

Managing personal and organizational conflicts can be a challenging experience. Conflict Coaching provides individualized, private and confidential, one- on-one sessions. Conflict coaching is designed to provide short-term intervention support in order to explore a situation and develop optional pathways to reach a productive engagement among individuals or groups in conflict.

The Center’s conflict intervention professionals provide conflict competency training to assist organizations, citizen groups, businesses and schools. The goal of conflict management training is to help participants understand the nature of conflict and how to effectively deal with conflict when it arises. The Center offers a one-day training session: Responding Effectively to Conflict. The program helps individuals develop their own interpersonal skills to strengthen their confidence in handling challenging and difficult situations at home, work, school and in the community. The Center also conducts youth and adult peer mediation training.

The Center works with organizations, citizen’s groups, communities, businesses and other interested parties, who are faced with making major decisions or need assistance exploring ideas and options in order to address complex problems. The Center’s facilitators support small and large group discussions that seek to support the development of humanizing, empathetic understanding through facilitated conversations. Facilitators work with parties to explore and to brainstorm, clarify concerns, build understanding and create a connection, in order to support greater clarity and understanding that supports and enhances both short- and long-term decision-making.

Organizations often encounter difficulties with communicating effectively and productively. Our team building process is designed to support constructive interaction through the facilitation of critical conversations among team members. This process allows participants to identify and address issues that challenge individuals, small groups or the entire team. The process supports and guides difficult conversations that might not happen without facilitation.