40 hr Basic Mediation

Our next 40-Hour Fundamentals of Mediation Training will be October 11, 12, 13 and 26, 27, 2024

Email your completed registration form to intake@drctc.org.

Space is limited to 8 per session, register now to guarantee a place in class!

There is a minimum of 4 registrations required for each class. We are especially in need of Spanish speaking bilingual mediators at this time.  Please call and talk to our Director if you have any questions.

This is the basic course required by most mediation centers to qualify as a mediator. It is intended for those who are interested in becoming a volunteer mediator for our Center. It is the same basic mediation training used across the country in mediation centers and schools of law that offer alternative dispute resolution courses. This course examines the theory and practice of mediation in all of its facets. Combining practical applications with theory from the very outset, this course will transform the way you look at conflict and open avenues for resolution that you did not know existed. The course is taught by certified, practicing mediators who bring a wealth of practical experience to share with you!

NOTE: While our 40 Hour Basic Mediation Training is primarily designed for volunteer mediators, it can also be taken by non-mediating professional and business people who would like to enhance their conflict management skills in their own work place. Human Resource employees, managers, supervisors, attorneys, etc. will find the skills taught in this training to be valuable. CE credits are available for attorneys and educators. The fee for professionals is $650.00. A Certificate of Completion is issued upon completion of the final exam.

The people who have served as mediators for our Center over the years will tell you that they have not only found this work to be very gratifying, but it has been life changing for them. We are constantly seeking to increase the size of our cadre of mediators. In the past we have charged for the 40 Hr Fundamentals of Mediation training, and many DRC’s and law schools still do. At DRCTC, we have always subsidized the training to keep the fee as low as possible. Beginning in 2024, we have made the decisionto offer the training to those who want to be volunteer mediators for the DRCTC for the minimal charge of $100.00 to cover the cost of materials and amenities during the training. In exchange, we will ask any who go on to be certified mediators that they be willing to mediate for a period of three years. This is not as demanding as it may seem. The minimum that we require is that you mediate at least 4 times a year and attend our Mediator In-Service sessions. If you take the training and for any reason decide that being a certified mediator is not something you want to do, there will be no pressure for you to do so. We encourage you to sign up for our training and see for yourself how beneficial the skills we teach are. 

To get the most from this experience, all participants will participate in practice mediation role-plays and exercises. Please arrange your outside obligations around the class schedule, so you will be in attendance for the full 40 hours of training. The nature of the training is such that it is not possible to make up missed sessions.

COURSE LAYOUT

DAY ONE

  • Welcome and Introductions
  • The Conflict Cycle
  • Conflict Management Styles
  • Overview of the Mediation Process
  • Mediation Video
  • Standards of Practice
  • Listening and Communication Skills
  • The Intake Process

DAY TWO

  • Legal Process
  • Issues, Interests, and Positions
  • Assumptions, Truths, and Impartiality
  • Reframing
  • Reality testing
  • Barriers and Barrier Busting
  • Power Imbalances and Mediator Power
  • Setup and Mediator Opening Statements

DAY THREE

  • Client Opening Statements
  • Building the Agenda
  • Practice Mediation
  • Negotiations
  • Caucus
  • Settlement Writing
  • Closure and Debrief
  • 1st Practice Mediation
  • Debrief Statements

DAY FOUR

  • Review and Discussion
  • Full Demonstration Mediation
  • Large Group Debrief
  • Questions and Clarifications
  • Full Practice Mediation #2
  • Coach Debrief
  • Large Group Debrief

DAY FIVE

  • Insights and Questions
  • Full Practice Mediation #3
  • Coaches Debrief
  • Large Group Debrief
  • Full Practice Mediation #4
  • Debrief
  • Certification Standards
  • Final Exam* (Take home)
  • Closure

*Completing the final exam is a requirement in order to receive a Certificate of Completion for the class. Following completion of the exam, successful candidates who are interested may be invited to enter the Mediator Internship Program leading to Certified Mediator status.