What is Mediation?
Mediation is a voluntary, non-judgmental, and confidential dispute resolution process in which trained mediators help people have difficult conversations, make plans about things, and/or resolve their conflicts. Mediation lets people speak for themselves and make their own decisions. Anyone can use mediation.
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If you would like to make use of the service, please click any of the "Request Mediation" buttons.
Mediation is an informal process done in a neutral and private setting with two professionally trained volunteer mediators. They will:
- Listen as you explain the issues of the conflict
- Ask questions to help you and the other person clarify and understand the issues
- Guide you through a process to develop solutions
- Assist you in writing up an agreement that works for everyone involved.
Non-judgmental
The mediators will not take sides, assess blame, or tell you what to do. Also, mediators will not force you to make decisions.
Confidential
The mediation process is confidential, except in cases of child abuse, elder abuse, and credible threats of violence. The mediators will not give information shared in the mediation process with anyone outside the process.
Voluntary
Mediation is voluntary. Either participant can end the mediation process at any time and no one can be forced to agree to anything that they do not want.
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What are BCMC's Values?
Community mediation provides a non-profit framework for ensuring access to mediation services at the community level with control and responsibility for dispute resolution maintained in the community. Community mediation strives to:
- Train community members who reflect the community's diversity with regard to age, race, gender, ethnicity, income and education to serve as volunteer mediators
- Provide mediation services at no cost or on a sliding scale
- Hold mediations in neighborhoods where disputes occur
- Schedule mediations at a time and place convenient to the participants
- Encourage early use of mediation to prevent violence or to reduce the need for court intervention, as well as provide mediation at any stage in a dispute
- Mediate community-based disputes that come from referral sources including self-referrals, police, courts, community organizations, civic groups, religious institutions, government agencies and others
- Educate community members about conflict resolution and mediation
- Maintain high quality mediators by providing intensive, skills-based training, apprenticeships, continuing education and ongoing evaluation of volunteer mediators
- Work with the community in governing community mediation programs in a manner that is based on collaborative problem solving among staff, volunteers and community members
- Provide mediation, education, and potentially other conflict resolution processes to community members who reflect the community's diversity with regard to age, race, gender, ethnicity, income, education, and geographic location
Download our brochures to learn more about the services we offer!
General Mediation Service Information