Mediation 40-Hour Certificate Training
February 1- 3, 11- 12, 2010
for more info click here

What is Mediation? Mediation is a process for helping people resolve disputes and disagreements. Trained mediators work with people in conflict to listen and help develop fair and workable agreements.

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Mediation is: Voluntary - It is your decision to participate Effective - People work out their own agreements with the mediators' help Informal - No official proceedings, just plain talk Quick - It ususally takes just a few hours and happens within a week or two of your call Satisfying - You tell your story and you participate in finding a solution Affordable - Services are free or at low cost---donations accepted

Services Provided:

CMS provides mediation free or at low cost to community members. Types of mediation include, but are not limited to: mediation in landlord tenant disputes, neighbor to neighbor disputes, employer/employee disputes, disputes between service providers/clients and parent/teen conflicts.

What is the process?

• When you call CMS, you will discuss your dispute with a case coordinator who will help you decide if mediation is right for you.
• If all involved parties agree, the coordinator will arrange a convenient time and place for mediation.
• Skilled mediators, trained to create a safe and respectful environment, help the parties discuss their differences and find common ground.
• Each party has an opportunity to tell his or her story.
• With the mediators’ help, all parties contribute to working out solutions they all can live with.
• The agreement is written down and signed by all parties.

Population Served:

CMS serves Maine citizens and mediation is free of charge or at low cost. Although mediation services are available to all populations, grants we receive emphasize service to those who are economically and socially disadvantaged, including cases referred by Pine Tree Legal Assistance, Legal Service for the Elderly, the Volunteer Lawyers Project, Maine Human Rights Commission, and the Maine State Housing Authority.

Statewide Services:

CMS provides statewide mediation, facilitation and conflict coaching to clients, service providers and children's grievances for the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

CMS is Maine's USDA Certified State Agriculture Mediation Program, a service of the USDA, for producers who disagree with USDA actions and are offered mediation as part of the Department's informal appeals process.

Volunteer Mediators:

CMS uses a co-mediation model, where two mediators are present at each mediation. Volunteer mediators are required to have at least 40 hours of general mediation training as a condition of application. CMS gives additional training on topic areas relating to the types of expected cases. These include, but are not limited to, landlord tenant law, safety issues, mental health issues, and familiarity with the policies and mandates of legal services and mental health providers.

History:

Community Mediation Services (CMS) was established in September, 1993 and incorporated in February, 1994. It has a Board of Directors drawn from a diverse array of citizens, including people involved in education, law enforcement, courts, advocacy for low income and disabled people, public housing, elder services and the mental health community. The project first obtained a grant from the Maine Community Foundation to conduct a needs assessment on the need for, and likely utilization of, a community mediation program. Subsequently the board developed referral arrangements with several agencies and recruited 15 trained volunteer mediators that were provided with additional program specific training. In April of 1996 the project was able to hire a part-time coordinator and in April of 1999 CMS hired its first full-time Executive Director. Since then, the staff has increased to include a full-time Case Coordinator and a part-time Office Manager, and a roster of approximately 40 volunteer mediators.

CMS Receives Funding/Support From:

How can you support our Mediation Center?