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Talk. Listen. Resolve. |
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Community Mediation Program |
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How much do your mediation services cost? 1. It’s free.
How can you offer mediation for free? 1. We are a nonprofit 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization and we receive funding from the community (both government and private sources) 2. Our mediation sessions are offered by professionally trained volunteers
Is everything confidential in mediation? 1. We keep everything you say in mediation private. 2. We even shred the notes afterward. 3. Mediation contents are inadmissible in court hearings. 4. Exceptions to confidentiality include child abuse, elder abuse, and credible threats of violence.
How do I know the other person is going to follow through with the mediation agreement? Is it enforceable? 1. People are more likely to keep agreements that they design themselves in a non-coercive process. 2. When we follow up with people after three months, the vast majority feel that their agreement is still working. 3. Your mediated agreement may be an enforceable contract. 4. CMP is neutral, and we do not give legal advice. 5. The agreement is enforceable to the extent that it can be upheld in court. Contract law is very complicated: Only your attorney can answer questions about how enforceable the agreement is.
Do you enforce the agreement? 1. No. 2. We do follow up with people in three months to see if the agreement is still working, and sometimes people come back to mediation after they have problems with aspects of their mediation agreement.
Who are your mediators? 1. They are over 250 professionally trained volunteers. 2. They are citizens of Baltimore city, whose diversity reflects the diversity of the city as a whole. 3. They are from a variety of backgrounds, from people with PhDs to plumbers. 4. Mediators go through a 50 hour training and an in-depth apprenticeship with experienced mediators. 5. The CMP mediator training meets Maryland Rule 17 governing mediator training, and completion of the CMP mediator training & apprenticeship equips mediators to mediate in court settings in Maryland.
My family members saw the whole fight – can I bring them to the mediation as witnesses? 1. You can invite whoever you need to as support. 2. When considering whether to bring a “witness,” keep in mind that the mediators are not going to be making any judgments about who is right or wrong, or what really happened. 3. Everyone needs to agree to the presence of each participant – there are no surprise participants.
What good is mediation if you don’t give advice? 1. Mediators serve as a neutral third party in the dispute and guide a set conflict resolution process that really works. 2. Mediators listen & help identify feelings values and topics involved in the conflict.
How long is the process? – I don’t have all day! 1. Our sessions are two hours long. 2. We will provide as many sessions as it takes to resolve the conflict to everyone’s satisfaction. 3. Typically, participants complete 1-4 sessions, but we have done 15+ sessions in certain family conflicts. |
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About Us } |
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Frequently Asked Questions |
