General

What is Mediation?

Mediation is a problem solving process. The purpose of mediation is to help two or more people with very strong differences reach an agreement that will resolve their conflict. Mediation is a process in which people negotiate to reach solutions with the assistance of a neutral third party. In mediation, the people in conflict control the outcome and make decisions that will work for them — unlike arbitration or a legal judgment in which a stranger decides the outcome.

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What Does a Connection Partners, Inc. Mediator Do?

A mediator's role is to facilitate communication, guide the participants through a problem solving process, and help people negotiate. The mediator does not judge, find blame, or decide upon the best solution. Instead, the mediator facilitates the problem solving process so the participants can reach their own agreements about what they need to do to resolve their differences.

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What Is the Connection Partners, Inc. Mediation Process?

The mediator/s first explains and answers questions about the mediation process, and gains agreement on ground rules for how participants will listen to and interact with one another

• After signing an Agreement to Mediate, participants each describe the problem from their own perspective
• Based on the history presented, the mediator/s and participants agree on the problems to be resolved
• The mediator/s helps the participants, individually and together, generate and explore a variety of options to consider as possible solutions, in whole or in part
• The mediator/s then helps the participants evaluate how well each of the potential solution options meets their interests
• The mediation results in a written agreement specifying decisions made by the participants and written in easy to understand language