How to become a volunteer mediator

Mediation is one way to handle disputes in a community.

As courts are overrun with cases and litigation costs soar, many communities are searching for ways to resolve conflict outside the traditional court system. Mediation is an alternative dispute resolution method that provides an environment for people to discuss and settle problems before they escalate. Since many mediation programs are community-based, they rely on volunteer mediators to handle their caseloads. Through volunteering, citizens can make a valuable contribution to the mediation center and their communities.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Instructions

1. Find your local community mediation center. City, county and local governments fund some mediation centers, while other centers are independent nonprofit organizations. Mediation centers do not require volunteers to have a degree or license of any kind. They generally have clear guidelines for applying to be a volunteer mediator on their websites or you can get information over the phone.

2. Go through mediation training. Many community mediation centers provide 30 to 40 hours of free basic mediation training in exchange for a commitment of volunteer hours per week or month for a year or more. Centers usually schedule training on weekends or weeknights to accommodate the largest number of people. Most training sessions involve a combination of role-playing and lecture. The lectures cover active listening techniques, the purpose of mediation and the theories behind mediation. New volunteers then practice the mediation techniques they learn and receive feedback through role-playing.

3. Observe mediations. During or immediately following training, mediation centers typically request that their volunteers observe actual mediations. In the observation period, new mediators see how their training functions in real-world situations such as child visitation, neighbor and workplace disputes. The basic mediation techniques apply to any type of conflict which makes each mediation different and interesting.

4. Mediate, mediate and mediate. Like many things, mediation takes practice. The listening skills learned in training have to be developed and many mediators need to find their own mediation style. Volunteer mediators have to discover how comfortable they are with conflict and how much they want to speak. The type of mediation used dictates part of a volunteer’s mediation style; the rest is dependent on the individual. For example, in a transformative mediation, the disputants control the mediation process and the mediators simply facilitate the conversation. Other types of mediation allow more intervention. As mediation centers depend heavily on their volunteers, they provide plenty of opportunities to mediate during the week and on weekends.

5. Keep learning. While mediating, learning is almost inevitable. Mediators learn something new about themselves and/or their mediation style every time they mediate. In addition, mediation centers frequently offer continuing education classes to hone skills or explore new areas of mediation.

Tips & Warnings

• Become a good listener. As mediation involves making people feel heard, listening is an essential mediator skill.

• If you want to start a career in mediation, having volunteer experience and basic mediation training makes it easier to get accepted into a graduate program or to find a job.

References

• SEEDS Community Resolution Center: Volunteer Opportunities
• Dayton Mediation Center: Volunteering
• Community Mediation Center: Volunteering as a Community Mediator