NCJ Number
107395
Journal
Mediation Quarterly Issue: 17 Dated: (Fall 1987) Pages: 11-22
Date Published
1987
Length
12 pages
Annotation
A descriptive analysis of the use of family mediation services in nonprofit family service agencies focuses on the programs' history and locations, staff issues, the mediation process, administrative aspects, and the potential for institutionalization of the services.
Abstract
Family Service of America provided a list of the 53 agencies identified by the national organization as having mediation services. Twenty-three of the 40 agencies that responded to the researchers' letter actually have mediation services. One agency, the Cambridge Program, differs from the others in several crucial respects and is analyzed separately. Eleven of the other 22 agencies are in the east, 10 in the midwest, and 1 in the west. The distribution is related more to the internal agency situation than to the external State or county context. Professionals providing the service usually have Masters in Social Work degrees who have been trained in mediation. Mediators are professionally isolated, with only half the programs having affiliation with professional mediation associations. The agencies offer a limited amount of mediation. Agencies do not try to serve all divorce mediation needs. Most agencies plan to continue the service. Major areas of support needed are (1) increasing public awareness, (2) developing professional standards, and (3) initiating mandatory mediation through State legislation. Additional findings and implications, tables, figure, and 6 references.