NCJ Number
98787
Journal
Mediation Quarterly Issue: 2 Dated: (December 1983) Pages: 79-89
Date Published
1983
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This chapter discusses reasons for training family mediators, who should be trained, the information and skills required for family mediators, and methods for training family mediators.
Abstract
Family mediators must be trained, because family mediation involves new and generally unfamiliar conflict management procedures. Also, the prospect for an effective dispute settlement increases as the mediator's knowledge and experience increases, and training provides quality control and regulation of persons entering the profession. Although some argue that those best prepared to mediate family disputes are professionals already engaged in family work(therapists, attorneys, social workers, and counselors), training should be open to persons of varied backgrounds because mediation involves skills different from either legal or mental health work. Training should cover substantive information, negotiation and mediation procedures as well as skills, conciliatory procedures, and ethics. Substantive information pertains to divorce and custody law, budgeting and accounting, custody and visitation models, child support models, property division models, spousal support, and family psychodynamics. Training in mediation procedures and skills should cover general problemsolving steps and specific techniques to assist parties in handling particular situations. Training models already found effective are team supervision, supervision of practitioners, inservice programs on topics of special interest, and specialized university courses. Twenty-nine references are listed.