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<br />~I <br /> <br />school resource officers. In school cases. <br />NHMP offers peer mediatio!l~ainiDg <br />'arid supPOrt. teaching studentS,how to <br />help,e<ich other tackle minor conflicts. <br />~~y_ -~ases are, too.. seriousfo! peer <br />m~ation., and JI:1C~~. ,are hand,le~,~Y <br />adult cOnUnunit{-;mediators. NHMP <br />provides a, team of mediators one day a <br />week in two. secondary schools. <br />Peer mediation training and sup- <br />port, plus an anger management class <br />far court-ordered juveniles, is empha- <br />sized by MSAC. taQ. "We are working <br />directly with schools districts inAnoka <br />COUDty, mediating school suspension <br />cases," says Wallerstedt. <br />Neighborhood disputes~also CO~- <br />monly referred. Like its counterparts. <br />the Dispute Resolution Center handles <br />a variety of these. citing noise com- <br />plaints, pet problems. parking, prop~ <br />erty lines. and vandalism as the most <br />common. TheDisputeResolutionCenter <br />also mediates small claims cases re- <br />garding accidents, money owed, and <br />property damage. <br />Other. cases referred to mediation <br />include harassment and discrimination. <br />Hennepin County District' Court en- <br />couragesthe '~se of mediation to s~ttle <br />~OIi~~fl?-~ate~g disputes, :~g <br />dispUtantS to try iriediaQon'~fo.re re- <br />sorting.:o restrainirig orders. <br />With complic_ated. changing family <br />situations becoming more and more <br />prevalent, all six mediation programs <br />offer services for shared parenting me- <br />diation services. Thesemediations help <br />constructive decision-making in shared <br />parenting situations and encouragecivil <br />interaction between participants end- <br />ing relationships. . <br /> <br />The Costs of Conflict <br />Mediation is affordable, which is <br />one reason why it is so successfuL <br />Disputing parties are more tempted to <br />attend the sessions because it will save <br />them money on legal fees or restitution <br />payments in the courts. For the Dispute <br />ResolQtion Center, says Director Jeanne <br />F. Zimmer, "Fees are dependant upon <br />tbe type of case and number ofpartici- <br />pants involved. Sliding fees are aVail- <br />able for those who meet income guide. <br />lines.Nooneisdenied service forinability <br />to pay:' <br /> <br />II <br /> <br /> <br />Ann Wallersteilt',.J:;x~~tiveAij:,.- <br />rector, M~diation Serrice~ ':for <br />Anoka Connty Oeft) and Beth <br />Bailey-Allen of the North <br />Hennepin Mediation Program <br />explain the usefullness of me- <br />diation for law enforcement <br />officers. <br /> <br />Belb Bailey-Allen says, ''Typically <br />the cost of mc;:diati()D 1S covered by or at . <br />least subsidized ,by ~ third party-for <br />example,. a municipality or a court. <br />Fees range fraIn free to $159 fOI'~h~ <br />pafenting.medioition,._.. .,,' ~ <br />. ..., .-..,. .'",..",.. ',"'., <br />-~"ediationmay-'be economj.c;al for <br />disputants in comparison to court fees, <br />but the programs do take a lot to run. <br />While most of the program staff is <br />volunteer, the full-time positions are <br />paid and there are many other expenses <br />for running a mediation program. <br />Most of the money comes from a <br />combination of "slate funding, local <br />funding, and private funding," says <br />Bailey-Allen. Executive Director"Ann <br />Wall~I5ted~ says MediaJion Service~of <br />Anoka County also receives county <br />funding and hosts a benefit each year. <br />Dispute Resolution Center, says <br />Jeanne Zimmer, is facing cuts in gov- <br />ernment support. "qver the past 21 <br />years, a variety to government entities <br />have supported DRC; lbat funding has <br />been reduced by almost 80 percent," <br />she says. The effect of these cuts has <br />been a decrease in caselo.ad. In 2001, <br />DRC handled a total of 714 cases; in . <br />2003, lbat number slipped to 485. <br />BettyChristenson ofAltemative Dis- <br />pute Resolution Services says theirpro- <br /> <br />IL <br /> <br />gram been affected recently by their <br />financial situation. A significan~ state <br />re<iuction in funding for servh:es,atthe <br />lOCal level "chan~nged the-viability ~f <br />all ,non~mandated servjces:'; she says. <br /> <br />Relationship With <br />Law-Enforcement <br />Ann Wallerstedt of Mediation Ser- <br />vices of Anoka and Beth Bailey-Allen <br />of North Hennepin Mediation Program <br />both feel that the relationship between <br />law enforcement and the mediation pro- <br />grams is critical. Officers are the first <br />ones called to disturbances and are <br />aware of ongoing squabbles that might <br />benefit from mediation. Officers are <br />encouraged to identify these cases and <br />tell the parties about mediation option. <br />Each of the six mediation programs <br />has different protocols for reporting <br />mediation cases. Officers n~ed to fa- <br />miliarize themselves with the proce- <br />dures of the mediation program avail- <br />able to their department before reporting <br />any cases. <br />Bailey-Allen prefers thatNHMPstaff <br />make the call to the parties involved <br />after receiving referrals from law. ,en- <br />forcement. She notes, ~'Thete_i.l:e,.t.wo <br />things police can do -that :wilLgr.eatly;. <br />increase the ~dds ,thatja,caseJ-gets <br />resolved. First, make ,the-referral di-: <br />rectlyto the mediation programsothat <br />. the burden is on us to make that, first <br />phone call. The second thing they can <br />do is let folks know right on the spot <br />that they think mediation would be <br />beneficial and that they [the officers] <br />will refer them to mediation." <br />Wallerstedt's program differs slightly <br />in its reporting process. She hands out <br />business.catdstooflicers wilbtbeprogram's <br />contactinfonnatiOnandencouragesthem- <br />to fax police reports~ Most juvenile cases <br />inAnoka County, however, need to go to <br />the county attorney first. <br />Michele Gullickson Moore of Min- <br />neapolisMediationProgram triestomake <br />a presentation at police station roll call <br />once a year. She hands out laminated <br />business cards for law enfofcement of- <br />ficersand provides lbe precinct wilb br0- <br />chures. Refenals can come "eilber by <br />having the officer call us and give US the <br />contact info or by having ~~ ,offi~r' <br />encourage the parties to call in. The <br /> <br />AUTUMN 2004/15 <br /> <br />Ii <br />