<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:'
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<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
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