SIDNEY – The USA network’s “Fairly Legal” television series and its protagonist Kate Reed put a glamorous spin on the art of mediation every Thursday evening. According to NYS certified mediation trainer Donna Kankiewicz, the work of a good mediator is quite the opposite yet just as rewarding – utilizing his or her professional expertise and experience to help people listen to one another and better understand each other’s point of view.
Dispute Resolution Services of Chenango, Delaware and Otsego Counties offers specialized volunteer mediation services for a wide variety of disputes in a non-judicial, neutral setting. Conflicts between a customer and merchant, an agency and client, small claims actions, landlord and tenant disputes, property and employment issues, special education and child custody are just a few of the scenarios in which the organization can be of benefit, said local Dispute Resolution Services Director Jennifer Morris.
Partnered with Catholic Charities of Delaware and Otsego Counties and under contract with the NYS Unified Court System, the organization is growing much faster than anticipated, she added, and opportunities for training as a volunteer mediator are available. The group currently boasts 45 mediators, some of whom have over two decades of experience.
The training, however, is extensive.
Volunteers must complete a minimum of 30 hours in basic mediation training, 15 hours of older adult mediation training and six hours of facilitation training, stated Morris. Many of the specialized branches of the program – such as divorce, child custody and special education – demand an additional 40 to 60 hours of instruction.
“The advantage of mediation is that people in conflict find an opportunity to have their needs met through a facilitated problem solving process,” said Kankiewicz. “Basically, we produce an environment where people can safely be heard.”
The ultimate goal is for those in contention to walk away with a more open perspective, said Kankiewicz, to view the problem – whatever it may be – through a value system other than their own. Many people are often unable to move to a point of dual concern, where they’re concerned not only for themselves, but the opposing party as well, she added.
“That’s the goal, to see people walk away, with or without an agreement, with a better perspective, to find a resolution that met both of their needs,” said Kankiewicz.
A veteran intermediary with Dispute Resolution Services, mediator Ken Austin said he’s found his experience with the organization to be an extremely positive one. The services provided at Dispute Resolution Services are quite unique in that regard, he added.
“With attorneys, by training, it becomes an adversarial event and I sometimes think people lose focus as to what they’re trying to accomplish,” stated Austin. “A majority of our work is related to child custody where the focus should really be on the child. With mediation, each party gets to tell their story, their concerns, and once that happens it’s an opportunity to see where they have some mutual understanding, where their and their children’s interests are met.”
According to Chenango County Family Court Case Manager and mediator Tina White, the common misconception is that mediators are always able to come up with a final solution. And while this can be the case many times, a mediator’s real job is to get involved parties communicating when those lines have broken down.
“It’s a truly valuable service that a lot of people aren’t utilizing and it can be a useful tool,” said White.
For more information on Dispute Resolution Services of Chenango, Delaware and Otsego Counties call 334-1984, 746-8274 or 432-0061 respectively.