ACCORD'S VOLUNTEER MEDIATOR TRAINING PROGRAM

Thank you for your interest in ACCORD's mediation training program. Since 1982, ACCORD has prepared hundreds of people to intervene in conflicts. Our Initial Mediation Training provides participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to become an effective community mediator. A trainer certified by the New York State Unified Court System conducts the mediator training. The program is presented in a lively, interactive format that includes lecture, discussion, video, and participatory exercises.

There are two ways that you can attend the training. The first is to apply to become a volunteer mediator for ACCORD. The second is to attend the training but not apply for the volunteer mediation program. These two options are discussed below.

If you apply and are selected to become an ACCORD volunteer mediator, the $350.00 training fee is waived in exchange for your commitment to mediate at least once a month for a period of at least two years for ACCORD's Broome and Tioga County Community Mediation Program. However, even though the training fee is waived, we do request a $50 donation to offset the cost of the training. (This fee can be waived if it creates a hardship.) In addition to the 36-hour Initial and Court Related classroom training, volunteer mediators participate in an apprenticeship program, gain practical experience, and may attend advanced trainings that prepare them to mediate special types of cases such as those involving child custody and parenting time.

Prospective mediators and newly trained mediators will be screened throughout the training and apprenticeship process to determine their appropriateness for the role of an ACCORD volunteer mediator and to assist them in making realistic decisions about their appropriateness for the role of mediator.

If you do not wish to become an ACCORD volunteer mediator, but you wish to attend the mediator training, you may pay a fee of $350 and attend the 36-hour Initial and Court Related classroom portion of the training without further obligation. This course, although geared to resolving community disputes, will give you a basic understanding of the nature of conflict, different methods of conflict resolution, the role of the mediator, and mediator skills and ethics. This information is valuable for anyone who is called upon to resolve conflicts, whether in the business world, as a human service professional, or at home.