LAKE COUNTY – On May 9, 16 and 30, from, 8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., a class of nine people completed 24 hours of training, sponsored by the Lake Superior Court Civil Mediation Program and the Lake County dispute Resolution Services, Inc. (LCDRS).
Trainers leading the group were Cathy Ward, J.D., ADR coordinator for the Lake County Superior Court; Andy Rossoff, directing attorney, Senior Law Project; and Barbara Johnson, executive director, LCDRS.
As Rossoff explained, “Mediators help parties in conflict find collaborative solutions outside of court.”.
When I arrived for the first class, my first thought was, “What am I doing here?” The “ice breaker” was focused on getting acquainted with my fellow students.
We came from diverse backgrounds: a gentleman who travels the world who happens to be an attorney, a paralegal who is currently training to swim across the Blue Lakes, a real estate agent, a registered member of Big Valley Rancheria, a single mom who is also a bartender and a physical therapy aide, an attorney who is also an existing mediator and others who also want to expand their “life resume.”
After attending three Saturdays of mediation training, this homemaker, desiring to expand her “life resume,” acquired the basic methods of non-biased thinking, listening, facilitating the clear communication of disputants’ needs and interests, and helping others to find acceptable solutions.
“These new mediators will bring a diversity of life experiences to the community mediation services in Lake County,” said Johnson. “It is proof that everyday folks are able to learn valuable new skills in service to their community.”
I am looking forward to completing the required 25 hours of volunteer “pay-back” and the opportunity to test these skills while co-mediating disputants in Lake County Superior Court's small claims court and eviction proceedings. An additional benefit of this class is that these basic skills will be available to me to us in my daily affairs with family, friends and coworkers.
“The skills taught are useful in all sorts of environments,” said Susanna DeAngelo Fraser, tribal prevention coordinator. “It would be so helpful to bring this format in a number of situations that I am currently dealing with. The power of real heart felt listening and acknowledgment and decisions made based on input from both parties seems so basic, yet isn’t readily accessible.”
Ward, Rossoff and Johnson gave a very impressive and effective class. Thank you, fellow classmates, for contributing your comments; this will encourage a wider range of future mediator trainees to sign-up for the next mediation training session.
Any reader wanting help solving a dispute or interested in hearing about the next basic mediation training session (probably late fall 2009) is invited to call the Lake County Dispute Resolution Services Inc. at 707-263-6800 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
