Sacramento Mediation Center
The Sacramento Mediation Center (SMC) provides confidential and neutral conflict resolution assistance to individuals, families, businesses, organizations, neighborhoods, and government agencies. In doing so, SMC creates unique opportunities for participatory decisions, interest-based resolutions, and peacemaking.
SMC has broadened its responsibility to safeguard community well-being by developing cooperative partnerships with the government, the judicial system, community-based organizations, and the private sector. This partnership requires supporting common visions, coordinating missions, and maintaining collaborative working relationships.
- Two-Party Dispute Resolution
- Multiple Party Services: Dispute Resolution & Problem Solving
- Court-Based Civil Harassment Mediation
- Group Facilitation & Consulting
- Mediation Training: Basic & Integrative Skills
At the heart of these services is the commitment to enhance problem-solving methods, improve communication and understanding, and advance the principles of restorative justice. In July of 2008, California Lawyers for the Arts, Sacramento, became the administrator of the Sacramento Mediation Center.
Mission: To provide mediation and other dispute resolution services to assist the Sacramento community in resolving conflict in a non-adversarial manner.
Types of relationships or situations appropriate for mediation *
- Adult/Youth
- Business/Commercial
- Contractor/Client
- Employee/Employer
- Landlord/Tenant
- Lawyer/Client
- Neighbor/Neighbor
- Organization/Organization
- Partner/Partner
- Personal Injury
- Personal Relationships
- Probate
- Sales/Lease
- And other situations where people or groups experience difficulty reaching agreement
Additional Services:
- Mediation Training
- Group Facilitation
- Consultation
- Neighborhood Coaching
Dispute Resolution and Problem Solving
Mission: Provide conflict resolution and interest based problem solving mediation and facilitation to residents, business and property owners, government agencies, and other groups who want to resolve issues.
SMC Multi Party Services
The specific problems SMC Multiple Party Services address are disputes that generally involve some level of private or public nuisance activity, land use, a conflict in lifestyle standards, or other quality of life concerns. Usually, the problem persists despite interventions ranging from informal exchanges between parties to government citations and fines.
SMC’s greatest strength is its ability to bring together diverse parties, facilitate a dialogue that results in increased respect and understanding, and then move people into active problem solving. As a result, SMC holds a positive and passionate vision for change through participatory processes.
SMC Multiple Party Services goal is to promote harmony, goodwill, and mutual cooperation through:
- early intervention
- community education
- legal burden reduction
- violence prevention
- relationship building
- quality of life improvement
The SMC Multiple Party Services process model is designed to actively involve key stakeholders. It is the stakeholders who will
- communicate issues and concerns
- define the conflict/problem
- identify impacts
- assess interests
- explore options for addressing issues
- sort and prioritize agreement elements, and finally
- craft a detailed and workable resolution
A typical case includes pre-session stakeholder interviews, mediation sessions, and written meeting summaries for participants.
SMC Multiple Party Services cases involve a wide range of issues, which are frequently rooted in poor or threatening communication.
Examples of these cases include:
- community nuisance activities
- environmental disputes
- neighborhood land use disagreements
- employee relations
- conflicting government agency missions
Types of clients include:
- residents
- neighborhood associations
- businesses
- churches
- government agencies
- property owners and management
- community based organizations
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The Sacramento Mediation Center strives to provide cost effective services for the greater Sacramento area. These services are made possible from grants, donations, and volunteers. Please contact us regarding current fees for Multi-Party and business mediation services.
Mediation Trainings
The Sacramento Mediation Center, and Arts Arbitration and Mediation Services (AAMS), programs of California Lawyers for the Arts, offer mediation trainings to the community. Our most popular trainings are described below.
Basic Mediation Skills Training
Learn the art of mediation and conflict resolution. This training is open to those who are new to mediation, as well as to those who wish to refresh their skills. Topics include communication and listening skills, the mediation process, confidentiality, neutrality, and ethics. For those interested in applying to volunteer on our AAMS and SMC mediator panels, this training is essential. Whether you’re interested in building your human resources, legal, management, or interpersonal skills, or starting out on a new career path, you will find this training indispensible.
One Day Mediation Refresher
A one-day training for experienced neutrals interested in qualifying for membership on our Arts Arbitration and Mediation Services (AAMS) and SMC panel. This training also serves as a refresher opportunity for current AAMS and SMC Panelists.
Private mediation Training for Businesses, Organizations, and Groups. We are happy to tailor our mediation trainings to suit the needs of your organization. Please use THIS contact form to discuss your training requests.
Contact Your Local Office:
CONTACT:
Contact Us – click here to submit questions or request contact
Tel: (916) 441-7979
sacramento@calawyersforthearts.org
Interested in joining our volunteer mediator and arbitrator panel?
All prospective mediator panelists must fill out an online questionnaire, or downloaded a paper version in Word or PDF format. Send your application questionnaire and a resume to:
- San Francisco Bay Area mediator panel, please send the questionnaire by email.
- Sacramento Area mediator panel please send the questionnaire by email.
- Southern California Area panel please send the questionnaire by email.
Please see our events calendar for upcoming AAMS trainings.
AAMS staff are neutral and cannot give legal advice. Also, they cannot review completed arbitration forms for accuracy. If you wish to arrange a consultation with an attorney, you may contact the Lawyer Referral Service of California Lawyers for the Arts at 888-775-8995.
These Services Are Made Possible in Part Through Support from the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs and the California Dispute Resolution Programs Act.