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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.

Sacramento Mediation Center Primary Services:

  • 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. 

Two Party Mediation Services
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
* The Sacramento Mediation Center does not mediate situations that involve physical or sexual assaults.

Multi-Party Mediation Services
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 Multiple 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.

Goals and Objectives
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
Approach
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. 

Types of Cases
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
Clients
Types of clients include:
  • residents
  • neighborhood associations
  • businesses
  • churches
  • government agencies
  • property owners and management
  • community based organizations
Fees
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.


Articles About the SMC

Sacramento Bee Articles 
State's at an impasse - let's call in a mediator
By Ellen Taylor
Special to The Bee
Published: Sunday, Jul. 12, 2009 - 12:00 am | Page 2E

With state budget negotiations in a seemingly interminable impasse, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger suggested recently that legislators may have lost the art of compromise. Perhaps that is not the case. Clearly, rather than a lost art, compromise needs to be practiced more artfully. Read more 

Q&A: Mediators brainstorm on how to fix the state budget process
Published 12:00 am PDT Monday, September 22, 2008

As California's longest budget stalemate in state history ground to a close, six professional mediators met with The Bee's Capitol Bureau last week to offer their thoughts on building a more functional state budget process. Read more

NPR Article
Mediators Help Families With Tough Choices of Aging
by Joseph Shapiro
Morning Edition, April 13, 2009

They are disputes that can split apart families: Mom's left a pot on the stove again, so her daughters want her to give up her house. Dad's got more scrapes on his car, so his kids want to take away the car keys. Now there's a new option for families: Call in an elder mediator, like Rikk Larsen. Read more 


  

 

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The information provided on this website is not legal advice. You should consult with an attorney for individual advice regarding your legal matters.

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