Standard for Training Ontario Community Mediation Volunteers
This document contains the criteria for achieving the minimum standard of 21 hours for the training of community mediation service volunteers in Ontario, drafted in consultation with member organizations:
The intention of this document is that community mediation services in Ontario will implement these standards in practice.
The OCMC/CMCO will collectively adapt and amend the contents of this document as needed through mutual consent.
Certified Community Mediator (CCM) Designation
The Ontario Community Mediation Coalition has launched the Certified Community Mediator (CCM) Designation, a standard that recognizes advanced knowledge and practice in community mediation. Find out more here.
Core Values
Community mediation is part of a social justice, peacebuilding endeavour that seeks to promote healthy communities through the peaceful resolution of conflict. Training must provide volunteers with a full understanding of the core values of community mediation as defined by OCMC/CMCO.
Trainers must communicate to volunteers that the community mediation model used by OCMC/CMCO is one of several models utilized in the field of conflict resolution.
Circle Standards
Circle training focuses on relationships and the community at large. Training also acknowledges the traditional use of circles. Find out more here.
Conflict Analysis
Training must include an analytical component that defines and deconstructs conflict. This will include the use of a visual, analytical tool to effectively illustrate this concept.
Communication Skills
Training will include a minimum of 1 hour for teaching the effective communication and active listening skills that a volunteer needs to use during the facilitation of mediation. Trainers must give participants an opportunity to practice and receive feedback on their communication and active listening skills with other course participants.
Culture and Identity
Training must include discussions about culture and identity. This portion must also include an opportunity for volunteers to develop self-awareness in regards to these concepts as well as the impact of the mediator’s culture and identity on parties and the mediation process.
Neutrality and Impartiality
A key assumption of the community mediation process is that mediators are to be neutral and impartial. Mediation skills training must include theoretical and practical demonstration of these principles for the understanding of course participants.
Power
Training must include a discussion about power. It should deconstruct the concept of power, both perceived and actual. Mediators should be able to understand, identify and address power imbalances in the mediation process. Training should also provide volunteers with an understanding and awareness about the impact of the mediator’s power on the parties and the mediation process.
Problem Solving
Trainers must clearly articulate and demonstrate the role of the mediator in helping the parties to explore options for mutual solutions in the resolution of conflict.
Training must include teaching on the elements of a balanced and effective understanding in the resolution of conflict, such as the S.M.A.R.T. tool.
Training must include an effective technique for the consideration of options, such as brainstorming.
Training must provide volunteers with an opportunity for experiential learning. Volunteers should be able to demonstrate competence in this area.
Role Plays
A mediation role play is an interactive exercise in which the process, principles and skills of mediation are practiced for learning purposes.
A minimum of 3 role play opportunities must be granted to participants during the training session. Each participant must have the opportunity of playing the role of mediator for at least one full mediation play.
Role plays should be coached by experienced mediators so that participants may adequately employ the principles, core values and skills of transformative mediation learned during the training.
Training Mechanisms
Duration -Training for volunteer mediators will be a minimum of 21 hours.
Participant-Trainer Ratio -There will be a minimum of 1 trainer for every 25 training course participants.
Co-Mediation - The co-mediation model must be taught and practiced during course training.
Written Training Material - Participants will be given a training manual during course training to accompany their experiential learning.
Evaluation - Participants must be offered an opportunity to reflect on course content and provide feedback through evaluation during the training session. This may take the form of self or peer evaluation.
Volunteer Orientation - All new volunteers will attend a minimum 2 hour session orienting them to their organization’s operational, administrative and case assessment procedures.
On-going Training - As part of continuous learning, volunteers will attend a minimum of 3 hours of learning in each 12 month period. The learning session must be conducted or approved by a signatory coalition member organization.
Training Delivery - Volunteer training must be accessible, equitable, culturally sensitive and anti-discriminatory.
Transformative Mediation
Transformative mediation seeks to empower parties in conflict to clearly express their view points and recognize the perspective of others in the conflict. These concepts of empowerment and recognition are inherent in the transformative mediation model. As such, training must include the core values and assumptions that underpin this model of co-mediation which differs from settlement-based or other types of interest based mediation and negotiation.
Training must provide the opportunity for volunteers to develop this initial understanding to create a framework for the mediation training they will be receiving.
The intention of this document is that community mediation services in Ontario will implement these standards in practice.
The OCMC/CMCO will collectively adapt and amend the contents of this document as needed through mutual consent.
Certified Community Mediator (CCM) Designation
The Ontario Community Mediation Coalition has launched the Certified Community Mediator (CCM) Designation, a standard that recognizes advanced knowledge and practice in community mediation. Find out more here.
Core Values
Community mediation is part of a social justice, peacebuilding endeavour that seeks to promote healthy communities through the peaceful resolution of conflict. Training must provide volunteers with a full understanding of the core values of community mediation as defined by OCMC/CMCO.
Trainers must communicate to volunteers that the community mediation model used by OCMC/CMCO is one of several models utilized in the field of conflict resolution.
Circle Standards
Circle training focuses on relationships and the community at large. Training also acknowledges the traditional use of circles. Find out more here.
Conflict Analysis
Training must include an analytical component that defines and deconstructs conflict. This will include the use of a visual, analytical tool to effectively illustrate this concept.
Communication Skills
Training will include a minimum of 1 hour for teaching the effective communication and active listening skills that a volunteer needs to use during the facilitation of mediation. Trainers must give participants an opportunity to practice and receive feedback on their communication and active listening skills with other course participants.
Culture and Identity
Training must include discussions about culture and identity. This portion must also include an opportunity for volunteers to develop self-awareness in regards to these concepts as well as the impact of the mediator’s culture and identity on parties and the mediation process.
Neutrality and Impartiality
A key assumption of the community mediation process is that mediators are to be neutral and impartial. Mediation skills training must include theoretical and practical demonstration of these principles for the understanding of course participants.
Power
Training must include a discussion about power. It should deconstruct the concept of power, both perceived and actual. Mediators should be able to understand, identify and address power imbalances in the mediation process. Training should also provide volunteers with an understanding and awareness about the impact of the mediator’s power on the parties and the mediation process.
Problem Solving
Trainers must clearly articulate and demonstrate the role of the mediator in helping the parties to explore options for mutual solutions in the resolution of conflict.
Training must include teaching on the elements of a balanced and effective understanding in the resolution of conflict, such as the S.M.A.R.T. tool.
Training must include an effective technique for the consideration of options, such as brainstorming.
Training must provide volunteers with an opportunity for experiential learning. Volunteers should be able to demonstrate competence in this area.
Role Plays
A mediation role play is an interactive exercise in which the process, principles and skills of mediation are practiced for learning purposes.
A minimum of 3 role play opportunities must be granted to participants during the training session. Each participant must have the opportunity of playing the role of mediator for at least one full mediation play.
Role plays should be coached by experienced mediators so that participants may adequately employ the principles, core values and skills of transformative mediation learned during the training.
Training Mechanisms
Duration -Training for volunteer mediators will be a minimum of 21 hours.
Participant-Trainer Ratio -There will be a minimum of 1 trainer for every 25 training course participants.
Co-Mediation - The co-mediation model must be taught and practiced during course training.
Written Training Material - Participants will be given a training manual during course training to accompany their experiential learning.
Evaluation - Participants must be offered an opportunity to reflect on course content and provide feedback through evaluation during the training session. This may take the form of self or peer evaluation.
Volunteer Orientation - All new volunteers will attend a minimum 2 hour session orienting them to their organization’s operational, administrative and case assessment procedures.
On-going Training - As part of continuous learning, volunteers will attend a minimum of 3 hours of learning in each 12 month period. The learning session must be conducted or approved by a signatory coalition member organization.
Training Delivery - Volunteer training must be accessible, equitable, culturally sensitive and anti-discriminatory.
Transformative Mediation
Transformative mediation seeks to empower parties in conflict to clearly express their view points and recognize the perspective of others in the conflict. These concepts of empowerment and recognition are inherent in the transformative mediation model. As such, training must include the core values and assumptions that underpin this model of co-mediation which differs from settlement-based or other types of interest based mediation and negotiation.
Training must provide the opportunity for volunteers to develop this initial understanding to create a framework for the mediation training they will be receiving.
