The Maryland Program for Mediator Excellence

A Brief Explanation

The symbol for the Maryland Program for Mediator Excellence (MPME) is a tree with many branches and roots, providing members with stimulating choices to continue their learning, growth and experience as mediators. Below is a brief explanation of the roots, trunk and branches of the MPME tree. Each represents a task group that is hard at work further developing policy and project proposals to be approved by the Mediator Excellence Council.

Trunk

The Trunk of the tree represents the place where members enter the program. The entry requirements are:

  • Complete at least 40 hours of mediation skills training
  • Agree to comply with the Maryland Standards of Conduct for Mediators as

adopted by the Mediator Excellence Council, the governing body for the MPME (To learn more about the Mediator Excellence Council go to the section with that title.)

  • Agree to participate in good faith with the Mediation Ombuds Program
  • Commit to completing two hours of mediation ethics education each year
  • Commit to completing four continuing skills improvement activities each year

Branches

Mediation Ombuds Program - Currently, if a consumer has a concern or complaint regarding the mediation services they have received, they may not have a place to have those concerns or complaints addressed. The Mediation Ombuds Program is one of the initiatives within the MPME designed to advance high quality practice and increase consumer confidence in mediation. The mission of the Mediation Ombuds Program is to seek a satisfactory resolution to issues, concerns and complaints received from both consumers of mediation services and mediators. The Ombuds provides a confidential, neutral and informal process to seek a restorative solution. The hallmarks of the Mediation Ombuds Program are confidentiality, independence, and impartiality.

Mentoring Branch - The goal of the Mentoring Branch is to develop and implement a variety of effective mentoring programs for MPME Members. The Mentoring Task Group has developed a skills based mentoring program as part of the MPME. Currently, the Task Group is conducting briefings for roster managers designed to introduce the mentoring program to them with a goal that their program will participate. They also conduct trainings for mentors and learning partners focusing on how to give and receive effective feedback. In 2008, the Task Group will release a trainers manual and introduce a skills based mentoring program for those in private practice.

Continuing Education & Training Branch - When a person joins the MPME, they make a commitment to participate in skills improvement programs. The Continuing Education and Training Branch is responsible for disseminating information about various training and educational opportunities, workshops and conferences throughout the state. From time to time the MPME offer training to its members.

Networking Branch - The Networking Branch is responsible for receiving and disseminating information about what is going on with practitioner groups and regional networks across the state. This Branch will also provide assistance to groups who would like to develop networks in their area.

Evaluation Branch – The Evaluation Branch is responsible for developing tools to evaluate the quality of mediation across the state as well as to evaluate the entire MPME. To address the first part of their mission, the Task Group has proposed to the Mediator Excellence Council ten (10) core areas they would like to track across the state in as many different individual mediation sessions as possible. This would be done by means of an exit survey, which measures the ten core issues. The Evaluation Task Group hopes the ten core issues will be used in exit surveys used by courts, governmental agencies, community mediation programs and by private mediators. The Evaluation Task Group is currently conducting a evaluation pilot program. The Task Group is also exploring ways to evaluate the MPME, itself.

Performance Based Assessment and Certification Branch - The Performance Based Assessment and Certification Task Group is working on a voluntary, performance-based, statewide mediator assessment program. Before proposing that the statewide assessment process, which is in development, be used to certify mediators, the group is concerned that the program they develop has the following criteria: inter-rater reliability, transparency, validity, freedom from conflicts of interest, respect for different approaches, skill building, and due process. One pilot has been conducted and the Task Group is working on developing additional pilot programs to test these criteria.

Self-Awareness - The Self-Awareness Branch, the latest branch to come to bud, had its first organizational meeting in January 2008. The focus of this Branch is to provide MPME members with the tools necessary to make mindfulness and self-reflective practice much used tools in their toolbox.

Roots

Consumer Awareness - The Consumer Awareness Root has as its goal educating the general public, schools, businesses and governmental agencies about mediation as a means of conflict resolution. This is accomplished in a variety of ways, including: workshops, seminars, public service announcements, movie theater and bus ads, posters and other media related campaigns. The Consumer Awareness Task Group also works with each aspect of the MPME to make sure the materials prepared by that group are consumer friendly.

Diversity – The Diversity Root came about as a result of a suggestion at a regional forum held in late 2005. The Diversity Root focuses onencouraging and assisting every area of the MPMEto give deliberate attention to developing programs, processes and activities which recognize, support, value, and utilize member's differences and similarities. It also focuses on the differences and similarities of consumers of mediation. The Task Group is developing a series of workshops on diversity to be held during 2008.

Mediation Definitions - The Mediations Definitions Rootis looking at the strategies used by Maryland mediators during mediations. As a first step, the Definitions Task Group designed and analyzed a 76-item survey sent to mediators around Maryland. Those participating in the survey were asked to check, “often, sometimes, occasionally or never” for each strategy indicating how often they are likely to use it within one typical mediation. A cluster analysis revealed four (4) basic mediating clusters in Maryland as well as strategies that all mediators use and strategies that no mediators used. The next step for the Definitions Task Group is to identify ways in which the results of the survey can be used by the MPME and its Task Groups.

Ethical Practice Standards – One of the first tasks of the Ethical Practice Standards Root was to develop standards of conduct for members of the MPME. This was accomplished on April 20, 2006, when the Mediator Excellence Council approved the Maryland Standards of Conduct for Mediators, whichwas based on the Standards of Conduct for Mediators (Revised August 2005) adopted by the American Bar Association, theAssociation for Conflict Resolution and the American Arbitration Association. Next on the agenda is the development of an ethics hotline, written ethics opinions and an online ethics corner.

Training Standards - The goal of the Training Standards Root is to develop effective, high quality beginning and advanced mediation training guidelines. The Training Standards Task Group has completed a draft of guidelines for beginning 40 hour mediation training which is currently under review by the Mediator Excellence Council. In addition to developing training guidelines, the Training Task Group is developing a “library” of resources for trainers as well as looking at other ways to support quality mediation skills training across the state.

1

Prepared by MACRO