Mediation

To request services you may call us at 301-652-0717, Monday – Friday from 9:30am to 4:30pm, or submit a request.

In addition to resolving disputes, mediation helps rebuild relationships and empowers people to resolve future conflicts. The process of mediation goes through four phases:

In the initial phase, participants are each encouraged to present their own side of the dispute. The mediators reflect back what the participants have said, in order to enhance the understanding of the topics, feelings, and values.
In the second phase, participants recognize areas of agreement and identify essential topics that need to be resolved.
The third phase focuses on finding mutually agreeable solutions through a brainstorming process in which the mediators encourage the participants to list all possible solutions, no matter how far-fetched. After the participants cannot produce any other possible ideas, the mediators help the participants determine which, if any, of the solutions are acceptable to all.
In the fourth phase, if the participants have reached agreement on some or all of the issues, the mediators draft a document reflecting that agreement, using the participants’ own language. The participants sign the agreement and receive a copy. Regardless of whether the participants ultimately reach an agreement, they are asked to complete an evaluation of the process and receive information on how they can become more involved with CRCMC.

Requests are confidential and your participation is voluntary at every step of the process.

While CRCMC does not mediate divorces, we do conduct parenting plan mediations. These mediations focus on the best interests of the children on topics related to where the children will live and how parenting decisions will be made. CRCMC has several volunteer mediators who have been specially trained to mediate these cases.

CRCMC is able to conduct mediations entirely in Spanish, or to provide an interpreter if the participants speak different languages. When necessary, we make every effort to find mediators or interpreters for other languages, including American Sign Language.

CRCMC’s re-entry mediation program provides an opportunity for inmates to resolve issues of family reunification and living arrangements in the homes to which they will be released.

A relatively new program for CRCMC, this provides specially trained mediators to help participants resolve family issues involving health care directives, assisted living/nursing home preferences, and decisions that are difficult for seniors and their families to make. It began as a pilot program in the Takoma Park and Silver Spring areas inside the Beltway, but currently is available throughout the county.

CRCMC mediates many cases in which individuals contact us directly to seek help resolving a wide range of disputes, or are referred to us by a nonprofit or previous CRCMC client. These cases include disputes between neighbors, family members, co-workers, and friends. They also include relationships between employer and employee, home improvement contractor and client, merchant and consumer, landlord and tenant, debtor and creditor, and more.

CRCMC provides mediators for a number of Montgomery County governmental agencies, decreasing the agencies’ workload and allowing more county residents to resolve their own conflicts:

Small Claims Court Two CRCMC volunteer mediators are assigned to provide mediation services for the resolution of “small claims” disputes one day every week, in both the Rockville and Silver Spring courthouses. Judges, attorneys, or litigants can refer these cases (small claims such as interpersonal issues, workplace disputes, consumer disputes, and neighbor conflicts) to mediation while waiting for the trial. Parties agreeing to participate are taken to an available conference room where mediation takes place, usually with a single mediator. If the parties reach agreement, the trial is canceled and the agreement can become part of the court record.

Peace Order Docket A CRCMC volunteer mediator is assigned to provide mediation services to parties to peace order disputes one morning each week in the Rockville courthouse. These cases arise when an individual has filed a complaint seeking to have another unrelated individual kept away from him or her. In cases deemed appropriate by the sitting judge, parties agreeing to participate are taken to an available conference room where mediation takes place, usually with a single mediator.

State’s Attorney’s Office CRCMC volunteer mediators are assigned to provide mediation services to resolve cases filed with the County State’s Attorney’s Office, and identified by that office’s attorneys as being potentially resolvable by mediation. These cases involve a myriad of issues including employment, simple assaults, business, property damage, and bad checks. One mediator is usually assigned to these cases.

Commission on Common Ownership Communities CRCMC volunteer mediators are assigned to provide mediation services for the resolution of disputes between homeowners and homeowner associations that have been filed with the Commission. Two mediators are usually assigned to this type of case.

Montgomery County Public Schools CRCMC mediates disputes between school employees through the school system’s Employee Assistance Program. Also, upon request by a parent of a student with special education needs or school system personnel, CRCMC facilitates meetings to develop the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP). The trained and neutral IEP facilitator helps to ensure that all viewpoints are heard and that all items on the agenda are discussed.

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Mediation

We’re Open And Handling Conflicts