Community Mediation Training
August – September 2024
Each year, Volunteer Mediators help hundreds of people in our community navigate difficult and stressful conflicts each year by having productive conversations that put relationships first. Community mediation creates a safer and more peaceful community for everyone.
To become a Volunteer Community Mediator with the Mediation Center, you must complete our Community Mediation Training, which includes 50 hours of classroom and homework time. Training is free for those who apply and are accepted. The Mediation Center invests about $2000 in training each volunteer. In exchange, participants commit to volunteer for at least 2 mediation sessions per month for 2 years (50 hours of volunteering), complete a 16-hour apprenticeship, work toward certification as NC District Criminal Court Mediators and attend at least 16 hours a year of in-service training. Note that this certification authorizes practice within a designated community mediation center and not independently.
We are currently looking for volunteer community mediators who are based in Henderson, Transylvania, and Polk counties to meet our needs in those communities.
Our Committment to Diversity
We sometimes receive more application than we have spots available. All community mediators must be part of the Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania, or Polk County communities. In general, we seek diversity in the following areas:
To best serve the diverse individuals who use our services, we are dedicated to building a diverse pool of volunteer mediators. We actively seek individuals who vary across a range of characteristics, including the following priority areas:
- People who live in Henderson, Polk, and Transylvania Counties *TOP NEED*
- Race/ethnicity
- Age (people 16+ welcome)
- Socioeconomic background/status
- Sexuality/gender identity
- Living situations (including people who live in public or Section-8 housing)
- Educational background (no minimum requirement)
- Personal, family, or work experience with substance use, the justice system, and incarceration.
- Living across Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania, and Polk Counties
- Availability – we need some mediators during business hours and others on weekday evenings.
- Those who are fluent in both English and Spanish
Know Beforehand
- To serve as a volunteer, training participants must be able to demonstrate key mediation skills by the conclusion of the training. We are committed to providing high-quality, ethical, and effective mediation services. There are many opportunities to practice mediation skills during the training, and we will give you lots of feedback and support.
- Volunteers cannot select cases or types of cases they will mediate. Cases involve a wide variety of community issues including neighborhood conflicts, interpersonal issues between friends, family members, co-workers, misdemeanor criminal cases, and others. You cannot mediate cases for people you know.
- This is training to become a volunteer within the community mediation program of the Mediation Center. You cannot represent yourself as a Mediation Center mediator and do your own mediation outside our program. Of course, you can informally use the skills you learn in many different settings. If you have questions about this, be sure to ask us upfront!
Become a Volunteer Community Mediator
Community Mediation Training
August – September 2024
Each year, Volunteer Mediators help hundreds of people in our community navigate difficult and stressful conflicts each year by having productive conversations that put relationships first. Community mediation creates a safer and more peaceful community for everyone.
To become a Volunteer Community Mediator with the Mediation Center, you must complete our Community Mediation Training, which includes 50 hours of classroom and homework time. Training is free for those who apply and are accepted. The Mediation Center invests about $2000 in training each volunteer. In exchange, participants commit to volunteer for at least 2 mediation sessions per month for 2 years (50 hours of volunteering), complete a 16-hour apprenticeship, work toward certification as NC District Criminal Court Mediators and attend at least 16 hours a year of in-service training. Note that this certification authorizes practice within a designated community mediation center and not independently.
We are currently looking for volunteer community mediators who are based in Henderson, Transylvania, and Polk counties to meet our needs in those communities.
Our Committment to Diversity
We sometimes receive more application than we have spots available. All community mediators must be part of the Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania, or Polk County communities. In general, we seek diversity in the following areas:
To best serve the diverse individuals who use our services, we are dedicated to building a diverse pool of volunteer mediators. We actively seek individuals who vary across a range of characteristics, including the following priority areas:
Know Beforehand