SOLVE PROBLEMS – WITHOUT A FIGHT
(Article published in HWW April 2009)
by Melissa Appleton, Karen Bernstein, Susan Brown and Denise Shaw
If you are experiencing a dispute, help is available to resolve it without you having to go to court, hire costly lawyers, or move away to escape the conflict. It’s called MEDIATION and it is available at no cost to you.
WHAT IS MEDIATION?
In mediation, you and the person with whom you are in conflict get a chance to discuss the issues dividing you -- confidentially and in a safe place. A trained professional mediator helps you, together, to generate options and reach mutually agreeable solutions so you can move beyond any impasse in your lives.
KINDS OF DISPUTES
Mediation can help resolve various kinds of disputes including, but not limited to
• Neighbors and Roommates (like noise, pets, respect for privacy and safety)
• Housing (like unpaid rent, repairs, and eviction actions)
• Family (like parent-child relationships, co-parenting issues, custody and visitation agreements, and end of life issues)
• Schools (like attendance, behavior, bullying, and disagreements over special education services)
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• Workplace (like working conditions, pay, performance, and interpersonal communication)
WHO WE ARE
Many New Yorkers know about Safe Horizon for its victim services, like shelters and hotlines, but fewer are aware of Safe Horizon’s Mediation Program. For over 25 years, the Safe Horizon Mediation Program has offered free and confidential mediation and conflict resolution services to the New York City community. It works in partnership with the New York and Kings County courts, schools, city agencies, housing units, and community and faith-based organizations to resolve disputes and promote peace in New York City.
“Over 11,000 New Yorkers each year has used Safe Horizon’s Mediation services to peacefully resolve disputes,” reports Karen Bernstein, Senior Director of the Safe Horizon Mediation Program. “Reaching an agreement or resolution can’t be guaranteed,” she says, “but approximately 80% of the people who choose to mediate their disputes report that they are satisfied with the outcome.”
WANT MORE INFORMATION?
Mediation is convenient. It’s as easy as picking up a phone, dialing one of the numbers listed below, and talking to staff about your conflict. Centers have flexible hours and will try to accommodate your scheduling and even location needs.
Safe Horizon Manhattan Mediation Center
346 Broadway, Suite 400W –
Visitors’ Center at 108 Leonard Street.
New York, NY 10013
(212) 577 1740 x125
Safe Horizon Brooklyn Mediation Center
210 Joralemon Street, Room 618
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 834 6671 x 13
For more information about medication in other boroughs, contact either location.
WANT INFORMATION ABOUT BECOMING A MEDIATOR? WANT ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT RESOLUTION TRAININGS?
The Safe Horizon Mediation Training Institute has long been recognized as a leading training organization in the dispute resolution field. It has provided innovation and affordable trainings to individuals, community organizations, schools and government agencies including most recently the NYPD, the United Nations, and homeowners through the NYC Dept of Housing Preservation and Development. For information about trainings, contact the Training Coordinator at (718) 834 6671 x 12 or MediationTraining@safehorizon.org.
