MAM Domestic Violence Screening for Mediation

8 Hour Certificate Training for Mediators 

Maine Association of Mediators (MAM) is offering Domestic Violence Screening for Mediators, a course designed to help meet the requirements to apply to the Court Alternative Dispute Resolution Services (CADRES) roster and assist all mediators with this essential skill. This course is designed to meet the eight (8) hour CADRES roster training requirement for domestic violence (DV).

This training was developed by longtime CADRES mediator Brenda Mitchell who dedicated her career to giving a voice to victims of abuse through training and advocacy. Erin Clough, Karen Groat, and Pamela Waite are pleased to continue the tradition of hosting this training annually in collaboration with MAM. 

Through this course, mediators will learn how to:

• Define DV, its role in communication with a demonstration and practice in methods of screening
• Help the mediator determine if there is a history of DV in the relationship
• Formulate strategies for how to mediate if there is a DV history
• Design a safety plan for before, during, and after the mediation session

When: December 4, 2023

Time: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM

Location: Zoom

(Your zoom invite will be emailed to you the day before the event)

Registration Information:

Participants will receive training materials and a certificate of attendance.

Cost:

$175.00 for Non-MAM Members

$150.00 for MAM Members

$50.00 Refresher Fee

Trainers:

Pamela Waite, Esq.- A graduate of Smith College and the University of Maine School of Law, Pam represented the State of Maine as an Assistant Attorney General primarily in employment and tax matters for over 30 years. A skilled negotiator, she trained to become a mediator and now mediates privately; serves on the court rosters for family matters and foreclosure cases; and is also on the roster as a mediator for the Maine Human Rights Commission and the Maine Department of Education. Pam believes strongly in party self-determination and the importance of trying to resolve disputes by agreements as an alternative to engaging in lengthy and expensive litigation. 

Karen Groat- Karen is a Libra Professor of Mediation at University of Maine Augusta Justice Studies and has over 20 years of mediation, consulting, and teaching experience. As former director of the Opportunity Alliance Family Mediation (FCM), she has worked extensively with mediators, adults and youth, communities, and organizations specializing in complex family matters, multi-party disputes and workplace conflict in more than 3,800 mediations. An experienced Transformative Mediation trainer and communication coach, Karen combines research from neuroscience and trauma-informed care in her relational practice. In 2018, she expanded work in collaboration with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension for farmer and farm worker well-being. This work includes Farm Coaching (receiving the 2021 ERME Outstanding Project Award), agricultural mediation (MAMP), and offering peer support and training to service providers in Northeast ag and rural communities. She loves collaborating and has developed a practicum with internships as a pathway for UMA students to apply mediation, dispute resolution, and communication skills with mentored professional experience in a variety of organizational settings. 

Erin Clough, Esq.- Erin holds a B.A. in psychology from Emory University and a J.D. from the Boston College School of Law. Erin is an assistant Attorney General in the Child Protection Division of the Maine Office of the Attorney General where she represents the Department of Health and Human Services in child welfare cases. Erin has been an attorney for 20 years and a mediator for 7.  Prior to joining the AG’s office in 2022, Erin worked in various capacities to help families navigate crises in a child-focused way.  She served on the court rosters for family matters, small claims, and forcible entry and detainer (evictions); mediated for families privately; and served as a guardian ad litem representing children in child protection cases, family matters, and guardianship cases.  Erin and Karen worked closely together in a community mediation setting with a goal of making mediation more accessible to more families statewide. Erin has a particular interest in domestic violence and the impact that it has on children and families.

Questions?

Contact Karen Groat at karen.groat@maine.edu