Wed 01 May 2019

Welcome to our new website!

Posted by Zoe.Stryd

As of May 1, 2019, Mediate BC has launched a new website. The new mediatebc.com is designed to be an easy way to learn everything you need to know about mediation, and help you find the right mediator for you.

To help you as you explore the site, we'll provide a bit of a run-through with summaries of all the different sections:

This tab gives more information on what mediation is, and how it compares to other options for resolving a dispute. Here you can find answers to some commonly asked questions, like how much does mediation cost, and why you might want to choose it for resolving conflicts.

If you have a conflict around a family issue, you can find more specific information on the Family Mediation Page. This includes separation and divorce, parents and teens, elder care, and child protection mediation.

If you have a conflict in the workplace, there is a section with relevant information, including bullying and harassment, and options for workplace mediation.

Mediation can also be used for wills and estate disputes, small claims, commercial and business disputes, and community disputes such as those with strata councils and within co-ops. The Resolving Other Disputes tab has information specific to resolving those disputes.

When you want to find a mediator, we make it easy by having this link available wherever you are on the website.

So you’ve learned a bit about mediation and you think it might be a good way to resolve a conflict in your life. What’s next? Finding the right mediator for you!

WHY USE MEDIATE BC TO FIND A MEDIATOR?

As a basic requirement, you should only consider mediators you can be confident are properly trained, and will treat you in a respectful, ethical manner. Mediate BC is funded by the BC Government (Ministry of the Attorney General) to fulfill an important public protection role: ensuring all the mediators on our rosters are competent professionals, so that British Columbians can be confident in selecting a qualified mediator.

All of the mediators on Mediate BC Rosters have gone through a rigorous application and selection process.

They have:

• completed at least 80 hours of mediation specific training (associate mediators have a minimum of 40 hours)
• completed 100 hours of additional dispute resolution or related training
• completed at least 10 mediations (associate mediators may not have this mediation experience)
• completed ethics training relating to the mediation process
• completed training on family violence, power dynamics and the impacts of separation and divorce, if on the Family Roster
• have liability insurance coverage
• are held to Standards of Conduct
• are held to a Complaints Process, should you feel they acted in an unethical manner

These are some, but not all of the qualifications needed to apply to our Rosters. You can see a full list on the Applying to the Rosters page.

It’s important to know that not all websites that have lists of mediators check the qualifications of the mediators they list, or respond to ethical concerns.

HOW TO FIND A MEDIATOR

After clicking the Find a Mediator button, you'll notice Mediate BC has four separate Rosters, or directories, of mediators depending on the type of dispute you are trying to resolve.

Directory of Civil Mediators

Civil Mediators resolve a wide range of  issues that aren't separation/divorce or criminal matters. This includes commercial disputes and those relating to construction, employment, environment, housing, human rights, land use, negligence, personal injury, small business, wills & estates, workplace issues, etc.

Directory of Family Mediators

Family Mediators resolve family disputes. This includes separation and divorce, parent/teen, and elder care. Some mediators also resolve wills and estate issues and family business conflicts.

Directory of Child Protection Mediators

Child Protection Mediators mediate between child welfare social workers and other people who are responsible for the child, when there is a disagreement about the child’s safety, well being and plan of care.

Directory of Med-Arb Practitioners

Med-Arb practitioners resolve disputes using a process that is a combination of mediation and arbitration. You can learn more about Med-Arb on the What is Med-Arb? page.

Once you’ve selected a roster, you can use the search, the advanced filter options, or just browse through the mediators to find a few that might work for you.

HOW TO FIND A MEDIATOR WHO IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

There are a lot of mediators in BC, so how do you narrow it down to just a few? It’s a good idea to read through a mediator's profile to get a feeling for whether they would be a good person to work with on your dispute.

You might take a look at their outlook and approach, whether they have any particular experience you think would be helpful, and if you would be comfortable working with them. You might also consider some practical questions around location, how fees would work within your budget, and scheduling availability. Many mediators are happy to have a discussion to answer any questions and discuss schedule and fee arrangements. If you still aren’t sure, you can also try looking at their website, see if they’ve written any blogs or are active on social media to get a better sense of how they communicate, and if they would be a good choice for your dispute.

Once you’ve narrowed it down to a few possibilities, it’s a good idea to contact the other participant(s) of the mediation, and see if they would be willing to try mediation with one of the mediators on your short list. Stuck for what to say? We have a template email here.