How to Become a Mediator in Washington State

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How to Become a Mediator in Washington State

If you are looking to make the change and begin a career in resolution, learning how to become a mediator in Washington may be the place to do so. Washington State is booming with the influx of technology companies and other big businesses calling Seattle their home. With this boom in the industry also comes an influx of litigation and conflict that arises as companies learn to exist within their environments. Because of this, Washington State is a great place to practice conflict resolution and become a mediator.

Unlike other states, Washington does not have state standards that cover all mediators hoping to take cases from the courts. Instead, courts will send the cases that need to be mediated to Dispute Resolution Centers throughout the State. Each of these centers creates and manages a list of mediators that they will refer to cases.

Because of this, these centers are also able to set their own standards for mediator qualifications within the state. This article will briefly outline two organizations that are helpful for starting the journey to becoming a mediator, Resolution Washington and the Washington Mediation Association.

Resolution Washington

Resolution Washington is a state-wide organization for Dispute Resolution Centers to connect and grow. This ensures that each Dispute Resolution Center (DRC) is connected to the programs and conflict resolution resources that they need to function well and train and certify mediators. The DRCs that connect with Resolution Washington specialize in providing low-cost and effective volunteer mediators for many of the disputes that may arise in the state.

Resolution Washington also ensures that mediators from their member DRCs have the basic skills training, knowledge of the legal system, and communication skills to effectively mediate disputes. This basic training encourages mediators to work to find mutually agreeable solutions for any problem the parties may face. If you are looking for a local DRC to join, Resolution Washington maintains a directory to help connect mediators and DRCs.

Washington Mediation Association

The other important organization to know of is Washington Mediation Association, which is a state-wide DRC that has a certification process and additional training to help mediators assist parties and engage clients through the process to find mutually agreeable solutions. ADR Times is highlighting this specific DRC because it provides a certification process for the whole state. If you are only interested in a specific area of the state, search the list of DRCs on Resolution Washington.

Because the Washington Mediation Association is a DRC, it can establish its own standards for qualification to be listed as a mediator in their program. For a mediator to have successfully completed the qualifications, they will have to complete both a 36-hour basic mediation training and mediation experience.

Applicants will need to submit an application to the Association that shows that they have completed these requirements, pays the fees necessary, and promises to maintain membership in the organization and complete continuing education requirements as required by licensing standards. The applicant will then be reviewed by a committee and certified by the organization if they meet the standards.

Basic Mediation Training

To meet the standards for the certification process, the mediation training must include lessons in the following categories to ensure that the mediators can mediate disputes effectively upon completing the training. The requirement is that the training be 36 hours, but most will run a full 40-hour basic mediation course. An approved mediation training will cover these topics thoroughly.

ADR and Mediation

Basic mediation training needs to include an explanation of conflict resolution and outline mediation’s place within the overall dispute resolution community. This portion should also outline the different styles of mediation, such as evaluative, facilitative, and transformative, and discuss the appropriate situations to use each one.

Theory

A discussion of mediation theory will outline why people fight for what they want and how the mediator can use these emotions and interests to help the parties find mutually agreeable solutions. This discussion should also include an analysis of conflict styles and define common terms such as distributive bargaining, BATNA, and other common terms.

Basic Skills Training

This is likely the most hands-on aspect of training. Here, the aspiring mediators will learn about the skills necessary to mediate disputes between clients. This includes a variety of communication skills, such as active listening and framing. Additionally, applications will increase their ability to identify interests that are motivating the parties, including any cultural aspects that may be at play within the conflict. Mediations should also learn how to work with attorneys in mediation, which can be a difficult adjustment especially if the mediators do not practice law.

Intake and Assessment

The organization also requires that participants in training learn how to screen clients and cases for their services. Some mediators will serve as a direct point of contact for a business or organization that hosts volunteer mediators, and they will need to understand how to ensure the services are necessary and that they have the qualifications for the mediation.

Mediation Process

Training should also include an analysis of the different stages of the mediation process. These stages include the mediator’s opening statement, the parties’ opening statements, negotiation, generating and evaluating options, and agreement.

Ethics

Because the mediation process is created to be a neutral practice, it is important for mediation training to cover the ethical implications under the law as well as the standards established by the organizations and associations that oversee mediation.

Experiential Learning

Finally, the training should include at minimum twelve hours of role-play exercises that are completed under supervision to ensure that certified mediators have hands-on experience with the skills and tools that they learned in the training.

Specialized Training

The list above applies to general civil mediation. For some mediation practices, there is additional, specialized training that applicants will need to complete. One such area is family law. Because family disputes often involve complex psychological and financial issues, applicants will need to show completion of an approved skills training or continuing education course for the specialized certification. For mediators looking to provide such services, we advise you to contact your local DRC to determine what other qualifications may be required for an application to be approved.

Mediation Experience Requirement

After the training course, a mediator will need to practice meditation to fulfill the experience requirement and earn their certification. There are two ways to do so.

Some DRCs will offer a practicum that allows mediators to co-mediate disputes with an experienced mediator. This will often take place over several months with the new mediator taking over more and more responsibilities as time progresses. Completion of a practicum satisfies the certification requirements for experience.

The other option is to co-mediate at least three cases and a total of at least 25 hours mediated in the last two years. This requirement also requires 200 hours of mediation experience within the last ten years. This can include co-mediation with an experienced mediator. Because of the sheer number of hours required, many mediators will choose the practicum option.

Final Thoughts

If you would like to learn more about how to become a mediator in Washington State or how to become a civil mediator with a DRC, ADR Times recommends completing the training requirement of the certification process first. Contact our training program for conflict resolution if you are interested in our training. Click here for more information.

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