Community Mediation Maryland Inc.

Community Mediation Maryland Inc., also known as Community Mediation Maryland (CMM), is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing collaborative conflict resolution throughout Maryland. The organization focuses on educating the public, providing training, ensuring quality assurance, conducting research, and creatively applying mediation to social challenges.

Mission and Purpose

CMM's mission is to promote and support the use of community mediation as a means of resolving disputes and improving relationships. By fostering a collaborative environment, CMM helps individuals and communities manage and resolve conflicts effectively.

Programs and Services

• Training and Quality Assurance: CMM offers a variety of training programs for volunteer mediators, including basic, advanced, refresher, and in-service training sessions. These programs help ensure that mediators are highly skilled and knowledgeable in conflict resolution techniques. Additionally, CMM provides a Performance-Based Evaluation process to certify mediators and offers a mentorship pairing service.

• Research and Advocacy: The organization conducts research on conflict resolution and advocates for the use of community mediation in Maryland. It also hosts an annual Legislative Education Day to educate state officials about the benefits of community mediation.

• Projects and Partnerships: CMM collaborates with state agencies and other organizations on various projects. Notable examples include the Re-Entry Mediation Project, which helps inmates make plans with family members or support people before release, and the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) Facilitation Project, which assists families of special education students and school administrations in resolving conflicts.

• AmeriCorps Program: CMM supports AmeriCorps members who serve as mediation specialists in local community mediation centers across Maryland.

Types of Disputes Handled

Community Mediation Maryland facilitates mediation for a wide range of disputes, including:

• Neighborhood Disputes: Issues such as noise, property, animals, and lifestyle differences.
• Interpersonal Disputes: Assaults, harassment, love triangles, and strained friendships.
• Employment Disputes: Conflicts between coworkers and between supervisors and employees.
• Business Disputes: Conflicts involving businesses and their neighbors or customers.
• Family Disputes: Issues affecting couples, custody, siblings, cross-generational relationships, and parent-teen conflicts.
• Landlord-Tenant Disputes.
• Roommate/Housemate Disputes.
• School Disputes: Conflicts among students or between parents and school administrations.
• Neighborhood Association Disputes.
• Land Use Disputes.

Mediation Process

Mediation services provided by CMM are typically free of charge or offered on a sliding scale, ensuring that no one is turned away due to financial inability. Mediations are conducted at times and locations convenient to the participants and are facilitated by highly trained volunteers who reflect the diversity of their communities. The process is nonjudgmental, confidential, and voluntary, allowing participants to make their own decisions about the conflict's resolution.