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E. Elaine Placido
Interpersonal Violence Intervention Specialist
Help of Door County, Inc.
322 Pennsylvania
Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235
Family Solutions mediation at HELP of Door County is utilized to assist family members in dealing with family conflict. It has been used to deal with runaway situations, teen/parent conflicts and various other family conflicts arising from poor communications within the family, adjusting to a blended family and other causes.
The program is based on the concepts of mediation which ensure that the process is one which is cooperative problem solving, strictly voluntary, non-adversarial, non-judgmental and outcome oriented. In most situations, the mediation sessions include two facilitators. The facilitators ensure that any agreements reached by the participants are their own, and have been agreed upon mutually and voluntarily.
Family members participating in Family Solutions mediation will meet individually with a facilitator to complete an intake form and simple questionnaire. The intake will give a very basic overview of what the issue is and how the individual is coping with it, Also, included are questions concerning the individuals personal support system and how they deal with anger. The individual questionnaire asks the individual to go a little deeper into the problem. The questions give the facilitator a better glimpse of what the problem is, and gives the individual an opportunity to consider questions such as what am I doing to contribute to the problem?, What would I have to do to solve the problem, and What am I willing to do?
The program itself is not intended to be a long term effort. Ideally, family members can learn over a short period of time that they have the ability and resources to come to solutions on their own, The sessions allow the family members to communicate their own desires for resolution with one another. The process is intended to encourage communications between family members, and foster a sense of responsibility in the agreed upon outcome.
A brief mediation follow-up is given to each participant after completion of the program. It asks the individual to consider their responses to such questions as: what did we learn about handling our differences through this mediation? What did I learn about myself through this conflict? and what can I (we) do in the future to ensure that our differences do not reach crisis proportions again?
Family members are encouraged to return for more assistance if they fool it is necessary. Also, facilitators and HELP staff members are available twenty four hours a day to assist in dealing with conflict and tension that may arise.