C01, How “Neutrals” Can Help Change the World: Saving Our Planet Earth and Children – Alexia Georgakopoulos (Non CME)
Price range: $15.00 through $18.00There may be no greater threat to future generations than Climate Change and nothing more valuable to humanity than our children as they represent our future. Two current projects will illustrate how mediators and facilitators can help change the world. Project One: 2014 was the hottest year on record. The Pentagon says that climate change poses immediate risks to our national security. This is a time that climate change conditions are volatile and unprecedented in the history of the human race. It seems fitting that facilitators can assist in public policy discussions. What began in the White House is now a topic underway in our state with leadership from a House Representative. Dr. Georgakopoulos was invited as the lead facilitator. Project Two: Mediators and facilitators can make a difference in the lives of youth who can learn what the value of peace means as a verb.This READING PEACE PAL PROJECT joins everyday ordinary citizens in the community with local youth.
C03, The Divisive Mind: Understanding the Mind-set of the Mediating Client – Rick Adams (1.5 CME Credits General)
Price range: $15.00 through $18.00Disagreement, Disparity, Disunity and uncompromising Dissension. What can cause two people who once were willing to agree to become so disagreeable? When did the disparity between trust and mistrust begin? How can disunity erupt out of a harmony that once was? And why is there so much dissension where there was once such a dovish consideration for peace? These are just a few of the questions and concerns that will be addressed in the upcoming seminar The Divisive Mind: "Understanding the Mental Mind-set of the Mediating Client." You don't want to miss out on this psychoanalytic and cognitive approach to understanding and identifying the causes to mediation impasse, before the mediation process ever begins.
C04, Recent Research and Trends in Mediation and Conflict Resolution – Steven Leigh, Judith McKay (1.5 CME Credits General)
Price range: $15.00 through $18.00This workshop will present recent research, trends, and perspectives related to mediation and other conflict resolution applications. It will explore new research and perspectives and the impact it has on mediation practice. It will also highlight research and trends related to the broader field of conflict analysis and resolution and applied applications. The workshop will be interactive and will include multi-modal and multi-cultural perspectives.
C05, Mediating with Parties Protected by the ADA – Debbie Howells (1.5 CME Credits General)
Price range: $15.00 through $18.00This presentation will provide an overview of the Americans with Disabilities and help prepare mediators for ADA situations. This summer marks the 25th anniversary of enactment of the ADA. The ADA has expanded opportunities by reducing barriers, changing perceptions, facilitating greater civic engagement, and increasing participation in community life. Yet, compliance with the law requires ongoing consideration. This course will examine the scope of the law’s coverage, explore examples of accommodations, and consider resources available to assist mediators in complying with the law.
C06, The Real Deal I – Stanley Zamor, Jeanne Potthoff (1.5 CME Credits Ethics)
Price range: $15.00 through $18.00The presenters, Stanley Zamor and Jeanne Potthoff will provide a repeat presentation of the Real Deal I presentation from the 2014 DRC Conference. The purpose of the presentation is to enhance the participants’ ethical awareness. Through the facilitated discussion, the participants’ will gain knowledge of the best practices for dealing with difficult situations during the mediation process. The learning objectives are to enhance the knowledge of the ethical standards that mediators must maintain, provide mediators with real life scenarios and the best practices for handling difficult situations and provide the questions posed to MEAC as well as the opinions. Specifically, the participants’ will be presented with a deck of cards. Each card will include an ethical dilemma or MEAC opinion. There will be a facilitated discussion regarding each card that is dealt from the deck of cards. The presentation will be provided to all mediators for ethics credits.
C07, Eldercaring Coordination: Who, What, Why, Where, When NOW! – Michelle Morley (Non CME)
Price range: $15.00 through $18.00What is eldercaring coordination? Why do we need it? Who will do it? Where, when and how? The Florida Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts convened twenty statewide organizations which developed Guidelines for Eldercaring Coordinators in 2014. Pilot sites are developing in circuits across the state to study the implementation of the process and guide its development as a valuable resource for high conflict cases involving the care and safety of an elder. Qualifications of eldercaring coordinators will be reviewed as well as the composition of the training program and implementation of pilot sites. Learn more about this new process to reduce discord regarding an elder loved one, and promote healing for a family in transition at this most vulnerable time. Potential benefits as well as possible barriers that may limit its progress and will be discussed.
C08, Train the Mediation Trainer: CME Programs – Susan Dubow (1.5 CME Credits Train the Trainer)
Price range: $15.00 through $18.00This workshop is geared toward practitioners who teach (or who are interested in teaching) advanced continuing education (CME) programs. Veteran trainer Susan Dubow offers an interactive discussion on agenda creation, topic selection, formats that support adult learning and CME documentation for mediator renewal purposes.
C10, What’s It All About? An Introduction to Collaborative Law – Robert Merlin, Lana Stern (Non CME)
Price range: $15.00 through $18.00Collaborative divorce is a non-litigated, ADR method to help couples settle their divorce without the courts involvement. Collaborative law utilizes an interdisciplinary team of specially trained professionals made up of two Collaboratively trained attorneys, one neutral mental health professional and one neutral financial professional, who work together with the parties in a series of joint meetings. The parties voluntarily agree to abide by a non-litigated process: no depositions, hearings, subpoenas or opposing experts. Financial costs are frequently lower, the emphasis is on cooperation and privacy, and the parties work toward reaching an agreement that meets the needs and interests of their entire family. This allows the couple to learn better communication skills, to work together toward a win-win for each party, to focus on the welfare of their children as they parent together and to use interest based negotiation to resolve their disputes.
C11, Domestic Violence Injunctions: The Basics – Beverly Graper, Jeanne Caulfield (1.5 CME Credits Domestic Violence)
Price range: $15.00 through $18.00Find out what goes into the issuance of a Petitions for Injunction for Protection Against Domestic Violence. This workshop takes a step beyond basic Domestic Violence training to give participants a fuller understanding of the Domestic Violence Injuction process, from the writing of a Petition through issuance of a Final Order. The Florida Statutes that make up the founcation of this process will be discussed. When Domestic Violence issues show up in your mediation make sure that you have a solid working knowledge of one of the most basic legal procedures related to this issue: Injuction for Protection.
D01, Understanding Retirement Plans in Family Law Mediation – Matthew Lundy (1.5 CME Credits Family)
Price range: $15.00 through $18.00This workshop will focus on the often complicated division of retirement plans in family law cases. The speaker, Matthew L. Lundy, Esq. will give a detailed discussion and explanation of retirement plans in general, and then go over the most common mediation scenario. This workshop will primarily be directed to intermediate and advanced level family mediators.
D02, Mindful Co-parenting: A Child-Friendly Path Through Divorce – Jeremy Gaies, James Morris Jr. (1.5 CME Credits Family)
Price range: $15.00 through $18.00This workshop presents an approach to co-parenting that uses the framework of mindfulness as a basis for optimizing the co-parenting relationship between spouses with children at all steps in the divorce process. This approach addresses considerations in making a decision about separation and divorce, selecting a legal approach to divorce, drafting a parenting plan, and following a set of guidelines for co-parenting. A primary goal of the workshop is to provide attendees with a clear understanding of the co-parenting research and a set of skills that attendees can apply in a range of settings including mediation, attorney consultations, collaborative divorce, parenting coordination, divorce counseling, and other settings.
D03, It’s Complicated: Mediation Appearance, Authority and Agreements – Kimberly Kosch, Susan Marvin (1.5 CME Credits Ethics)
Price range: $15.00 through $18.00Workshop Description: This advanced ethics workshop is designed for mediators who mediate court referred cases in more than one area of the court system. This workshop will focus on the nuances between court procedural rules in the areas of party and participant appearance and authority and mediated agreements.