Conflict Resolution and Mediation Services offered at Dispute Resolution Center of Yakima and Kittitas Counties

Services are provided by trained professional mediators who volunteer their time. Services include:

• Face to Face Mediation
• Coaching for problems
• Some simple negotiation over the telephone

TYPES OF PROBLEMS THE CENTER WILL HANDLE:

• Divorce mediation
• Parenting Plan mediation
• Neighborhood problems (noise, pets, parking, lawn & garden, property line problems and other nuisances)
• Landlord-tenant issues (deposits, repairs, damages, etc.)
• Real estate or personal property
• Business consumer problems (faulty merchandise, refunds, exchanges, etc.)
• Employer/employee grievances
• School problems involving faculty or administration, students or parents
• Family issues such as problems related to divorce and parenting plans
• Other domestic problems not involving violence or other factors that require professional intervention or assistance

TYPES OF PROBLEMS NOT HANDLED: Any problem requiring legal assistance, such as filing lawsuits (criminal defenses, will preparation, etc.); issues involving drug/alcohol abuse, domestic violence, abuse to children, or issues where one or more parties fears abuse; or problems where a party cannot speak adequately on their own behalf, although can work with clients who have a case manager. Other Services Provided:

• Offers workshop of varying lengths to organizations, businesses, and groups on a range of topics including: conflict resolution, negotiation, communication, conflict styles, and dealing with difficult people.
• Victim Offender Meeting Program: Brings together victims of juvenile crime with the offenders to talk about the impact of the crime and for the youth to make amends.
• Assists senior citizens to resolve disputes with family members, businesses, landlords, neighbors and others through mediation.
• Parent Youth Mediation Service: Allows parents and teenagers or pre-teens to sit down together to talk about how things are going within the family and develop agreements on behaviors, level of independence, respectful communication and consequences. Co-mediators assist the mediating parties.