What We Do

The Community Mediation Services Division considers that sustainable social transformation of our society and the achievement of social justice requires the permeation and pervasive presence of restorative behaviour throughout our society. Therefore, the division executes several initiatives which aim to encourage the adoption of behaviours that are consistent with the underpinning philosophy of mediation, restoration and peace building.

These initiatives include:

  • Peer Mediation,
  • Social Work Services (counselling, advocacy, and policy),
  • Conflict Management Training,
  • Leadership Skills Development,
  • Anger Management,
  • Emotional Intelligence,
  • Co-Parenting Programme,
  • Communication and Interpersonal Skills

In addition to initiatives which are designed according to the needs of the particular organisation or community. These initiatives support the practices of mediation and social work and other therapeutic interventions as well as the facilitation of difficult conversations in communities and special interest groups.

Mediation is a process through which parties request a third neutral person (the mediator) to assist them in their attempt to voluntarily reach a settlement of their dispute. The mediator does not have the authority to impose upon the parties a solution to the dispute.

Community Mediation is available as a mechanism for negotiating the settlement of disputes in a wide variety of areas, such as:

  • Family and Relationship Disputes (eg. visitation rights, access, custody and maintenance)
  • Landlord / Tenant Disputes
  • Small Claims
  • Merchant/Consumer Disputes
  • Community Disputes
  • Neighbourhood Conflicts
  • Organizational / Workplace Conflicts
  • Juvenile Conflicts including truancy and delinquent children
  • Threat and harassment problems
  • Small Contractors and Home Owners

Social Work Practice
Our Social Work Specialists utilize three Assessment Models (System Theory, Family System Theory and Ecological Theory) to determine one of the three (3) Practice Models (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Solution Focused Brief Therapy and Family Therapy) for therapeutic interventions, to enhance and restore individuals, family and group counselling.

The Division collaborates with other agencies through case conferencing and referrals to and from those agencies dependent on the required competences to address the needs of the clients. issues.

The primary roles of the Social Work Specialists are assessment, intervention, and evaluation, along with other roles necessary to enhance and restore healthy functioning and social well-being. They also provide pre and post mediation counselling as required.

Therapeutic Social Interventions

Therapeutic Social Interventions seek to enhance, restore, and empower citizens to help them develop self-efficacy that promotes wellbeing through counselling and various skills training. The therapeutic interventions focus on the healing individual, families, and groups through their adversities, for holistic and long-term resolution.

These interventions are incorporated in community-based programmes as follows:

  • Anger Management
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Peer Mediation
  • Parenting Support Groups
  • Leadership Skills Development
  • Emotional Intelligence
  • Stress Management
  • Men Support Group