Community Mediation

FAQs

• What is mediation?

  Mediation is a different way to resolve conflict. Mediators help people talk about the dispute without any judgement and help people determine a mutually-beneficial solution for everyone.

• How does mediation help?

  Mediation helps by:

  • Decreasing stress

  • Reducing conflicts

  • Increasing safety

  • Enhancing relationships

  • Improving communication skills

  • Promoting collaborative problem solving

• Why should I use mediation from The Neighbourhood Group? 

  • It's free, voluntary and confidential.

  • We have proven success – mediation helps people come to agreements over 80% of the time!

  • You will learn how to resolve future conflicts.

  • Our highly trained volunteer mediators have lived experiences and come from your communities.

  • Traditional ways of resolving conflict, such as calling the police or going to court, are long, expensive, and often unsatisfying.

  • We are a founding member of the Ontario Community Mediation Coalition, which sets high standards of mediation. 

• What types of conflict can be resolved with mediation? 

  • Neighbour conflicts like noise issues, property line disputes, fence disputes, shared driveways and use of common areas

  • Landlord and tenant Issues like rent and maintenance issues

  • Relationship problems between colleagues, family, friends and roommates

  • By-Law issues

  • Minor commercial conflicts

  • Minor criminal matters

• How does mediation work?

  There are four steps:

  • Intake: We talk to you about your situation, then contact the other people in the dispute to see if they are willing to participate. 

  • Case Development: Mediators meet separately with all people involved in the conflict to understand everyone’s concerns and needs.

  • Mediation: Everyone meets together with the mediators online or in person. The mediators ensure that everyone is heard and is respectful. They also guide everyone to come up with a solution that works for everyone. 

  • Follow-up: Mediators will contact you at an agreed upon time after the mediation to check in and suggest next steps, if needed.

• What is restorative justice?

  If you are in court, the Crown Attorney might suggest you use Restorative Justice mediation for minor criminal matters. In these cases, the people who experienced harm and the people who caused it share the reasons, circumstances and impact of the crime. The goal is to help victims cope, return offenders to law-abiding lives, and to repair relationships between victims, offenders, and the community. Restorative justice is also used to help people who are victims of sexual misconduct.

• Who are the mediators? 

  Currently, we work with more than 55 volunteer mediators with extensive professional training. Our mediators volunteer to ensure that we can continue providing this free service to you. Some have been with us for more than 10 years.

  We select mediators with a wide range of professions, skills, experience, cultures and language skills to ensure that you have someone who best understands your situation and can help you resolve it.

• How do I volunteer to be a mediator?

  The first step is to fill out our Volunteer Mediator Application form. When we have an opening, we will review all the applications and interview the most appropriate candidates. If you are selected, you will be required to complete either our three or five-day mediation training workshop.

• Do you offer mediation internships?

  Yes. We offer internships and practicums for students from a variety of educational institutions that have internship or co-op placement as part of their requirements. 

• Are there mediation clinics I can visit? 

  Yes! We currently operate two mediation clinics across Toronto:
   

  Lawrence Heights Housing Help Community Clinic

  When: 4th Thursday of every month (except December), 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM

  Where: Unison Health and Community Services, 12 Flemington Road

  Appointment/Drop-in: By appointment, but call to see if drop-in may be available

  Contact: Rosamaria Andino, 416.787.1676 x3232 rosamaria.andino@unisonhcs.org

  Partners: Toronto Community Housing Corporation, Unison Health and Community Services, Downsview Community Legal Services

   

  University of Toronto St. George Campus

  When: Twice a month each semester

  Where: Koffler Student Services Centre, Housing Services, 214 College St., Room 185

  Appointment/Drop-in: Either

  Contact: Paloma Bertussi, 416.978.8045, housing.services@utoronto.ca