Community Justice Centre

Frequently asked questions about the CJC mediation training program.

Why would I want to train to be a mediator?

There are many reasons why you might want to train as a mediator.

• mediation is recognised as an effective way of resolving disputes and conflict
  
• mediation has applications in the workplace, in business, at home, at school, and even in clubs and other organisations
  
• mediation skills are life skills

What sort of people make good mediators?

People with the skills to make a good mediator are those who have:

• excellent communication skills
  
• well developed analytical skills
  
• patience and ability to remain neutral and impartial
  
• commitment to principles of empowerment
  
Being a mediator is not for everybody. It requires a great deal of concentration, ability to think ‘on your feet’ and constant attention to the parties throughout the session.

What will I learn from this mediation course?

You will learn to:

recognise your own conflict resolution style

develop successful communication strategies

assist parties in their negotiations

minimise conflict within your organisation

conduct a mediation, in partnership with another mediator (co-mediation)

Specifically, you will learn about:

the concept of mediation as an alternative dispute resolution option

the nature of conflict and how conflict affects our daily activities

how to implement various negotiating techniques

various ethical issues that may present to the practising mediator

power imbalances in mediation – including how to identify possible difficulties for particular groups and how to implement strategies to combat possible power imbalances in the mediation process

How long is the CJC mediation course?

The course runs for a minimum of 5 full days.
Assessment for National Accreditation can be arranged on successful completion of the course.

Is the mediation course only available in Darwin and Alice Springs?

The CJC mediation course is usually run in Darwin and Alice Springs. However, there may be options in the future for a mediation course to be made available in a regional area if there is sufficient demand. In the past we have run courses in the Tiwi Is, Oenpelli, Lajamanu, Tennant Creek and Katherine.

How do I become a CJC mediator?

Occasionally CJC needs to recruit mediators for its mediator panel. If you have successfully completed the CJC mediation training, you may be invited to join our mediator panel. However, there is no guarantee that this will occur.