Mediation Services We Provide
What Does MSAC Do?
Mediation Services of Adams County Inc. is a full-service alternate dispute resolution center. If you read our monthly article, you know that we were transitioning from the facilitative style of mediation to the transformative model. We are happy to announce that we have 15 volunteer mediators who are fully trained and ready to help people by transforming their conflicts.
We can now offer many forms of mediation, divorce, relationship and family, community, landlord/tenant, small claims, HOA, restorative justice, elderly, and others we are working to develop.
Divorce and family mediation are a very important part of a community. Studies show that couples who mediate their divorce are three times less likely to need to attend court. Mediation takes less time and money than conventional divorce. Also, children of parents who use mediation for their divorce recover better and more quickly. We can help you write up your divorce memorandum of understanding that you can then present to the court.
Community mediation can be many things, arguments between neighbors, police/citizen disputes, groups and churches often use mediation to help them settle disputes. Small claims are a mediation that usually involves money that is owed by one party to another. HOA’s often have some form a mediation required in their bylaws. A community that learns to deal positively with their inevitable conflict is a healthy community.
Restorative justice aims to build a sense of community while responding to conflict and harm. Restorative justice may bring together people who have caused harm and those they have harmed. The parties involved talk about what happened and collaborate on an appropriate solution outside of a court room.
Elderly mediation is growing in usefulness because our population is living much longer. An elderly mediation may center on money and financial matters or decisions involving the aging parent’s abilities and freedoms. Additionally, caregiving support and end of life healthcare concerns. We can join the family in a casual conversation and help them work out these issues and more during a very difficult time in their family’s history.
Beyond mediation we offer meeting presentations that can focus on transformative mediation and how it works, conflict resolution tips and tricks, or de-escalation techniques that work when other people’s reactions get intense. Got a meeting coming up? Give us a call.
As community mediators we are implementing an exciting new adventure, listening booths! We have trained mediators that need to practice their listening skills and we have a community who want to talk and to be listened to. What a perfect combination. We will have our first run at the Heritage Festival on September 28, 2022, at the Gettysburg Rec Center. We will be ready with questions for children and adults.
Patti Robinson