Causes: Crime & Law, Dispute Resolution & Mediation, Human Service Organizations, Human Services

Mission: Cmc promotes just and peaceful community in northeast ohio by honoring all people, building their capacity to act and facilitating opportunities for them to engage in conflict constructively.

Programs: Access to justice community mediation: cmc offers community members access to mediation services that will help resolve conflicts within their families and communities. Situations that can be mediated include neighbor to neighbor conflicts, family disputes, child custody or visitation issues, etc. In 2014, cmc provided conflict coaching and/or mediation services to 182 people. Shelter diversion: diversion advocates meet persons as they enter the homeless shelter system (coordinated intake) and help parties determine if there are safe and appropriate alternatives to shelter. Advocates empower per sons to explore options and engage in conflict resolution with friends and family if appropriate, (continued on schedule o)and in some cases offer financial assistance to prevent homelessness or shelter stays. In 2014, cmc was able to divert 571 families to homes in order to avoid a shelter stay. Homeless prevention for veterans (ssvf program): cmc staff work with veterans facing eviction and offer rental assistance when applicable to prevent clients from becoming homeless. Our staff also works with clients to help them develop a plan to pay rent on time and avoid eviction in the future. In 2014, cmc served 199 veteran households. Shelter mediation and facilitation-mediators work with family shelters in the cleveland area to help repair communication between residents and staff to prevent shelter discharges and to help rebuild a plan for clients to obtain housing. In 2014, cmc mediated 49 cases between shelter staff and residents. School attendance mediation program-in september, cmc started working with a local prek-8 school to improve student attendance using conflict resolution strategies. Cmc staff talk to families about strategies that may help improve attendance. When appropriate, cmc organizes a mediation between the students' family and the school staff to address concerns and help families access resources that may be helpful. So far, cmc has provided conflict coaching to 71 families. Mediation training and workshops-cmc teaches mediation, shelter diversion, and conflict resolution. In 2014, 43 persons attended cmc's fundamentals of mediation in cleve land. 10 were trained in rochester (ny) and 30 at john carroll university. We trained 366 persons in diversion in seattle, rochester, richmond, charlotte, montgomery co. (pa), bucks co. (pa), tacoma, new london (ct), and 7 communities in texas. Cmc staff also trained 146 shelter staff and residents in conflict resolution.