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2018 Workshops Descriptions
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Plenaries
Friday: Session 1 • Session 2 • Session 3
Saturday: Session 4 • Session 5 • Session 6 • Session 7
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Conference Tracks:
Workshops for the 2018 Conference are divided into six “tracks” that share a common theme: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (D); Conflict in the Workplace (W); Multi-Party, Public Policy, and Peacebuilding (P); the Business of Mediation (B); Practice, Theory, and Skills (T); and Self-Care and Professional Development (Pd). Look for the track initials with each description. Read more about the tracks here.
Plenaries
Read more about the plenary speakers here.
Opening Plenary with Sam Imperati and Devin Howington: Truth Decay…Okay?
Friday 8:20-9:30
Do mediators have an obligation to help parties find the “truth” or should we only help them discover their “truths?” Some of us nudge them toward “facts,” while others facilitate toward a shared understanding, which may or may not be based on “facts.” What should we do?
Keynote Address with Cheryl Jamison: Recognizing and Facing the Mediation Challenges of Today
Friday 12:15-1:30
As mediators and conflict resolution practitioners we are called upon to head straight into the eye of storm and stand firm while conflict swirls around us. With no applause and little fanfare, we assist individuals through some of their most difficult and painful moments. Join me in celebrating the work and the passion to do it.
Saturday Plenary Luncheon with Donna Silverberg: Resiliency–What It Means for Conflict Resolvers
Saturday 12:15-1:30
Donna Silverberg will present information, share stories, and lead an interactive discussion on the topic. Conference attendees will discover why resiliency matters when navigating tough waterways, be introduced to and reminded of tools that can build resiliency, and engage in lively dialogue with others about ways they can build resiliency…alone and together.
Workshops
Session 1: 10:15 am – 11:45 am
Accountability: Why It Matters and How to Get There
It’s not enough to say “I’m sorry.” Accountability is a transformative process: 1) Be honest 2) Let go of justification 3) Take responsibility for choices 4) Move from shame to remorse 5) Change thinking and behavior going forward. Use it to craft strong, durable agreements.
Participants will be able to: 1) Have a clear understanding of why accountability is a fundamental and necessary motivator in crafting strong, durable resolutions. 2) Identify accountable and non-accountable language. 3) Help parties be honest about what they did. 4) Help parties clearly identify their justifications for behavior. 5) Support them in taking responsibility for the choices they have made. 6) Assist parties in using shame/remorse as motivators for resolution. 7) Assist in identifying thinking and behavior change that will be the foundation of a stable resolution. (D)
Katherine Anne Stansbury, BA, CACD II
The Three Models of Mediation: Interest-Based, Transformative & Narrative, Part 1 of 2
What has developed in the field of mediation is a diversity of models, each offering its own approach to conflict and conflict resolution. This workshop will give mediators and opportunity to become familiar with the different models.
Participants will: 1) Learn the history and application of the three models, 2) Generate questions that help parties experience different models, & 3) Apply the skills learned in role-play mediations. (W)
Tsipora Dimant, Mediator & Trainer
Restorative Justice 101
This introductory workshop will define the term “Restorative Justice,” explore the basic philosophy of the field, and examine the ongoing and future application of RJ in schools, criminal justice systems, and community-building organizations. We will also discuss some of the key similarities and differences between practices in conflict resolution and restorative justice.
Participants will: 1) Be able to define restorative justice, 2) have a greater understanding of RJ applications/processes, & 3) be able to identify similarities and differences between practices in conflict resolution and restorative justice. (P)
Carley Adams, MA, Beaverton Dispute Resolution Center Program Manager
Mediation: Enhancing the Image
What is the public perception of mediation? How can it be enhanced? Professions insure competency of the practitioner, enhance the image of those providing professional services, promote trust in the process, and help protect the public. How can we improve the image?
Participants will: 1) identify the key elements for developing a professional/positive image of mediation, 2) compare ethical, educational, and experience requirements necessary for the creation of a successful mediation industry, 3) assess the elements and standards that exist in Oregon, and 4) design “next steps” for enhancing the mediation image and protecting the public. (B)
Nancy Neal Yeend, Dispute Management Strategist
The Outward Mindset to Resolve Conflict
Conflict is most often characterized by the parties focusing on self-interest. Helping conflicting parties come to an outward mindset can work wonders in conflict resolution.
Participants will: 1) discover why Mindset matters, 2) learn about the characteristics of Inward and Outward Mindsets, 3) explore how and why we turn Inward, and how to turn outward, and 4) experience one tool that can help people turn outward. (T)
Doug Lundrigan, MBA, Certified Outward Mindset Instructor
Mindfulness & Mediation
Meet-up to practice mindfulness and talk together about how and why we do it, and how mindfulness impacts mediation. Beginners and experienced practitioners welcome!
Participants will: 1) learn how to enhance mindfulness (i.e., how to become more relaxed and alert); 2) learn how mindfulness can enrich personal and professional (e.g., mediation) life; & 3) learn how regularly practicing with others can be a big support. (Pd)
Barry Nobel, JD, PhD
Session 2: 1:45 pm – 3:15 pm
Equity-Informed Mediation
As mediators, can we truly be impartial without an equity-infused racial and social justice lens? At Resolutions Northwest, we have been integrating equity and justice principles and practices into the mediation process for several years. During this workshop, we will overview some of the essential awareness and tools we use to train our mediators in “Equity-Informed Mediation, and explore with case examples how that might differ from traditional mediation practices.
Participants will: 1) analyze conflict within a framework of nested racial/social power structures, 2) understand how “centering” the most impacted parties leads to more sustainable conflict outcomes, 3) develop awareness about how our own social/cultural identities impact the parties and the process, & 4) identify further learning for racial/cultural mediator competency. (D)
Nyanga Uuka, Mediation Coordinator, Resolutions Northwest; Stephen Fowler, Restorative Justice Trainer, Resolutions Northwest; & Stuart Watson, Mediation Trainer: Resolutions Northwest, Family Mediator: Oregon Divorce Guides
The Three Models of Mediation: Interest-Based, Transformative & Narrative, Part 2 of 2
What has developed in the field of mediation is a diversity of models, each offering its own approach to conflict and conflict resolution. This workshop will give mediators and opportunity to become familiar with the different models.
Participants will: 1) Learn the history and application of the three models, 2) Generate questions that help parties experience different models, & 3) Apply the skills learned in role-play mediations. (W)
Tsipora Dimant, Mediator & Trainer
Learning to Crawl: and the Problem of Over-reaching in a Distrustful Environment
When there is a history of conflict and distrust, there can often,be a tendency to over-reach and show meaningful results in public policy mediation. We’ll show you why this can be self-defeating and offer ways to avoid this trap.
Participants will 1)understand the dynamics of trust, vulnerability, and risk & 2) utilize this understanding to design successful mediation strategies in low-trust situations. (P)
Steve Greenwood, M.P.A. Lead Faculty, PSU Certificate in Collaborative Governance
Learning from the Masters
In this session, attendees will have the unique experience to learn from mediation masters Sam Imperati, Donna Silverberg, Linda Scher, and Chip Coker, who will answer questions posed by moderator Julie Gentili Armbrust. We will discuss the worst mediation each has conducted, the most & least useful mediation tool they learned in mediation training, lessons & tips they have learned along the way, and suggestions on how to improve your own practice. This is the session you’ve dreamed about! Attendees will get a glimpse into these masters brains on learn how to better their own mediation practice. Audience questions will also be entertained. This is a not-to-be-missed, once in a decade session!
This session is designed for the participants to be a fly on the wall and hear what mediation masters really think. (T)
Julie Gentili Armbrust, J.D.
Getting Back to Basics
Remember how exciting it was to first learn about the mediation process? Now that you are a seasoned practitioner are you feeling stuck in a rut? Are you connecting with your practice or just checking off boxes? This interactive workshop will bring us back to the basics of mediation practice to help us refocus and maybe even some new tips and tricks! (T)
Meg Goldberg, M.S. Conflict Resolution, J.D., Family Mediator
Empowered Self-Care for Busy Professionals
You have invested in professional skills. Do you invest in self-care to sustain you in your work? Learn self-care habits that fit your personality and lifestyle. Develop skills that help you work with deeper compassion and a calm and clear mind.
Participants will: 1) articulate the importance of self-care for a mediator’s personal and professional satisfaction and success, 2) explain how the “habit loop” is used to create and sustain habits, 3) recognize personal preferences and lifestyle factors that can be used to create personal care strategies, 4) practice simple self-care habits, and 5) plan a small habit change that can be implemented immediately. (Pd)
Kirstin Pinit, Wellness Coach and Consultant, Yoga Health Coach
Session 3: 3:35 pm – 5:00 pm
What to Say when We Don’t Know What to Say
Have you ever been in a situation in which an issue regarding diversity came up and you wanted to say something but you did not know the “right” thing to say so you said nothing? This interactive session will examine those types of situations.
Participants will learn: 1) What is a microaggression? 2) Possible responses when you find yourself in a situation when a dimension of diversity and you don’t know what to say, 3) how to respond to issues of diversity as a mediator, & 4) What is an allied relationship and why it is important? (D)
Cheryl Jamison, JD
Serious Gaming
Serious games are useful because they provide an opportunity to make friends out of enemies through casual conversation and to learn about negotiating over water and the environment. The games can be an interactive, realistic virtual environment in which players attempt to simultaneously “juggle” growing food, growing cities, sustain the environment, and make a profit. They come in many forms, ranging from role plays, board games, computer-assisted board games, and online games.
Participants will: be introduced to the growing portfolio of games that focus exclusively on water resources and the environment, as well as provide an opportunity to play some of the games. (P)
Todd Jarvis, Director, Institute for Water & Watersheds at Oregon State University
Making Peace With Your Practice
Find and sustain the energy from within to make your passion your profession. So many of us are inspired by peacemaking trainings and then begin to doubt our ability to make a living at it. My thesis is that if we do the inner work, the clients will come.
Participants will 1) find your heart through defining your purpose, 2) tap into your power by identifying your strengths, & 3) use your awareness to maintain alignment with these and ignite your internal (eternal) combustion engine of inspiration, courage and positivity. (B)
Dona Cullen, Mediator, Collaborative Attorney, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst Cullen Mediation & Collaborative Law, PC
Singing the Shuttle Blues
When is shuttle mediation helpful? What are the drawbacks? What should be considered when determining whether to meet separately or jointly? When using shuttle, what are some tools for reducing the risk of misunderstandings?
Participants will: 1) to explore the pros and cons of shuttle and joint mediation, 2) identify questions to ask in determining whether shuttle is appropriate, 3) highlight misunderstandings that can result from meeting separately, & 4) identify ways of tracking and accurately representing proposals. (T)
Pete Johnson, JD, Mediator, Multnomah Family Court Services
Student Research Panel (Pd)
Students will present on recent research projects. Join the panel or find more information here.
Saturday
Session 4: 8:45 am – 10:15 am
Navigating Values-based Bias
We all have values-based biases. What are yours? Are you able to maintain your perceived impartiality when the issues presented come against your deeply held beliefs? In this highly interactive workshop you’ll gain new insights by completing a world view survey then participating in a discussion of previous mediations that have challenged your neutrality. You’ll discover which issues push your “intuitive ethics,” challenge your moral foundations, & threaten your impartiality.
Participants will 1) indicate their most and least important values, 2) discover similarities between theirs and other members of the group, and 3) gain insights into how their moral foundations affect their impartiality. (D)
Louise Neilson, owner, Applied Creativity
Successfully Navigating Conflict in Teams
Conflict in teams is natural and may be productive when navigated effectively. The presenter will provide a map to understanding, preventing, addressing and recovering from challenges. Participants will engage with conflict navigation in groups, receiving take-away guides.
Participants will: 1) understand key steps required to prepare a team for success, 2.) identify a conflict navigation approach grounded on a basic mediation model adapted for teamwork, and 3) practice planning techniques to navigating team conflict. (W)
Megan G. Johnston, MA, Collaboration Specialist
Building a Mediation Practice-Lawyer & Non-Lawyer (B)
Oregon Mediator Certification: Update and Information (45 mins) *cancelled*
There has been movement around mediator certification in Oregon for years. Join us to learn more about the multi-stakeholder effort to develop a robust and meaningful certification program to propel the field into the 21st century.
Participants will have the opportunity to review, provide feedback and ask questions about the mediator certification proposal. This feedback will help the group shape the final certification program. (B)
Tera Cleland, OCAG Convener, Mediation Specialist for City of Gresham, OMA Board President, and Sam Imperati, JD, Executive Director or ICM Resolutions
*new* How much law, if any, does a mediator need to know?
Panel moderated by T. Cleland with Sam Imperati and Ken Braun
Embodied Conflict: Understanding the Neural Basis of Conflict
The neural function of encoding perceptual experience is the basis of learning, memory, cognition, identity. Knowledge of the embodied underpinnings of behavior helps us understand dynamics of communication and relationship, provides guidance for our practice interventions.
Participants will: 1) develop a better understanding of how the basic neural function that produces learning and memory and allows for cognition and identity contributes to conflict and can get in the way of conflict resolution, 2) develop another perspective from which to understand the incidence of conflict in our social relations, & 3) have an opportunity to reflect on how we work with parties and how we might adjust our practice (and our training) based on the ideas presented. (T)
Tim Hicks, MA, Connexus Conflict Management
Meditation as a Mediation Tool, Part 1 of 2
Curious about viewing conflict resolution through the scope of meditation? Want to know how to use meditation as an approach in your practice? Join us and we will learn and practice key points of meditation to better understand its beneficial effects on conflict resolution.
Participants will learn: 1) how to settle and ground the mind before mediating, 2) the purpose of meditation and how it facilitates the job of the mediator, 3) how we use our minds in conflict, 4) honoring diversity within conflict resolution. (Pd)
Diana Nadeau, Award-winning Author, Meditation Instructor, Positive Resolve Mediation
Session 5: 10:30 am to 12:00 pm
Building Conflict Resilience into Business Structure
This training will help business owners who are re-structuring, re-organizing, or just beginning to build conflict resilience into their business structures by using interest based negotiation and core concerns.
Participants will leave with a better understanding of business modeling and development through a conflict resolution perspective. Understanding the utility of interest based negotiation and core concerns. (W)
Madeline Kane, MS, Conflict Resolution, Abby Chroman, MS, Conflict Resolution, Amanda Lawson, MS, Conflict Resolution
Value Added Intake
A method of conflict analysis, conducted during intake, which allows the parties to experience sophisticated listening skills. Evaluate client conflict styles and help them shift their mindset. Understand the rationale, watch a demonstration and practice with scenarios.
Participants will: 1) Learn application of Thomas-Kilmann conflict style analysis to a case intake call, 2) incorporate Learning Styles into case development, 3) balance information gathering with trust building. (T)
Marti Kantola Dane, Executive Director, Six Rivers DRC, & Andrea Pacheco,Certified Mediator – Six Rivers Dispute Resolution Center, Licensed Geologist, Certified Restorative Practices Provider
Meditation as a Mediation Tool, Part 2 of 2
Curious about viewing conflict resolution through the scope of meditation? Want to know how to use meditation as an approach in your practice? Join us and we will learn and practice key points of meditation to better understand its beneficial effects on conflict resolution.
Participants will learn: 1) how to settle and ground the mind before mediating, 2) the purpose of meditation and how it facilitates the job of the mediator, 3) how we use our minds in conflict, 4) honoring diversity within conflict resolution. (Pd)
Diana Nadeau, Award-winning Author, Meditation Instructor, Positive Resolve Mediation
Session 6: 1:45 pm – 3:15 pm
Mediating in the #MeToo Era, Part 1 of 2
When ambiguous or inappropriate communication provokes an overwhelming “freeze” response, it sets the body up to store trauma. Section A explores the personal power dynamics and somatic responses involved in a predator-prey freeze response. Using Liberating Structures, we’ll identify playful maneuvers to better navigate around clumsy, inappropriate or antisocial questions and comments. This workshop draws upon the social learning work of Kasia Urbaniak (www.kasiaurbaniak.com) who teaches techniques “to learn how to play when you don’t know what to say.”
Section A participants will: 1) learn to recognize the power dynamics and somatic responses present during an overwhelming freeze response, 2) identify how the freeze relates to trauma, triggering and PTSD, 3) use liberating structures to practice playful maneuvers to better negotiate these fraught moments, and 4) share strategies for navigating the freeze and its aftereffects with clients at the table. (D)
Kimberly Koch-Hult, Chair, OFEB Shared Neutrals Program
Conflict as one Timeless Pattern: Art and Creative Processing Methods
In this workshop, we will define and explore Arnold Mindell’s (founder of Process Oriented Psychology) Four Phases for processing conflict using simple art making tools. This method can be applied to inner conflicts, relationship or couple conflicts and group issues.
Participants will: 1) Introduce an art based method to approach conflicts, 2) facilitate self and other in a polarized conflict, accessing awareness to create resolution and deepen understanding between the sides, 3) learn about the four phases of conflict and different facilitation skills and interventions needed for each phase, & 4) learn how to find sustainability in conflict, recognizing the value of conflict is part of growth and a natural developmental stage. (W)
Suzette Payne, MA, Dipl. PW, Processwork Facilitator & Kara Wilde, MA, Dipl PW, Processwork Facilitator
Extreme Facilitation: Helping people have the best conversation on the worst day of their lives
A mother’s children are removed from her home late at night by Child Protective Services and taken to an unknown location. Two weeks later, you are asked to facilitate a conversation between mom and those holding her children. Are you up to the task? Come find out the real value of those tools in your mediation toolbox.
An interactive and entertaining workshop demonstrating how mediation skills underpin the most challenging facilitations. Actual cases will be used to design role-playing exercises. Participation is encouraged, but not mandatory. (P)
Rob Bearden, JD, Private Practice Mediator, Sandra Jackson, & Jack Bevilacqua
GPS for Smooth Sailing
Before setting sail on the stormy seas of mediation, join the Standards and Practice Board for an exciting and stimulating break out session. This session is a fast paced gameshow format that combines elements of “Family Feud” with “Who wants to be a Millionaire” to improve GPS (general practice standards) and keep the practitioner off the sand bar of litigation.
Participants will use adult leaning techniques to raise awareness of OMA Standards and Oregon’s confidentiality statute for best practices. (B)
Sam Imperati, JD, Executive Director ICM Resolutions
Getting them Through, or Giving them Skills?
While clients seek guidance through their current difficulty, they select mediation, in part, because they want to be more empowered in the process and to manage conflict within ongoing relationships. Both of these goals require they develop new skills, which will support their longer term success. In this session we will explore opportunities for, then demonstrate and share examples and tools of client skill-building, then brainstorm how to incorporate them into your practice of mediation.
Participants will: 1) assess goals and opportunities for client education and skill building within your practice, 2) learn examples of how client skill-building can be incorporated into your process with clients, both in interactions and with support tools, & 3) brainstorm and adapt client skill-building strategies for your own practice. (B)
Stuart Watson: Mediation Trainer: Resolutions Northwest Family Mediator: Oregon Divorce Guides, Abbey Bowman, Mediator
Service Animals, Disability, and Conflict
Conflicts can be centered at the intersection of disability and dogs. Learn the fundamental differences between a service animal, emotional support dog, and pet, and the best practices and regulations for each situation.
Participants will become familiarized with rules and regulations regarding service animals, and feel confident to resolve conflicts involving dogs and disability. (Pd)
Heidi von Ravensberg, J.D., MBA, & John Ahlen
Session 7: 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm
Mediating in the #MeToo Era, Part 2 of 2
Section B: Join a panel of Oregon Federal Executive Board Shared Neutrals to identify and explore questions that organizations might consider when designing ADR for (sexual) harassment cases in the #MeToo era. We’ll share perspectives about how to support some of the most fraught, and potentially most restorative, conversations that often do not take place.
Section B participants will engage in workshopping (discussing and drafting) guidelines for (sexual) harassment ADR practices in the #MeToo era workplace. Using liberating structures, participants will explore questions that organizations might consider when designing ADR for harassment cases, including: What are the goals of the ADR process (to stop behavior, to understand what happened, to restore something)? What process formats work best (circle before dyad)? How would informed consent work (to assure adequate screening and dovetail with other redress procedures)? Small groups will share their ideas. (D)
Kimberly Koch-Hult, Chair, OFEB Shared Neutrals Program, Jalayne Spivey-Locke, SSA and OFEB Shared Neutral, Anthony Jackson, USFS and OFEB Shared Neutral, Guest Panelist, OFEB Shared Neutral
Navigating Cognitive Dissonance in Mediation
Encountering unexpected or unwanted differences easily leads to cognitive dissonance, where our customary way of perceiving the world is disrupted. This workshop will help mediators manage cognitive dissonance positively and productively, and avoid negative, harmful habits.
Participants will: 1) Recognize cognitive dissonance in mediation, 2) apply strategies to manage cognitive dissonance for greater understanding, and 3) operate effectively disputant(s), or mediator(s) experience cognitive dissonance.
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