For a court ADR program to succeed, someone has to wake up every morning with a sense of responsibility for its success. That might be a judge, a court staffer, someone at an outside agency or company, or a staff mediator. At the very least, that person needs to keep an eye on how a program is operating, be the face of the program, ensure ethical operations of the ADR processes and the program, and maintain a high standard of performance for the neutrals. For almost all programs, someone also needs to administer the nitty-gritty details of scheduling, follow-up, data collection and reporting.
RSI's Approach
RSI knows what it takes to run a program. Our experience developing and operating mediation programs has given us the real-world experience that undergirds our advice. We know what research on court ADR says, but we also know what it is like to tailor reports that answer particular judges' questions, support and critique neutrals, and respectfully hold the line on program policies such as confidentiality. These tasks require a combination of tact, clarity of purpose, accuracy and understanding of the foundations of various ADR processes.
RSI's Services
Examples of our program administration services include:
- Creating and implementing online case management systems
- Scheduling mediation sessions and providing follow up
- Conducting mediator training and continuing education
- Providing mediator quality support systems
- Developing tools for tracking and reporting on outcomes
- Collecting program data, analyzing it and providing reports to stakeholders
- Managing stakeholder relationships, conducting outreach and developing promotional/informational materials
Sample RSI Successes
Foreclosure Mediation
- Administer three foreclosure mediation programs that serve jurisdictions handling 85% of downstate Illinois foreclosure filings
- Maintain 90%+ participant satisfaction rate with mediation process
- Maintain consistent mediation participation rates despite declining foreclosure filings
Child Protection Mediation
- Operate one of only three child protection mediation program in the state of Illinois
- Use a co-mediation model to develop mediator skills and ability
Funding
- Secure funding from a combination of government funders and private foundations to support four different court ADR programs