A Message from the Division Administrator
When you read the word “conflict” it may stand out. The word conflict means many things to different people. To the NJC it means differences. In life, differences frequently result in misunderstandings, unproductive communication, anger, and sometimes lawsuits. The NJC is built on the principle that conflicts can be successfully resolved without costly courtroom battles when people have an opportunity to talk, listen, and understand each other’s issues and feelings.
Mediation is a process by which disputing parties negotiate their conflicts with the assistance of an impartial third party, a trained mediator. NJC’s mediators are trained to facilitate an open exchange of positions and solutions between two or more parties who have not been able to come to a peaceful resolution on their own.
The mediator does not decide who is right or wrong, or issue a decision. Instead, the mediator helps the parties come to their own conclusion about how to end their conflict and then memorializes it in a written agreement. This process can establish a better foundation for parties to comply with the terms of their resolution.
The NJC provides court and community mediations and offers a number of restorative justice programs. We also mediate conflicts in which a Temporary Protection Order (TPO) has been filed by one against another party. To date, these cases have involved threats of violence, coupled with an on-going conflict, rather than actual physical harm.
When called upon, the NJC provides a team of mediators to stabilize volatile situations in schools, neighborhoods, workplaces, or organizations.
This service is referred to as a “Conflict Intervention Team or CIT”. The NJC also offers leadership, diversity, mediation, and conflict resolution training to other county agencies and the public.