CoRE™

We designed CoRE™ to make conflict resolution training and services more relevant and accessible to everyone. We believe everyone can strengthen their ability to resolve conflicts in everyday life. Listening sessions and focus groups with residents and organizations in South King County informed the development of this program. We heard a wide range of perspectives from people of color and marginalized communities, including LGBTQ+ voices, immigrants, those formerly incarcerated, and more.

CoRE™ is offered in two parts. Learners may customize and take individual conflict management sessions offered in Part A, or they may choose to take the entire program which concludes with learning a specific facilitative mediation model in Part B.

Part A: Conflict Resolution Skills

CoRE™ begins with 10 sessions offering introductions to basic skills that anyone could use to help resolve problems on their own and in their communities. Part A includes a menu of topics that are the building blocks of effective communication with cultural factors discussed throughout. Learners can choose to take individual sessions or sign up for the entire list.

 1. Careful Observation – “What Do I Notice?”

2. Reflective Practice – “How Did I Do?”

3. Giving and Receiving Feedback – “How Can We Help?”

4. Intentional Listening – “What Did You Tell Me?”

5. Conflict Styles – “How Do We Disagree?”

6. Issue Identification – “What’s Our Problem?”

7. Reframing – “What Does That Mean?”

8. Distributive Bargaining in Negotiation – “What’s Fair?”

9. Empathy in Negotiation – “How Do You See It?”

10. Integrative Bargaining in Negotiation – “What Else Could We Do?”

Part B: Mediation Process

After completing Part A, learners may elect to join Part B’s 3-day facilitative mediation training. Learners receive opportunities to practice and demonstrate the skills from Part A while applying them to the process of acting as mediator. Completing both Parts A and B of CoRE™ will provide a 40-hour certificate that meets the objectives for a Basic Mediation Training (BMT).

Learning mediation skills can help address conflicts between neighbors, employees & employers, consumers & businesses, tenants & landlords, plus a variety of interpersonal conflicts.

Whether you want to become a formal mediator, or to improve your skills of helping and working with others, we think CoRE™ is for you!

What’s next after CoRE™? Visit our Advanced Learning page.

If you already have a BMT Certificate from elsewhere, we also have a 1-day orientation session to help familiarize you with the unique aspects of CoRE™.