by Michelle Wilkinson | Dec 21, 2023
P R E S S R E L E A S E
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 21, 2023
Contact Email: Michelle Wilkinson
LOCAL NON-PROFIT OFFERING FREE CONFLICT RESOLUTION TRAINING FOR KING COUNTY RESIDENTS
Seattle, December 21 – The Dispute Resolution Center of King County (KCDRC) introduces a series of new, culture-forward trainings to support individuals to better manage conflict on their own, and in their own communities. Conflict Resolution for Everyone (CoRE™) will be free to all King County residents in 2024. CoRE centers cultural diversity throughout the entirety of the training and considers the complexities related to cultural factors in conflict.
KCDRC Executive Director, Dave Martine, shares, “At this moment in time, conflict is boiling over everywhere, playing a larger role in our lives, not just in the news, but at work, school, spaces of worship, community meetings, and even at family dinners. CoRE is for everyone, whether you want to become a mediator or address problems with your neighbors, coworkers, or family in a more productive way.”
Martine adds, “King County is one of the most diverse counties in the country, so we wanted to create a program that would be beneficial and equitable to a wide range of people in our community. With generous funding from the Washington State Legislature, we created a culturally relevant program starting by holding listening sessions with residents and organizations throughout South King County. We heard perspectives from people of color and marginalized communities, including LGBTQ+, immigrant, and formerly incarcerated individuals and their family members. With a better understanding of conflict from different perspectives, we have created a truly unique learning opportunity.”
During the development of CoRE, KCDRC piloted the trainings with community members. Afterwards, they shared some reflections. Meryn states, “This training is a fun and engaging way to internally reflect on ways to be a productive mediator. Learning about your own strengths and weaknesses to help others better!” Anisa adds, “I learned a lot about how to view other people’s perspectives, as I was more internally focused. I learned to be more confident in myself since I am an introvert so that I can extend myself to help others.” Dashne offers, “I’ve learned a lot, especially having the confidence to listen to other people’s conflicts and help them to problem solve, and work to find a solution. They were able to create a training that is interactive that has practical real-world examples!”
This new, one-of-a-kind program helps people navigate conflict in their own lives by giving them the knowledge to work through disagreements with more effective approaches. Daniel Dittrick, KCDRC’s Professional & Community Education Manager notes, “The sessions are set up in modules that can be taken together, or an individual can choose just one skill they want to work on, like giving and receiving feedback or negotiation basics, intentional listening and more. Sessions will be offered at varying times each month to accommodate people’s busy lives, making it more convenient for everyone to take part. While we are launching the program virtually in English, our aim is to add in-person sessions, and eventually expand the languages offered.”
KCDRC is offering the program for free in the first year to make CoRE more accessible to everyone. Martine expresses, “This will allow us to remove many financial barriers so more people can benefit from the new program. We are acting on our organizational values by offering CoRE for free. Our staff and board are thrilled we can bring this innovative learning opportunity to our community.”
CoRE™ sessions will launch on February 1, and signup begins on January 5 at www.kcdrc.org/learn.
The KCDRC mission is to promote meaningful pathways for everyone to engage with conflict, to learn from each other, and to grow in community. A nonprofit since 1986, KCDRC provides low-cost and no-cost solutions for King County residents and businesses to uncover workable solutions to everyday problems. Last year, our staff and volunteers helped to resolve more than 7,500 disputes throughout King County. To learn more about the full range of services, visit www.kcdrc.org.
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For media inquiries, interviews, or additional information, please contact Michelle Wilkinson.
For a PDF of the press release, click here: CoRE Press Release Final
by Michelle Wilkinson | Oct 20, 2023
The Dispute Resolution Center of King County is excited to announce the launch of a new program to help stabilize rental housing throughout King County. The Voluntary Initiative for Stable Tenancy and Affordability (VISTA) is an alternative to court proceedings that can be costly and time-intensive for everyone involved.
Caroline D., Director of Mediation Services, explains, “We saw a big need in King County to assist tenants and landlords in rental housing communities to find solutions to their conflicts in order to increase housing stability. Instead of immediately heading to eviction court when tenants have unpaid past-due rent, VISTA parties can voluntarily come to KCDRC for conflict coaching and mediation that will create another option to solve their problems. In most cases, it is a faster, less expensive, and more satisfactory resolution for everyone.”
VISTA Housing Program Manager, Sarah G., notes that 15 number of professional mediators have already signed up to volunteer their services for this new program. “The enthusiasm that our community has shown for this new program is really exciting. Many volunteers were involved with the Eviction Resolution Pilot Program (ERPP) over the last few years, and they want to continue this important work to increase housing stability and reduce the number of people becoming homeless in our community.”
KCDRC is a non-profit in King County that has been providing alternative dispute resolution services, including mediation and conflict coaching, since its founding in 1986. Last year, more than 7,500 residents and businesses used DRC services to solve disputes. To learn more about our services, visit www.kcdrc.org.
by Michelle Wilkinson | Oct 9, 2023
Washington Governor Jay Inslee made it official. October is Community Conflict Resolution Month in Washington! Thank you to everyone in our community, especially our volunteer mediators and staff, who help reduce conflict throughout our county and state.
Alternative dispute resolution works! As noted in the proclamation, residents of the state of Washington have access to community mediation centers to resolve conflicts between family members, neighbors, tenants, landlords, merchants, consumers, employees, employers, schools, civic organizations, and government agencies. We are proud that our work increases access to justice for traditionally underserved populations in King County, and we help people understand each other and improve communication everyday.
We thank Governor Inslee for recognizing October as Community Conflict Resolution Month. And we thank everyone in our community who assists in resolving conflicts through facilitation, conciliation, restorative practice, training, and mediation. You are promoting civility and increasing the quality of life for residents of King County. 2023ConflictResolutionMonthProclamation
by admin | May 10, 2019
The following article is a collaboration between the Dispute Resolution Center of King County’s Executive Director Patti Dinsmore and the King County District Court’s Judge Donna Tucker.
It was originally posted in the May 2019 Bar Bulletin of the King County Bar Association
Dispute Resolution and the Courts: What You Need to Know
May 1, 2019
By Judge Donna Tucker and Patti Dinsmore
From small claims to anti-harassment — and more — King County residents have multiple options for resolving conflicts. While people often think first of the courts when they have problems with another party, dispute resolution offers an effective alternative in many conflicts.
The King County District Court (KCDC) and the non-profit Dispute Resolution Center of King County (DRC) have collaborated for decades to help our respective services run more smoothly — benefitting residents and attorneys.
Dispute Resolution Centers: A Brief History
The Washington Legislature adopted the Court Improvement Act in 1984, which sought, in part, to stimulate the development and use of dispute resolution centers (DRCs) as an alternative to the courts for resolving certain issues.
Since then, 20 DRCs have been established in the state to provide alternative dispute resolution, mediation and training services. DRCs are mandated to provide services independent of clients’ ability to pay, guaranteeing that all citizens have access to a low-cost resolution process when they cannot afford litigation and/or when they want to work things out directly with the other parties involved. Each year, Washington’s DRCs serve more than 80,000 people with the help of more than 45,000 volunteer hours.
How Dispute Resolution Works
The Dispute Resolution Center of King County assists parties in small claims and anti-harassment disputes, as well as providing free mediation services to seniors (55+) and veterans involved in housing disputes (e.g., neighbor/roommate problems, landlord and tenant, foreclosures, divorce).
The DRC uses a style called “facilitative, interest-based mediation.” This approach is effective for most types of disputes, and is particularly helpful for disputes involving long-term relationships such as those among business partners, neighbors, separating spouses with children, coworkers, families, and departments in organizations.
Three elements that make this approach work well are: voice, choice and mutual obligation:
• Voice: Parties are empowered to speak for themselves, both in terms of how they understand their dispute and what they believe will help them to resolve the matter and move forward.
• Choice: Parties are empowered to make choices they can live with; therefore, the mediation process needs to gain their buy-in while also giving them pathways to own — and follow through on — their agreements.
• Mutual obligation: Due to the self-determined nature of the facilitative mediation process, parties have a duty to speak for themselves and to weigh options for moving forward.
What About Attorneys?
Even if parties choose the facilitative style of mediation, it might still be beneficial for them to consult an attorney about their legal rights. The DRC does not give legal advice or advocate for either client, but will refer parties to attorneys who are familiar with mediation/dispute resolution, who can offer advice.
The DRC welcomes attorneys to participate in mediation; however, clients can participate with or without counsel present. The DRC also can accommodate clients who need to check with their attorneys prior to signing an agreement.
Ways KCDC and DRC Collaborate
The dispute resolution process provides parties the opportunity to seek private and non-punitive resolution in many conflicts that the courts are not always empowered to settle.
The collaborative relationship of the King County District Court and the Dispute Resolution Center of King County allows parties to resolve disputes that involve more than just monetary recovery. Examples of possible resolutions include:
• repair work done again;
• return of property;
• payment plans for those who need the time and the means to fulfill obligations;
• social media non-disparagement actions; and
• sometimes, a simple apology or recognition of harm.
The goal is to expand the parties’ access to justice through more communication around creative and transformative solutions to conflict.
One example of the ways our two organizations collaborate is that District Court communicates to small claims parties that pre-trial mediation services are required and will be provided prior to being assigned a trial date. The court reserves a separate day for pre-trial mediations, which allows everyone in the small claims dispute to focus on the fulfillment of mediation services.
Additionally, KCDC assists DRC with space for the parties and mediator to meet. Judges and court personnel also set aside time to meet with DRC managers and leads, to facilitate healthy communication and process improvement of the pre-trial mediation experience.
This collaboration has been a win/win for everyone. The parties in the dispute benefit, while having the court set aside time for the pretrial mediation ensures that skilled mediators, who are leaving their professions to donate their time, have a case to mediate.
How Attorneys Benefit From Dispute Resolution
The dispute resolution process offers attorneys an effective option to recommend to their clients, especially in conflicts where the parties will still be in contact with one another, and thus need to heal and move beyond the bad feelings of the dispute. Such closure is not always the case in a court proceeding, where one party’s “win” often means another party’s “loss.”
Whether your clients participate in dispute resolution or not, attorneys also enjoy the benefits of a more efficient court system. By resolving conflicts and taking cases off the judges’ calendars, dispute resolution helps provide judges more time to engage with attorneys and their clients, instead of feeling under pressure to rush along to the next case.
Finally, for attorneys looking for continuing legal education, the Dispute Resolution Center of King County offers trainings, practicum and a “Basic Mediation Training,” which provide CLE credits.
It is important to remember that although the facilitative mediation process involves “soft” skills (e.g., active listening, collaborative negotiation) in contrast to “hard” skills such as substantive legal reasoning and fact finding, the work often can be complex and requires handling delicate matters in a sensitive way. We strongly encourage the legal community to attend a basic mediation training to gain an experiential view of the substance and complexity of the work mediators do.
Judge Donna Tucker is chief presiding judge for King County District Court. It is the largest court of limited jurisdiction in Washington, responsible for processing approximately 250,000 matters per year.
Patti Dinsmore is executive director for the Dispute Resolution Center of King County, a nonprofit organization that has offered affordable mediation and conflict resolution services for individuals, businesses and families since 1986.
