Supervised / Mentored Mediation

Strengthen your mediation expertise.

MetroMediation provides exceptional opportunities for observation and personalized feedback. Participants conduct mediations under the supervision of a highly skilled mediator. Supervised mediation offers the next step for recently trained mediators who want to meet entry criteria for many mediation positions. It is also a rich and rewarding professional development experience for more experienced mediators who wish to enhance and improve their practice. Participants in the program conduct real life mediations, contributing to their communities, learning and expanding their skills, and having a rewarding and fun experience.

In addition to your application, please complete the Mediation Training Certification form to describe your prior experience.

Apply Online Print Application

If you are unable to complete the online application, please print and mail your paper application.

How it works

Receive supervision in the context of volunteer court placements for small claims disputes. You’ll get paired with an experienced mediator as your supervisor and coach. Each participant commits to a half day per week for six months, during which they will:

• Conduct co-mediated sessions with their supervisor
• Observe cases mediated by other program participants
• Co-mediate with other program participants
• Mediate cases independently
• Get feedback from observers at the end of each mediation

Eligibility

Supervised mediation is open to individuals who have previously earned a certificate from MetroMediation’s initial mediator training or another approved mediation training of at least 30 hours.

Placement and Orientation

Placements begin once or twice a year and run for six months. During a mandatory orientation, admitted participants will be assigned to their sites and introduced to Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s Uniform Rules on Dispute Resolution.

Cost

Tuition for this six-month program is $750, which offsets a portion of the cost of the work. A $100 application deposit is required. Full payment is due at the first session.

Application fee policies

The application fee is only refundable if you: are not admitted to the program, withdraw at least three weeks prior to the beginning of the placement period, or withdraw within three weeks of the placement period but the slot is filled by another qualified applicant.

Schedule of Sessions

Six-month Supervised/Mentored Placement periods begin on a rolling basis as applicants accumulate and placement locations become available. We generally begin two or more placement periods per year, often beginning within three weeks of the end of our Initial Mediator training.