Welcome to
Mediation First

Your Conflict, Your Solution, Our Priority

Mediation helps people reach agreements, rebuild relationships, and find permanent solutions to their disputes. Mediation is a process that lets people speak for themselves and make their own decisions. Community mediation provides a non-profit framework for assuring access to mediation services at the community level with control and responsibility for dispute resolution maintained in the community.

About Mediation First, Inc

Neutral, Nonjudgmental, Confidential

OUR VISION

Mediation First's vision is for every Washington County resident to have awareness of and access to affordable, high-quality community mediation services.

OUR MISSION

Mediation First advances collaborative conflict resolution in Washington County Maryland through educating the public, providing training and applying mediation to social challenges.

Mediation, What it looks like Online!

Mediation Services

Meeting You Where You Are At

Community Mediation

Resolving conflict between family, friends, and neighbors

Reentry Mediation

Reducing Recidivism

Community Dialogues and Restorative Peace Circles

Facilitating Community Conversation

10 Point Community Mediation Model

Train community members who reflect the community’s diversity with regard to age, race, gender, ethnicity, income, and education to serve as volunteer mediators
Provide mediation services at no cost or on a sliding scale
Hold mediations in neighborhoods where disputes occur
Schedule mediations at a time and place convenient to the participants
Encourage early use of mediation to prevent violence or to reduce the need for court intervention, as well as provide mediation at any stage in a dispute
Mediate community-based disputes that come from referral sources, including self-referrals, police, courts, community organizations, civic groups, religious institutions, government agencies, and others
Educate community members about conflict resolution and mediation
Maintain high-quality mediators by providing intensive, skills-based training, apprenticeships, continuing education, and ongoing evaluation of volunteer mediators
Work with the community in governing community mediation programs in a manner that is based on collaborative problem solving among staff, volunteers, and community members
Provide mediation, education, and potentially other conflict resolution processes to community members who reflect the community’s diversity with regard to age, race, gender, ethnicity, income, education, and geographic location