CRG offers trainings in communication, de-escalation, conflict resolution, mediation, restorative practices, and facilitation - join us soon for a workshop or series!
Public workshops
Community mediation centers like CRG are committed to providing opportunities for everyone in our community to learn key de-escalation, communication, and conflict resolution skills.
If you’re associated with an organization and would like to work together on providing a workshop through your institution, please contact us here.
Examples of our public workshops:
Introduction to Mediation Training (conflict resolution overview, mediation basics, training options)
Approaches to Conflict, De-escalation (conflict and conflict approaches, de-escalation techniques and practice, impact of culture, basic conflict resolution steps practice)
Core Communication Skills (theory and practice - listening, validating, asking questions, self-expression, going deeper with understanding our own and others’ experiences)
Culture, Bias and Power Dynamics in Collaborative Problem-Solving (impacts of culture, bias awareness, cultural humility, power difference, strategies and practice)
Introduction to Group Facilitation (facilitator role, managing time and content, group dynamics and challenges, group decision-making)
Dealing with Workplace Resistance and “NO” (roots of resistance, accountability and support, practice with techniques)
Scholarship assistance may be available for some trainings, and flexible payment plans are possible (contact us for more details).
Customized training
Sometimes standardized training doesn’t meet actual on-the-ground needs, wasting precious time and resources. We love working with teams, businesses, schools and other organizations to customize training packages to support learning that meets your goals.
Working together, we can co-create a training project that could include consultation and needs assessment, review of potential learning goals and designs, a training plan, and evaluation and feedback to inform future training or other programmatic goals. For some groups, starting a longer-term relationship with phased training goals is a good way to go.
Our process:
To get started, we usually set up an initial free consultation call so we can learn about each other and get a sense your project
As a next step we’ll start developing a more in-depth proposal (including info on fee options).
Once we’ve both discussed and approved the refined proposal, we’ll work with you to schedule the training (we’re flexible on timing) and find the right trainer(s) for the work.
We will then complete the design and preparation process leading up to your session(s), with appropriate points along the way to check in and make sure we all stay on the same page.
Interested in exploring this option? Please contact us with information on you and your project, and good times for us to connect.
Basic Mediation Training
Basic Mediation Training is for anyone who wants to increase their ability to deal with conflict or help others work through conflict. Whether you intend to be a formal mediator, or just want to develop skills that you can use in other professional or personal situations, this training is a good place to start.
Collaborative Resolutions Group (CRG) is a court-approved mediation program, and its Basic Mediation Training meets Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s Uniform Rules of Dispute Resolution training criteria.
Our training includes:
Lively lectures and discussions, including exploration of approaches to conflict and ADR, mediation principles and processes, and discussions of bias, power imbalance, cultural humility and mediator ethics.
Hands-on, practical focus, including mediation demonstration, communication skills practice and coached role-plays
Experienced trainers and coaches
Mediation manual and resources for continuing practice (including possible apprenticeships with CRG’s voluntary mediator roster)
Attorney and social worker continuing education credits (MA CAFL and VT CLEs, MA CECs – approval pending)
For more information, please contact us. We hope you’ll join us at an upcoming training!
Apprenticeship opportunities
Graduates of our Basic Mediation Training and experienced mediators alike know that practice is critical to developing mediation skills. We offer continuing education opportunities for mediators and other conflict interveners, but there’s nothing like hands-on opportunities to co-mediate with more experienced mediators to develop your mediating skills.
CRG enjoys good relationships with regional small claims courts, where many beginning mediators get their first opportunities to try out their skills.* If you’ve completed Basic Mediation Training, please complete this application to join CRG’s roster of volunteer mediators and receive information on available apprenticeship opportunities.
* Please note that due to court closures/backlogs during the pandemic, apprenticeship opportunities are still somewhat limited. We are exploring other possible ways for new mediators to practice – if you’re interested, please contact us and we’ll give you a more updated sense of current options.
Mediator continuing education
We love our local and extended mediator communities, and really appreciate opportunities to learn together and share knowledge and experiences. CRG offers workshops for mediators at all levels, often designed to meet learning needs identified by our mediators.
Please contact us with a request for a particular kind of workshop.
We also encourage mediators to learn together as peers and independently – have you considered zoom roleplay practice? Exploring articles, case studies, and videos available on the internet as a reading or study group? Subscribing to mediation-related blogs? Other ways to connect and learn? Please contact us if you’d like specific suggestions or support with a particular area of learning.
Conflict coaching
Sometimes learning can happen best one-on-one with an experienced coach to help you increase your ability to manage interpersonal communication and conflict. CRG conflict coaching can benefit anyone stuck in a conflict (current or past), or whose relationships or job performance are being negatively impacted by communication patterns or approaches to conflict that aren’t working well.
Conflict coaching is about making progress towards specific goals (it’s short-term work, not therapy). And with a focus on the individual, it’s a great way to address situations in which other people may not want to participate in mediation or other conflict resolution processes – we can change our own behaviors and see positive impacts on our relationships, work, and personal well-being.
Interested? Please contact us if you’re interested in exploring conflict coaching.