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Clackamas County Resolution Services offers three areas for volunteer opportunities: Small Claims, Community (Neighbor to Neighbor) Mediation and Restorative Dialogue.
While volunteering in these programs you will have support and mentoring from mediation staff and work with a group of other dedicated conflict resolution specialists while practicing conflict resolutions skills and giving back to the community.
Qualifications
- For Mediation (Small Claims and Community): Completed a Basic Mediation Training
- For Restorative Dialogue: Completed a Restorative Justice Basic Training
To volunteer with any of these programs please fill out the application below and send it to RS@clackamas.us. Once you are approved, we will send the contract for signature.
Small Claims Mediation
Small Claims Mediation is held via Zoom every Wednesday at 8 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. except the last week of the month.
The benefits of Small Claims Mediation are that volunteers are offered regular and reliable time to mediate. Small Claims supports litigants who have a dispute under $10,000 and offers a variety of issues such as landlord-tenant, family, interpersonal, contract, collection agencies and more.
Mediators are supported in their process by first observing 3 mediations and then co-mediating for 3 mediations. The coordinator hosts regular debrief sessions for mediators to discuss tough issues and work on skills.
Additional training in Court Systems is required and is offered by the county.
Community (Neighbor to Neighbor) Mediation
Community Mediation works with neighbors in the community who are in conflict. Cases include, interpersonal, noise, barking dogs, easements, fences, property management and more.
The benefits of working with the Community Mediation program are working with the coordinator directly to develop skills, advanced case development work, understanding equity in the process, and a flexible schedule. The Community Mediation model allows mediator to take a specific case and work with it from start to finish.
For new mediators we recommend (but do not require) starting with Small Claims to hone direct mediation skills and then moving into Community Mediation to build upon those skills.
Restorative Dialogue
Restorative Dialogue offers volunteers the ability to support youth who have caused a harm to have direct conversation with the person(s) they have harmed.
Restorative Dialogue volunteers will have direct support from staff by either co-mediating with them or a skilled Restorative Dialogue Specialist. Volunteers work from the beginning of the referral and attend the initial conversations before the dialogue. Cases work on a flexible schedule depending on client need.
