Program areas at Conflict Resolution Center
The Conflict Resolution Center (CRC) provides affordable, accessible mediation, training, facilitation and restorative services throughout metro areas of Minneapolis, Duluth and St. Cloud. CRC services are restorative in nature, promoting relationship building, violence prevention, stress reduction and healing for individual, family, and community wellbeing. Areas of service include: Neighborhood circles; healing circles; public forum dialogues; facilitations for organizations and more; community mediation; harassment and housing court-related mediations; one-on-one conflict coaching sessions; cooperative problem solving for housing stability services; housing resource navigation; in-school mediations, conflict coaching; conflict resolution education and restorative circles; diversion-related restorative youth conferencing; and out-of-school youth circles and mediation. Training offerings include 30-hour mediator training; conflict coach training; continuing education webinars for mediators and attorneys throughout the year; and more CRC programs support people in finding satisfying solutions to difficult issues. Use of mediation reduces the reliance on the court system by resolving conflicts before they reach court. Mediation in initial hearings support parties in avoiding further hearings by coming to an acceptable resolution. CRC programs support people in learning how to productively respond to future conflict. Our programs help youth and adults understand productive versus destructive conflict behaviors and provides them an opportunity to understand the impact of conflict in their lives and learn skills that can be used in a variety of settings. CRC restorative services deal directly with preventing violent reactions to conflict situations by helping individuals, families, and communities heal from past harms, repair relationships, learn productive conflict resolution skills, promote caring and connection in families, neighborhoods and communities with a strong emphasis on inclusivity, cultural responsiveness, community-led efforts, and equity and justice. In 2022, CRC conducted 790 mediations. Of these, 226 were court referrals (conciliation, housing, harassment and family). 556 were community mediations (neighbor disputes, housing, families, schools and government agencies). In addition, CRC conducted 775 dispute resolutions sessions serving over 1600 individuals. These sessions included restorative and communication circles, conflict coaching, and cooperative problem solving. Also in 2022, over 450 individuals receive conflict resolution and mediation training through 54 training events. Trainings included formal mediation training and coaching, continuing education for mediators and attorneys, and organizational trainings (corporate and government entities). CRC services are provided by 80 Mediator volunteers, 10 full time staff and 5 part-time staff.