In addition, an awards banquet was held to recognize staff and clientele of the United Neighborhood Centers who completed mediation training. Initiated through grant funding from the Scranton Area Foundation, the CRRC is a collaborative project of Lackawanna Family Court, The Scranton School District, United Neighborhood Centers, and Marywood University that is located in the William G. McGowan Center at Marywood University. The CRRC mediation process can assist parties who are feuding to open lines of communication, zero in on hidden issues and achieve mutually satisfying settlements. According to Sheryl Youngblood, Ph.D., director of the CRRC, the mediation process is a beneficial alternative to litigation.
Mediation is an alternative chosen instead of or before judicial proceedings.
It is highly successful in four out of five cases. The mediation process is confidential. A mediation session lasts about two hours and involves laying the dispute out before a neutral third party trained in conflict resolution. The mediators receive 30-40 hours of mediation training, as well as an apprenticeship with an experienced mediator. We want people to realize their own potential at handling conflict effectively.