Opinion ID: 1129427
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 24

Heading: Point Categories

Text: Mediation Training. Applicants must complete a Florida Supreme Court certified training program for the type of mediation in which they are seeking certification. In order to qualify as a Florida Supreme Court certified training program, a training program must satisfy all of the requirements of Administrative Order AOSC00-9 or any successor order. Applicants shall have completed the requisite certified mediation training program within two years immediately preceding the date of application. Education/Mediation Experience. Points shall be awarded in accordance with the following schedule (points are only awarded for the highest level of education completed and honorary degrees are not included): High School Diploma/GED 10 points Associate's Degree 15 points Bachelor's Degree 20 points Master's Degree 25 points Master's Degree in Conflict Resolution 30 points Doctorate (e.g., Ph.D., J.D., M.D., Ed.D., LL.M.) 30 points Ph.D. from Accredited Conflict Resolution Program 40 points In addition, five points will be awarded for completion of a graduate level conflict resolution certificate program in an institution which has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges, the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the American Bar Association, or an entity of equal status. Any applicant relying on an educational degree shall provide evidence of such degree in the form of a transcript mailed directly from the educational institution to the Center. Such applicant must also enclose a copy of the diploma evidencing such education. In the event that such documentation is unavailable, the applicant must submit another form of appropriate documentation, such as a sworn affidavit. An additional one point per year will be awarded to a Florida Supreme Court certified mediator for each year that mediator has mediated at least 15 cases of any type. In the alternative, a maximum of five points will be awarded to any mediator, regardless of Florida Supreme Court certification, who has conducted a minimum of 100 mediations over a consecutive five-year period. Any applicant relying on years of mediation experience shall include an affidavit attesting to such experience. Mentorship. Mentorship shall include observing mediations conducted by certified mediators and conducting mediations under the supervision and observation of certified mediators. The mentorship requirements for those seeking certification shall be performed in a manner consistent with the following requirements: The responsibility of structuring a mentorship rests with each trainee. The trainee shall not receive any fees for any case which the trainee utilizes to complete the required mentorship. All duly certified mediators are required to allow, upon request, a minimum of two mediation observations or supervised mediations per year. The certified mediator shall not charge the trainee any fees to observe a mediation conducted by the certified mediator, but may charge a reasonable fee for observing and supervising a trainee while the trainee conducts a mediation. In addition, the certified mediator shall be entitled to any compensation paid for the mediation. The certified mediator shall remain in control of the case. In order for an applicant to be awarded mentorship points, the applicant must work with at least two different certified mediators and the mediations involved must be of the type for which certification is sought. The confidentiality and privileges provided in the Mediation Confidentiality and Privilege Act shall apply when a trainee serves as a mediator, comediator, or observer. Ten points will be awarded for each completed supervised mediation and five points for each mediation session observed. State-funded trial court mediation programs shall assist trainees in completing their mentorship requirements. Applicants shall provide original signatures of all mentors in relation to all mentorship activity claimed. Mediation Observations For each observation required for certification, the trainee must observe an entire session of the type of mediation for which certification is sought, conducted by a certified mediator of the type for which certification is sought. The observation requirement shall not be satisfied by any individual who is a party, participant, or representative in the mediation. A trainee may not fulfill the observation requirements before beginning a certified mediation training program. The observation requirement may be completed prior to the conclusion of the certified mediation training program. An appellate or pre-suit mediation which is or would have been the type of mediation for which certification is sought if it had been filed in a trial court and if conducted by a certified mediator of the type for which certification is sought may be utilized for observation purposes. A federal court mediation conducted by a certified circuit mediator may be utilized to fulfill a circuit mentorship. Administrative agency mediation conducted under rules and procedures other than those of the state trial courts may not be utilized to fulfill the mentorship requirements. Supervised Mediations The requirement that the trainee conduct a mediation under the supervision and observation of a certified mediator may be fulfilled by the trainee comediating with a certified mediator only if, in the opinion of the certified mediator, the trainee had a significant impact on the outcome of or made a substantial contribution to the mediation. At the conclusion of the mediation, the mentor shall determine if the trainee had a significant impact on the outcome of or made a substantial contribution to the mediation. If so, it may qualify as a supervised mediation. If not, it will qualify only as an observation. For purposes of the requirement to conduct mediations, mediation is defined as a complete case, which may consist of multiple sessions. The entire mediation shall be comediated or observed by a certified mediator of the type for which certification is sought. In the event the trainee is only able to participate in a single session of a multisession mediation, such participation qualifies as an observation regardless of the trainee's level of participation. An appellate or pre-suit mediation which is or would have been the type of mediation for which certification is sought if it had been filed in a trial court and if conducted by a certified mediator of the type for which certification is sought may be utilized for the requirements to conduct mediations under observation and supervision. A federal court mediation conducted by a certified circuit mediator may be utilized to fulfill a circuit mentorship. Administrative agency mediation conducted under rules and procedures other than those of the state trial courts may not be utilized to fulfill the mentorship requirements. Miscellaneous. Five points shall be awarded to applicants currently licensed or certified in any United States jurisdiction in psychology, accounting, social work, mental health, health care, education, or the practice of law or mediation. Such award shall not exceed a total of five points regardless of the number of licenses or certifications obtained. Any applicant requesting certification on the basis of licensure in a profession shall provide all applicable information necessary for the Center to verify such licensure. Five points shall be awarded for possessing conversational ability in a foreign language as demonstrated by certification by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Oral Proficiency Test, qualification as a court interpreter, accreditation by the American Translators Association, or approval as a sign language interpreter by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. Such award shall not exceed five total points regardless of the number of languages in which the applicant is proficient. Five points shall be awarded for each of the following two categories: successful completion of an additional mediation training program (minimum 30 hours in length) certified/approved by a state or court other than Florida in addition to the required Florida Supreme Court certified mediation training program, and certification as a mediator by the Florida Supreme Court. Such award shall not exceed five points per category regardless of the number of trainings completed or certifications obtained. Any applicant requesting certification on the basis of specific experience shall provide a resume detailing the experience and any other information necessary for the Center to verify such experience.