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from The Catalog of Philanthropy, 1997 edition, page 53
Mediation Works,
Inc. (MWI) is a dispute resolution service that helps deadlocked families with
troubled adolescents, to address and resolve their differences short of placing
the children in the far more expensive, intrusive, and disruptive judicial
system.
MWI works with families whose adolescents are in
major trouble – running away from home, dropping out of school, being labeled
incorrigible by parents or by outside authorities.
The children feel confused, overwhelmed and angry.
Other impediments – poverty, unemployment, substance abuse, violence,
and inability to communicate – often make things worse.
MWI trained volunteer mediators teach families
despairing in these differences to negotiate out of them.
The product is a fair, written agreement in which all parties take
responsibility for their parts of the practical solution.
Staff members monitor follow-through on the agreements for a two month
period thereafter, and arrange additional services if needed.
Agreements may later be modified with mediator help if necessary.
MWI mediators annually facilitate agreements with at least one family per
week; agreements are reached successfully in 90% of the cases, and families
abide by them in 75% of those cases. Your
support will enable MWI to extend its services to additional school and
community violence prevention programs, in a wider geographic area.
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