North Shore Community Mediation Center (NSCMC)

Transcription

1 North Shore Community Mediation Center (NSCMC) General Information 1 Cummings Center, Suite 37-J Beverly, MA 1915 (978) Website Organization Contact Cynthia McClorey info@nsmediation.org Year of Incorporation

2 Statements & Search Criteria Mission Statement North Shore Community Mediation Center (NSCMC) is a non-profit corporation whose members educate and empower people to transform conflicts into opportunities for mutual understanding, social change, communication, and personal growth. NSCMC, through collaborative efforts, raises public awareness of the value of Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution methods as vehicles for resolving personal differences and diminishing conflict in society at large. Background Statement North Shore Community Mediation Center (NSCMC) has its roots in the Salem Mediation Program, which began in 1979 and was housed in the Salem District Court. Initially volunteer mediators, trained in basic mediation, resolved minor criminal cases or small claims cases referred by the judges at the Salem District Court. In 1983, the program expanded to help resolve family disputes between adolescents and other family members. In 1994, North Shore Community Mediation, Inc. was incorporated as a non-profit organization by several dedicated mediators. Currently about 65 volunteer mediators belong to NSCMC; some have been involved since incorporation, some go back to the Salem Mediation Program. From 1994 to 1999, volunteer mediators alone kept the organization running, primarily mediating small claims disputes referred by the Salem District Court while also staffing the office. In 1999 the Board of Directors hired the first staff member to work a few hours a week. Since then the position has grown into a part-time Executive Director. Also in 1999, NSCMC expanded to include its own Parent/Child Mediation Service. Mediators receive specialized training to handle these emotional cases. In 1996 NSCMC began to train students in middle and high schools to become peer mediators. Peer Mediation Trainings have been provided to students and staff in over 14 cities and towns in Essex County. In 23, NSCMC organized an annual Peer Mediators Forum to bring peer mediators from Essex County schools together to celebrate the important work they do in their school community. Keynote speakers at past Forums, which have had themes such as leadership, violence prevention, forgiveness and reconciliation and the power of storytelling to transform conflict, have challenged the student mediators to understand the use of mediation in a much larger context. Currently NSCMC volunteer mediators provide mediation services to communities and residents throughout Essex County and to the Salem, Peabody and Gloucester District Courts, the Essex County Juvenile Court and Salem Probate & Family Court. NSCMC is designated a Face to Face Consumer Mediation Program by the MA Office of the Attorney General and provides mediation services including family mediation (divorce, parent/child, elder), consumer mediation, and community mediation (neighborhood, landlord/tenant disputes, or other community conflicts). 2

3 Impact Statement NSCMC accomplishments in FY212: 1) Mediated close to 15 cases referred by the District Courts in Salem, Peabody and Gloucester, Essex County Juvenile and Essex County Probate and Family Courts, and 35 community cases, with over 6% settlement rate. Over 35 people benefitted from these mediation services. 2) Completed a comprehensive Strategic Plan 3) Youth Initiative: Presented a workshop, entitled Can t Communicate? Let s Mediate, at Essex County Community Foundation s Annual Youth at Risk Conference. Honored over 1 Essex County student mediators at the 9th Annual Peer Mediators Forum in April. The Forum included an address by Attorney Jan Schlichtmann and workshops for students from different schools to compare and contrast the success and challenges of their peer mediation programs. Despite substantially reduced local funding, brought peer mediation training and conflict resolution programs to over 8 students in four schools and an anti-gang after school program by partnering with small local private foundations, banks and private donors. Although not an anti-bullying program, peer mediation is effective in reducing peer conflict and promoting mutual understanding. In FY13, NSCMC will focus on the three Action Items generated by the Strategic Plan. These include Marketing, Development, and Programs. The NSCMC Marketing Committee will work to increase the public s awareness of NSCMC and our services by finalizing marketing pieces that will be distributed to local public sites and will continue to the NSCMC quarterly newsletter. The Development Committee will focus on the Annual Appeal while also targeting individual donors and new grant opportunities. The Program Committee will evaluate our current mediation programs to determine areas of potential growth. Needs Statement The loss of our State funding, following the economic downturn in FY29, forced our Board of Directors and staff to reassess the Center s budget. The Board made the decision to continue the current level of services (with some staff reductions) and to seek outside funding to finance our operating shortfall. Our efforts have had some success but adequate funding to meet the expenses associated with providing our critical services is still not within our reach. We are depleting our reserves. We are hopeful but by no means certain that in 2 or 3 years full funding may be restored, our survival is dependent on securing interim funding. Needs: Financial support to retain 4 part-time staff ($45,) Scholarship funds for mediation training to community members from diverse populations in communities in Essex County ($3,) Funding to provide up to 4 twenty-hour peer mediation trainings or conflict resolution programs ($5, each) annually for middle or high schools or after-school programs ($2,) Funds to create a marketing plan to increase public awareness of the benefit of community mediation services. ($1,) Funding to support the cost of an annual financial review or audit ($2,) Funds to upgrade aging office computers and technology ($5,) Office rent ($12,) 3

4 CEO/Executive Director Statement Conflict is a part of everyday life, but few of us have the tools to resolve our conflicts in a positive way. Using alternative dispute resolution techniques to resolve our disputes and create more peaceful communities requires conscious and ongoing effort. Since 1994, NSCMC has been promoting the use of mediation and training to facilitate this social change throughout Essex County. As a community mediation center, we are committed to providing high quality mediation services: to address community needs, at no cost or on a sliding scale, at any stage in a conflict, scheduling sessions locally and at a convenient time and place. We train community members who reflect the community s diversity and who are then prepared to mediate disputes within their respective communities. We have helped thousands of people struggle with family issues including setting rules with adolescents, divorcing and separating households, and helping with elder care planning. We have helped consumers resolve issues with businesses and neighbors work out difficult neighborhood conflicts. We have resolved disputes between juveniles referred by the juvenile court and assisted co-workers with conflicts that create uncomfortable workplaces. In addition to providing mediation services to courts, municipalities, organizations, and residents, NSCMC has allocated significant resources to train Essex County youth about conflict and to teach better communication skills. Providing this training and support is a high priority for our Center. These are the future business owners, attorneys, doctors, judges, parents and politicians who will be our community leaders. They live in a challenging environment that focuses on intense media and fast paced interaction. Learning how to better communicate face to face with peers, teachers, and family members prepares them for the challenges they will face as adults. NSCMC s mediation and training services are unique in how they impact a broad range of community needs throughout Essex County, including community improvement, social action, education, violence prevention, and youth development. Support for NSCMC will have an effect on all of these critical needs. Because of the very substantial reduction in our state funding, we have been forced to utilize our limited reserves which are depleting rapidly. Our survival is dependent on securing interim funding until the State is again able to provide us with financial support. Service Categories Dispute Resolution & Mediation Secondary & High Schools Consumer Protection Geographic Areas Served Essex County, MA Please review online profile for full list of selected areas served. 4

5 Programs North Shore Community Mediation Center's Court and Community Mediation and Training Progam Description NSCMC provides mediation services and mediation training to members of the community, courts, municipalities, schools, social services agencies and others in Essex County. Trained volunteer mediators mediate issues that are referred by the court including consumer, minor criminal, harassment, and summary process cases from the District Courts, minor delinquency, parent/child, and harassment cases from the Juvenile Court, and divorce cases referred by the Probate and Family Court. Court mediation is free to clients of the court. Mediators specially trained in Elder Mediation, Divorce Mediation and Parent/Child Mediation mediate cases referred by the community using a sliding fee scale. No one is denied mediation services. A 34-Hour Basic Mediation Training is offered each year to residents and the NSCMC Youth Initiative provides peer mediation and conflict resolution training and consultation to middle and high schools and other youth serving programs. Budget 155 Category Population Served Program Short Term Success Program Long term Success Crime & Legal, General/Other Mediation Programs Adults, Children and Youth ( - 19 years), Aging, Elderly, Senior Citizens Courts: Over 6% of mediated court cases result in agreement, reducing court dockets and saving courts time and money. Mediated agreements have been found to provide a higher rate of satisfaction. Community: Case referrals are an alternative to costly litigation and empower participants to resolve their own disputes. Training: The NSCMC Basic Mediation Training meets the standards set by the Trial Court s Uniform Rules on Dispute Resolution. Participants who complete the training can pursue an apprenticeship prior to volunteering with NSCMC. Participants can earn CEUs for their time in training. Youth Initiative: Teens who participate in either per mediation training or conflict resolution training learn valuable life skills and are active participants in improving the social climate in their school or youth program.although not specifically an anti-bullying program, our peer mediation program is effective in reducing peer conflict and promoting mutual understanding. The overall goal of NSCMC mediation services and training is to reduce violence, increase safety and options for peaceful resolution of conflicts in the communities in Essex County. Participants in mediation and training learn problem solving skills that they can use when confronted with future disputes. 5

6 Program Success Monitored By Examples of Program Success Mediation Services: NSCMC keeps statistical information on all cases. This includes number of referrals, cases that enter mediation, and the result of the mediation. Following the completion of all mediations, parties are asked to complete an evaluation form reporting their opinion of the mediation process and the work of the mediators. All cases whether referred by the courts or from the community are tracked in this way. Over 95% of parties using mediation service report being satisfied with the process and mediators. Training: Participants in the Basic Mediation Training learn valuable communication skills, including listening, questioning and problem solving techniques, which enable them to help others resolve their own disputes. Youth Initiative: Teens who learn mediation or conflict resolution skills can defuse conflict and avoid violence in school, in relationships, in their community and at home and will become more competent and self sufficient adults. Mediation Services: Weekly court presence for small claims referrals resulted in over 3 referrals with an agreement rate of over 7%. Participants said: Well run process, calming effect which made a difference. I feel the process was handled efficiently and professionally by both mediators and appreciate time spent. Five siblings came together to discuss plans for their aging father. Mediators assisted 2 women to negotiate the return of a car following a private sale. Three adults, responsible for the care of 2 young boys, came together to improve communication in the best interest of the boys. Youth Initiative: One high school reported successful completion of 3 mediations by their peer mediators. In the words of one parent: Having the ability to understand a complex dispute, and the skills to mediate those situations before they escalate, will stay with these young people for the rest of their lives. I m so thrilled my daughter was able to participate. 6

7 Management CEO/Executive Director Executive Director Term Start Apr 22 Ms. Cynthia R. McClorey Experience Cynthia has been associated with North Shore Community Mediation, Inc. since 1999 and has held the position of Executive Director since January, 22. Cynthia comes to this position with experience and training in mediation beginning in 1983 when she coordinated the Adolescent and Family Mediation Project for the Salem Mediation Program, the prior community mediation program serving the North Shore area of Massachusetts. With a background in higher education administration, specifically college admissions, Cynthia has a Bachelors Degree in Sociology and a Masters Degree in Education. As Executive Director, Cynthia oversees the every day operation of NSCMC including the administration and management of NSCMC programs and training, supervises mediators and staff and oversees court operations. Staff Information Full Time Staff Part Time Staff Volunteers Contractors 4 64 Staff Demographics - Ethnicity African American/Black Asian American/Pacific Islander Caucasian Hispanic/Latino Native American/American Indian Other 3 1 Asian Staff Demographics - Gender Male Female Unspecified 4 Formal Evaluations CEO Formal Evaluation 7

8 CEO/Executive Formal Evaluation Frequency Senior Management Formal Evaluation Senior Management Formal Evaluation Frequency NonManagement Formal Evaluation Non Management Formal Evaluation Frequency Annually N/A N/A Annually Plans & Policies Organization has a Fundraising Plan? Under Development Organization has a Strategic Plan? Years Strategic Plan Considers 5 Date Strategic Plan Adopted June 211 Organization Policy and Procedures Nondiscrimination Policy Whistleblower Policy No Directors and Officers Insurance Policy Is your organization licensed by the Government? No Awards Awards Award/Recognition Organization Year Champion of Peace Award Salem State University 29 Affiliations Affiliation National Association for Community Mediation (NAFCM) Year 21 8

9 Board & Governance Board Chair Board Chair Mr. Norman J Sherman Esq. Company Affiliation Law Office of Norman J. Sherman Term Sept 212 to Aug 213 norman.sherman@comcast.net Board Members Name Affiliation Status Linda Colleran Gordon College Voting Richard Langworthy Retired Voting James Latham Esq. Retired Voting Scott Marks Esq. Law Office of Scott Marks Voting Michael Randall Salem State University Voting William A. Scofield Esq. Lathrop & Gage LLP Voting Sandy Sheckman Community Volunteer Voting Norman J Sherman Esq. Law Office of Norman J Sherman Voting Board Demographics - Ethnicity African American/Black Asian American/Pacific Islander Caucasian 8 Hispanic/Latino Native American/American Indian Other Board Demographics - Gender Male Female Unspecified 6 2 Board Information Board Term Lengths Board Term Limits Number of Full Board Meetings Annually Written Board Selection Criteria?

10 Written Conflict of Interest Policy? Percentage Making Monetary Contributions Percentage Making In-Kind Contributions Constituency Includes Client Representation 1% 1% No Standing Committees Board Development / Board Orientation Development / Fund Development / Fund Raising / Grant Writing / Major Gifts Finance Human Resources / Personnel Marketing Nominating Operations Strategic Planning / Strategic Direction 1

11 Financials Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Start July 1, 213 Fiscal Year End June 3, 214 Projected Revenue $142,9. Projected Expenses $161,531. Endowment? No Credit Line? No Reserve Fund? Months Reserve Fund Covers 5 Detailed Financials Revenue and Expenses Fiscal Year Total Revenue $129,122 $14,69 $15,93 Total Expenses $145,274 $137,55 $135,349 Revenue Sources Fiscal Year Foundation and Corporation Contributions Government Contributions $ $ $ Federal State Local Unspecified Individual Contributions $1,87 $65,46 $89,938 Indirect Public Support Earned Revenue $24,395 $35,94 $56,883 Investment Income, Net of Losses $25 $849 $772 Membership Dues $4,435 $3,62 $3,337 Special Events Revenue In-Kind Other

12 Expense Allocation Fiscal Year Program Expense $145,274 $137,55 $135,349 Administration Expense Fundraising Expense Payments to Affiliates Total Revenue/Total Expenses Program Expense/Total Expenses 1% 1% 1% Fundraising Expense/Contributed Revenue % % % Assets and Liabilities Fiscal Year Total Assets $7,27 $86,359 $119,255 Current Assets $7,27 $86,359 $119,255 Long-Term Liabilities $ $ $ Current Liabilities $ $ $ Total Net Assets $7,27 $86,359 $119,255 Short Term Solvency Fiscal Year Current Ratio: Current Assets/Current Liabilities Long Term Solvency Fiscal Year Long-Term Liabilities/Total Assets % % % Top Funding Sources Fiscal Year Top Funding Source & Dollar Amount Second Highest Funding Source & Dollar Amount Third Highest Funding Source & Dollar Amount Capital Campaign Currently in a Capital Campaign? No Comments Foundation Staff Comments Financial summary data in charts and graphs are per the organization's IRS 99s. Contributions from foundations and corporations are listed under individuals when the breakout was not available. Please note the fiscal year 21 financial documents reflect a partial year due to a change in fiscal year. For fiscal year 212, the expense breakout is per the organization. The organization is working with its preparer to better reflect its expense allocation. Created Copyright 218 The Boston Foundation 12