Today, March 4th, 2019 we officially launch as the American Association of Mediators (American Association of Mediators), the new professional credentialing organization for mediators. So you may be asking… Why and Why Now?
The practice of mediation has existed for decades, and yet we are often discounted and still struggle to be understood and find a place at the table as a viable alternative for resolving issues. Over the course of those decades, several organizations have promised to represent us, and those organizations have come and gone, merged, split off again, and our industry has become segmented, cliquish and fractured.
Decades later, there is still no national standard or certification process for mediators and that is the reason that we have decided to launch the American Association of Mediators. The purpose of this organization is purely to provide a strong national voice, advocacy, support and benefits for mediators. This is NOT a for-profit referral service. Nor is it an organization that is limited to an exclusive group of mediators. American Association of Mediators is a national organization that supports all Mediation Practitioners regardless of methodology and/or mediation style. We believe in the value of mediation and we believe the value we bring as mediators should be understood and respected by the public. We also believe the public should have a place to go to understand the qualifications and skills of the mediators they are choosing.
That is the reason we’ve decided it’s time for the American Association of Mediators. I invite you to join us and more than 100 other mediators from across the country who have already committed to collaboratively growing this organization. Through the design of new programs, tools and initiatives, the American Association of Mediators will guide the development of mediation as a duly recognized profession for decades to come and the “go to” organization for national certification and standards.
Throughout this first month of American Association of Mediators’s launch, membership is being offered at very affordable introductory rates. A $99 annual membership fee (which will increase to $125 after the Introductory Period) and if you choose American Association of Mediators Certification, there is an additional one-time $50 Certification Designation Fee (which will increase to $125 after the Introductory period) that will provide you with an online profile that includes your professional photograph, credentials, interests and links to blog posts or other articles that you would like to share.
You will also receive immediate discounts on Advanced Mediation Training and other Professional Development Programs that provide CLE and CE credits; as well as upcoming networking opportunities and inclusion in kick-off meetings for American Association of Mediators’s Standing Committees and Collaborative Groups. These discounts alone will meet or exceed the cost of membership at the introductory rates.
We are truly excited to be a part of this progressive group of colleagues and peers who have an interest in finally elevating mediation to the same status as legal, finance, medical and other professions. We ask you to join us in lending your voice to the support and growth of this exciting organization.
American Association of Mediators Board of Directors
Susan Deveney
Kevin Hagan
Michael Hagopian
Hon. Robert W. O’Donnell
Mayra Silva