Office of Dispute Resolution

The Office of Dispute Resolution (ODR) coordinates alternative dispute resolution services of the State Court Administrative Office. The office's primary purposes include: increasing the awareness of dispute resolution options among the legal system's many constituents, assisting judicial stakeholders to integrate dispute resolution processes within the traditional litigation system, administering the Community Dispute Resolution Program, and identifying and developing specialized dispute resolution programs and services.

ODR is responsible for developing dispute resolution practices and protocols for the trial courts, providing technical assistance to the trial courts, implementing dispute resolution practices mandated or permitted by court rule or statute, evaluating dispute resolution systems, and providing recommendations to the state court administrator for improving dispute resolution services for Michigan citizens. The office provides technical assistance to other divisions of the SCAO in designing collaborative dispute resolution systems and in designing and presenting training programs.

The primary functions of the office are to:

• provide mediation program administration, oversight, and evaluation
• provide technical assistance to courts in developing and evaluating dispute resolution options for existing or prospective litigants
• serve as liaison with dispute resolution service providers, academic programs, associations, courts and other agencies and organizations having special focus on dispute resolution research, services, and evaluation
• oversee implementation of court rules created to guide the development of alternative dispute resolution services in the trial courts

Primary Services

ODR oversees the administration of the legislatively created Community Dispute Resolution Program (CDRP). Through this program, grant funding is made available to non-profit and government agencies to provide mediation for disputants in a wide variety of dispute types. Primary services include: developing training programs and materials, publishing reports and public education materials, and grant administration. Additional information about CDRP and its specialized services follows:

Community Dispute Resolution Program - a statewide network of non-profit organizations providing free or low-cost mediation and dispute resolution services on a wide variety of dispute types.

Permanency Planning Mediation Program - provides mediation of disputes arising in child protection cases involving parents, caseworkers, attorneys, and others.

Post Judgment Parenting Time Mediation Program - a pilot project that mediates disputes of parents that have filed parenting time complaints with their friend of the court office.

Staff and Contact Information

Director, Douglas Van Epps

Office of Dispute Resolution
State Court Administrative Office
PO Box 30048
Lansing, MI 48909
(517) 373-4839
FAX (517) 373-5748
E-Mail: cdrp@courts.mi.gov
To reach a mediation center nearest you, call (800) 8-RESOLVE
[(800) 873-7658]

Court Rule Mediation Resources and Community Dispute Resolution Materials

The following materials provide information regarding court ADR plans and mediation training and practice.

• Alternative Dispute Resolution Plan Checklist - this checklist is a tool for developing, implementing, and evaluating court ADR plans
• Approved Mediation Training Programs - this list identifies training programs approved by the SCAO for mediators intending to serve on court rosters of mediators
• Brochures - a list of brochures and pamphlets distributed by the Office of Dispute Resolution
• Court Forms for Mediation - an index of currently approved SCAO forms for use in mediation
• List of Community Mediation Centers - a list of centers that provide dispute resolution services (67K PDF file)
• Dispute Resolution Publications Order Form - an order form for publications distributed by the Office of Dispute Resolution (46K PDF file)
• Domestic Violence Screening Protocols - these protocols provide guidance for court staff and mediators in screening matters for domestic violence (385K PDF file)
• Abbreviated Domestic Violence Screening Questionnaires - contains two shorter versions of the screening questionnaire adapted for use by Friend of the Court and Community Dispute Resolution Program staff and mediators (287K PDF file).
• Guidelines for Completing the Local Alternative Dispute Resolution Plan - this document is chiefly for court use in crafting a local ADR plan (17K PDF file)
• Innovative Mediation Services in Michigan Trial Courts (73K PDF file)
• Mediation Training Standards and Procedures - this document outlines the process for approval of mediation trainers by SCAO and how mediators may be "grandparented" onto court rosters (164K PDF file)
• Reports
• Roster of Courts with Approved Local ADR Plans Approved by SCAO
• Standards of Conduct for Mediators - this document contains standards of conduct for mediators serving on court mediation rosters (9K PDF file)
• Taxonomy of Alternative Dispute Resolution Processes
(36K PDF file)
• Training Materials

Links of Interest

National Association for Community Mediation
www.nafcm.org

 

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