First 60 Hours of Observation:

• Supervised, self-directed learning such as court attendances and observation in Family Law Information Centres and at Mandatory Information Programs
• Required reading of relevant legislation, policies, and procedures
• Observation of closed, confidential family mediations
• Planning and feedback with supervising mediators before and after intakes and mediations
• Formal feedback, both individual and group, at designated intervals
• Opportunities to be mentored by a number of mediators in both private and court-connected contexts, with represented and unrepresented parties, on parenting and comprehensive mediations
• Discussion and continuous review of best practices in screening for power imbalances including family violence, mediator orientations and skills, intake procedure, caucusing skills, safety planning and safe termination of mediations, document drafting and more.
• Formal written feedback using standardized evaluation tools
• Report to certifying organization

 40 hours of working experience
& completing up to 5 mediated cases:

Ontario’s certifying organizations require candidates to achieve 100 hours of supervised experience, including mediating or co-mediating on five cases which result in a written Mediation Summary Report.

Students who are accepted into the final 40 hour program will be paid an honorarium for their hours of work co-mediating and mediating cases. During this phase of the program, MITs will perfom all the functions of a mediator, where appropriate, including drafting Mediation Summary Reports.

Our MIT program is designed to provide students the opportunity to achieve these requirements while still complying with relevant Ontario legislation governing our work. We also seek to give our students the tools and experience they need to mediate their own cases and build their own practices.

Our MITs are carefully selected based on our needs at the given time and our assessment of the suitability of the candidate for the kind of practice we have.

All candidates will be required to have completed their training prior to applying for an Internship/ MIT placement with us.

MITs must provide a criminal record check (to the Ministry of the Attorney General) and carry at least 2 million in professional liability insurance.

We expect high standards of professionalism of our MITs. All must be respectful of the confidentiality of the mediation process and the parties’ right to decline to have a MIT present. MITs must read and understand our Policies and Procedures. It is critical that MITs meet our standards for identifying, assessing and managing power imbalances and domestic violence in their work.