We have created a brochure to make it easier for you to review Mediation Institute Member Services offline and for members to understand the wide range of support and professional development services Mediation Institute provides.
Contents of the Mediation Institute Membership Information brochure includes:
- Membership Overview
- Membership requirements and fees
- Where to get professional indemnity insurance for $200 plus state tax
- Quick links
- Professional Development Opportunities with Mediation Institute
- Mi Study 247 Online Collaboration site
- Training Overview and links to Mediation Institute Training
- Contact Information for Mentors
We’ve pasted some of the information from the information below but download the brochure for full information and contact details for mentors Joanne Law and Ken Speakman.
Overview
Mediation Institute is quality training provider and professional body for NMAS Accredited Mediators, accredited Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners and students of dispute resolution.
“We established Mediation Institute in 2013 to make mediation training more accessible and relevant to the 21st century through innovation in training methods.
We continue to grow our services and support for mediators as an important element in our mission to prevent abuse, conflict and violence in Australian homes and workplaces.”
Joanne LawDirector of Studies, Mediation Institute Pty Ltd and
Co-Founder Interact Support Incorporated.
Membership Overview
Mediation Institute Mediator Members enjoy a variety of member benefits that support lifetime learning, meet professional development obligations and support them in building their professional skills and their professional practices.
Our membership application forms are available on our website and there is a customised form for each member category.
- New NMAS Applications – 1st NMAS Mediator accreditation application
- Renewal NMAS Applications – 2nd and subsequent NMAS Mediator renewal applications
- Non-NMAS Membership Application – If you are eligible for membership with Mediation Institute but do not want NMAS Accreditation
Membership services such as webinars and participation in role plays are free for members.
Read on for quick links and more information about our member services.
Membership requirements and fees
| Member Type | Requirements | Fee |
| Student Membership | Must be a current student of a dispute resolution course | Free for Mediation Institute students.
$20 per six months for students of other institutes. |
| Full NMAS Member | Must be eligible for NMAS Accreditation | $320 for two years includes NMAS Accreditation Fee and 2-year membership with Mediation Institute. |
| FDR Only Member | Must be applying for or currently accredited as a Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner | $220 for two years (does not include NMAS Accreditation) |
| Member (Accredited with another RMAB) | Must be NMAS accredited with another RMAB | $220 for two years (does not include NMAS Accreditation) |
Membership Period
Mediation Institute does not require all members to have the same renewal date for your membership. You join when you are ready to accredit, and your renewal date is 2 years from your joining date.
The only exceptions are for:
- Student memberships: these are for 6 months if training with another provider or up to two months after your certification if training with Mediation Institute.
- Member: if you are accredited with another RMAB we are happy to pro-rata your membership fee so that your renewal dates are in sync.
Point of Difference: We do not shortchange your membership term by using a common renewal date for all our memberships. Your membership starts when you join and expires in two years from that date. If you are joining as a member only and currently have your accreditation with another RMAB we are happy to pro-rata your membership so that both your Mi Membership and NMAS Accreditation fall due at the same time.
Professional Development Opportunities
Mediation Institute has many professional development opportunities available every month to ensure that members stay current and have opportunities to network with other professional mediators.
- Most of our professional development activities are online to meet the needs of members who don’t want to travel to a venue for a one-hour CPD opportunity.
- Our webinars and tutorial are interactive providing plenty of time for discussion, questions and sharing of experiences throughout the process.
Most of our professional development opportunities are online to make sure that they are accessible to all our members.
We also run small group activities from time to time such as our role play days and workshops.
Online Professional Development Opportunities
- Webinar Tutorials – these are institutional with the presenter usually using a presentation to guide a discussion about a specific topic
- Masterminds – these are facilitated knowledge sharing on a topic with the facilitator adding content and facilitating the conversation as necessary
- Peer Group Supervision – these are an opportunity for practitioners to discuss and share case studies, ethical dilemmas and scenarios that they may have encountered (or dream up)
- Interact Support Practitioner Supervision – this is a hosted activity for the Interact Support not-for-profit. Those FDR Practitioners considering contracting with Interact and students preparing for work placement are welcome to attend.
Face to face professional development opportunities
- Role Play Intensives – generally offered as a single day workshop where the focus is on role plays. A great opportunity for practical skills reviews and mentoring for experienced mediators and more practice.
- Workshops – these may be part of a Mediation Institute training course or they may be a specific workshop delivered by Mediation Institute or a partner trainer at the request of members.
Cost recovery fees may apply to workshops which can be run face to face or via Web technology to ensure that high-quality training is accessible to our members in regional areas or who cannot travel to workshops located in specific locations.
Other training options include New Ways Coach Training ($300) and New Ways for Mediation ($75) which Mediation Institute hosts for the not-for-profit Interact Support.
Type of PD |
When* |
More Information |
| Webinar Tutorial: The Mediation Process (Facilitative Mediation) | 1st Monday of every month.
1 hour from 12 – 1 pm or 7 – 9 pm |
Great for students and mediators wanting a refresher |
| Web Meeting Group Supervision: Group peer supervision for mediators and FDRP’s | 1st Wednesday of every month.
1 hour from 7 – 9 pm |
Great for mediators to discuss cases. Students welcome |
| Webinar Tutorial: FDR Specific Topic | 2nd Monday of every month.
1 hour from 12 – 1 pm or 7 – 9 pm |
Great for FDR students and practitioners |
| Interact Support Practitioners Supervision and Training | 2nd and 4th Wednesday of every month.
1 hour from 7 – 9 pm |
Hosted by Mediation Institute for Interact Support Practitioners and FDR Students |
| Webinar Tutorial: Professional Skills | 3rd Monday of every month.
1 hour from 12 – 1 pm or 7 – 9 pm |
Presentation and discussion on specific skills and knowledge required by a mediator |
| Web Meeting Mastermind: Practice Development Mastermind | 3rd Wednesday of every month.
1 hour from 7 – 9 pm |
Short presentation and then a discussion about an aspect of building your professional practice |
| Guest Presenter | 4th Monday of the month (when they occur) 1 hour from 7 – 9 pm | Guest Presenter. Members are invited to nominate to present a webinar on any relevant topic.
3 hours of CPD for a 1-hour presentation. |
*times are Brisbane time GMT +10 hours for consistency as they do not have daylight saving.
Mi Study 247 Online
Mediation Institute is the award-winning provider of eLearning for mediators and we make use of our capabilities to provide members with an interactive wiki style course area where they can collaborate, share resources, write content, get together online in special interest groups and much more.
Groups
Current Groups that members can join are:
Practice Areas GroupsAustralian
- Mediation Awareness Week Support
- Child Inclusive Practice Group
- Elder Mediation Group
- FDR Practitioner Group
- Workplace Mediation Group
We are more than happy to add more groups should members want even finer granulation of information and resources.
You can only be in one group at a time but can move between groups depending on what you are focusing on at any given time.
State-Based Groups
We have a group for each state and territory and a group for Ex-Pat members.
Mediation Supervisors
This is a group we are building for experienced practitioners who provide mentoring (unpaid) and supervision (paid) for other mediators.
Training Overview
We provide training for people to get started in the dispute resolution industry by becoming NMAS Accredited Mediators as well as the more advanced level skills and knowledge required to become Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners.
Some of our graduates go on to complete further studies by completing a Masters in Dispute Resolution with one of the universities such as Charles Sturt University. Students who have completed the Graduate Diploma of Family Dispute Resolution receive a significant number of credits towards their masters.
Once you become a professional mediator (NMAS) and/or an FDR Practitioner you will have ongoing professional development requirements. You also have practice hour obligations to maintain accreditation. We provide a customised program of professional development and re-assessment for mediators who fall short of their requirements at renewal time.
Some training providers offer a generic workshop-based course that does not meet the training needs of all aspiring mediators. If you were assessed as not-yet-competent or don’t feel ready to sit your NMAS Accreditation assessment we provide assistance with gap training and assessment.
