Juvenile Court Program |
The Juvenile Program at MMS offers parents and teens the opportunity to work out their own disputes with the help of trained, experienced mediators. Our mediators seek to provide a setting that is private, safe and empowering so that the family can discuss their issues and find their own ways to resolve them. Many of our cases are referrals from area Juvenile courts, where parents have brought their teenagers, thinking that they cannot handle their behavior and need the help of the judicial system. Other referrals come from area social service organizations or from parents who wish to avoid involvement in the court or child welfare systems.
Teens may be on the edge of delinquent or unlawful behavior; they may be truant from school, disrespectful of their parents and disobedient regarding rules at home. Parents are often overwhelmed and feel powerless in regard to controlling their children. The overarching emotion for both parent and child is often hopelessness.
It is at this critical juncture when mediation can help. Mediation offers a confidential and respectful structure in which parents and children can face one another honestly and speak about what needs to shift in the family for positive changes. MMS mediators are trained to ask the questions and direct the conversation so that families can decide on actions to make life more manageable. The process gives families a sense of hope and possibility, and helps them to realize that they can take actions that can change their lives. Youth who may be at risk of continued court involvement, removal from the home or on the verge of entering the Juvenile Justice system can get the support they need to talk about what might help them get back on track.