Custody And Visitation Mediator

SALARY GRADE: Grade 21
The Trial Court Administrator's Office in the 26th Judicial District, serving Mecklenburg County, seeks a qualified candidate to provide uniform services in accordance with G.S. 50-13.1 in cases involving unresolved issues regarding the custody and/or visitation of children under the age of eighteen in an effort to reduce the re-litigation of custody and visitation disputes.
Duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Interfaces with the court community and the community at large to foster and enhance knowledge of and confidence in custody mediation services.
• Prepares custody mediation related reports for Family Court and the Administrative Office of the Courts.
• Prepares the written parenting agreement in accordance with the party’s mutual decisions.
• Facilitates the mediation session, using the neutral techniques of mediation to assist the parties in resolving the issues in dispute.
• Conducts orientation sessions, advising clients of what to expect in the custody mediation process.
• Employs knowledge of child development and family dynamics during the mediation process to parties in making decisions regarding the custody and visitation of their child/children.
• Provides a structured, confidential, non-adversarial setting to facilitate the cooperative resolution of custody and visitation disputes and minimize the stress and anxiety to which the parties and especially the child are subjected.
• Assists the parties in developing custody and visitation agreements that are in the child’s best interest.

Knowledge of: child development and family dynamics; mediation and negotiation techniques; case management principles; report formulation; and time management.
Skills in: oral and written communication; analysis; conflict resolution; public speaking; Microsoft Word; and using general office equipment including computers, printers, and telephones.
Ability to: use neutral techniques of mediation obtained through training and experience; assist parties in evaluating the impact of specific custody and visitation arrangements on children that they might be considering; maintain neutrality in the treatment of the parties; diffuse threatening situations, if necessary; assist in the resolution process; manage cases and meet program goals in a timely manner; and draft parenting agreements.

Master's degree in psychology, social work, family counseling, or a comparable human relations discipline and two (2) years of experience in these fields or comparable areas.
Management prefers applicants with two (2) or more years of experience in mediation or negotiation, public speaking and knowledge of childhood trauma and resilience; and an intermediate level of skill or above in working with Microsoft Excel.
Additionally, for a person to qualify to provide mediation services pursuant to NC General Statutes §39A (7A-494), he or she must have at least forty (40) hours of training in mediation techniques by a qualified instructor of mediation as determined by the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts (NCAOC). This training may be acquired before employment with the NCAOC or may be provided while on the job.