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Message From Our President/CEO
Did you know that the Center is one of 20 Community Dispute Resolution Centers (CDRCs) across New York State?
Last month I had the pleasure of meeting in person in Albany with several other Executive Directors from various other CDRCs across the state. The time and fellowship I got to spend with other leaders in this field reminded me that we are part of a wide community of peacemakers, not just in our region and our state, but also across the country and the world.
Being a peacemaker is not just about the work we do in our professional lives. It is also about how we bring our conflict resolution skills into our lives with others: at home, in our friendships, in our neighborhoods, and in our communities.
Whether you are a staff member, a volunteer, a community partner, or a client, YOU are part of our network of peacemakers! We thank you for making our communities a more peaceful place, one conversation at a time.
In peace,
Shira May
President/CEO
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Register NOW for Our Upcoming
Mediator Trainings
Orientation to Transformative Mediation
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
October 24, 4:00-5:30pm
Location: Zoom
Register before the meeting to receive the Zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAscu-sqTgpGt0Q-1F2d-H-xCSR071AWxNZ
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Advanced Regional Training: "A Transformative Approach to Working with Parties with High Conflict Behaviors"
FREE AND OPEN TO PRACTICING CDS MEDIATORS AND APPRENTICES
- First Federal Building, Rochester, NY: November 2, 8:30am-5:00pm
- Bath Country Club, Bath, NY: November 30, 8:30-am-5:00pm
To register, please email Ronalyn Pollack: rpollack@cdsadr.org
Basic Mediation Training
$200 fee for new volunteers; $800 for community members attending for professional development. Scholarships for mediators from underrepresented communities are available.
November 28, 29, 30, & December 12, 13, 8:30am-5:00pm
Location: Notre Dame Retreat Center, Canandaigua
For more information, please email Ronalyn Pollack: rpollack@cdsadr.org
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Would you like to sponsor one of our mediator trainings?
Sponsorship opportunities range from $25 to $1,000.
Your company's logo can be included in our promotional materials and on social media.
Please contact rpollack@cdsadr.org for more information
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Spotlight on
Surrogate Decision-Making Committee (SDMC)
Ida Clark is no stranger to working with individuals who are experiencing diminished capacity. As a former staff member at a facility working with clients with developmental disabilities and dementia, Ida spent many years interacting with individuals who relied on others for their care, and were often near the end of their life. She recalls, "We were supposed to keep a separation between staff and clients, but how can you not have compassion towards people? The relationships that you build with individuals was just wonderful. Honestly, they enhanced my life."
Originally from northwest Indiana, Ida lived in Florida and North Carolina before coming to work at the Center for Dispute Settlement in 2017. She was introduced to the Center as a client at the Steuben County office, when Ida came in with her daughter so she could receive custody of her grandchildren when her daughter joined the navy. Shortly after, she applied for the Case Manager position, and eventually moved into her current role as Program Coordinator for the Surrogate Decision-Making Committee (SDMC) program, where she currently serves the Finger Lakes and Western New York regions.
SDMC is a program for people who don’t have the capacity to make decisions for themselves and don’t have a legally authorized health care proxy to make decisions for them. Ida coordinates a cohort of volunteers who serve on the hearings, including attorneys, medical providers, advocates, and family members. There are also staff members from the residential facility present which usually include the residential manager, residential RN, care coordinator and an advocate. There is also a representative from MHLS, Mental hygiene legal service, who represents the individual. The committee is tasked with helping to make important decisions for the clients, such as end of life care and major medical/dental procedures. Committees might talk about routine procedures such as pulling a tooth, all the way up to surgeries and potential cancer treatments.
Ida sings the praises of her volunteers, many of whom have been doing this for 25 years. Ida comments, "We have hundreds of volunteers across the state, and I can call them anytime. I’ve scheduled an end-of-life hearing within 24 hours. That’s a tribute to the volunteers that are so dedicated to this program that they will reschedule their own day to be available." Since COVID, the team has shifted the program to WebEx, and currently holds virtual hearings. Panel members do miss the social time they were able to have after an in-person hearing but are thankful to have the option to hold the hearings virtually. It is also helpful with scheduling because there is no drive time to the hearing sites which frees up time and makes it easier for panel members to be available. Ida is grateful to SDMC for making virtual hearings possible. This has made it possible for the individuals SDMC serves to receive the medical care they need in a timely manner.
For Ida, witnessing the caring nature of the medical staff and other committee members is one of the most valuable parts of this job. Ida remarks, "They’re not just looking to do this because it’s necessary. Providing the clients with comfort in those last days and helping them get the care they need, that’s their heart. A lot of times the staff will want to know, 'Are we going to be able to come and be there [in the hospital]? This person they’ve cared for has become like a family member. In the last 3 or 4 months, we had an individual come before us who did not have anybody, it was a pretty sad situation. I reached out to ask if it was inappropriate for me to go visit her [and with SDMC's permission] I went over to the hospital. It’s just things you do for people, especially those who don’t have anybody. You don’t want them to be alone, in those last days and hours."
The SDMC program is currently accepting volunteers to work with Ida and other members of our team. Please visit the website for more information: https://www.justicecenter.ny.gov/volunteer
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"High Council" of
Conflict Experts Talk About Star Wars
Who would you rather bring along if you were negotiating the price of a used car? Obi Wan Kenobi, R2D2, or Yoda?
What about having someone sit down with a couple of neighbors or coworkers who are fighting? Qui Gonn Jin, Queen Amidala, Mas Kanata, or Boba Fett?
A "high council" of conflict resolution experts recently participated in a panel at Dragon Con, a pop culture convention in Atlanta, on the topic of Star Wars and Conflict.
Noam Ebner, Professor of Negotiation and Conflict Resolution at Creighton University, commented, "This was loads of fun to plan and participate in, and gave us all sorts of... ideas for how to bring the wisdom of the conflict resolution field out to the general public where it is needed - our core mission."
Watch the full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHgfRJj0A3A
Learn more about the book on Star Wars and Conflict Resolution: https://www.starwarsconflictresolution.com/
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Indigenous Peoples Day Festivities
in the City of Rochester
The Center is proud to be a co-sponsor of Rochester's first official Indigenous Peoples Day celebration since the City of Rochester passed a resolution that permanently marks the holiday on the second Monday in October. The celebrations will honor the Haudenosaunee community in the region in which we live and work.
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Witness Palestine Film Festival
The Center will be supporting a "Fishbowl-style" Restorative Circle to elevate the voices of the local Palestinian community after the screening of the film Huda's Salon on October 23rd. Join us for the film and stay afterwards for the discussion.
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Celebrate
National Hispanic Heritage Month
National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated September 15 through October 15. Hispanic/Latinx Americans are the largest minority group in the United States today, and have consistently helped contribute to our country's achievements and culture.
Check out these celebrations in our region:
City of Rochester
- Celebrate Latino culture on Wednesday, Oct. 5 from 5:30-7:30pm outside Rochester City Hall, at Church and Fitzhugh streets.
- Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month on Sundays during Market Days at the International Plaza, 828 N. Clinton Ave., Rochester, through Sunday, Oct. 16. Each market event runs from 1 to 5 p.m. and will feature live music.
SUNY Brockport
- October 7, 2021, 2-4pm, SUNY Brockport Union Ballroom, EOP Hispanic Heritage Celebration, Cultural food is provided and informational displays will be posted around the room.
- October 22, 2021, 5:30pm – 7:00pm, SUNY Brockport LatinX Alumni Panel Discussion: Problematizing "Hispanic" and who that term leaves out when it comes to discussing heritage and celebrating cultures therein.
SUNY Geneseo
- October 7, 2021, 6:00pm Newton, Movie Night with LSA Come to Newton for a Movie Night with LSA! We’ll be watching "In the Heights", a musical about Hispanic people and their sueñitos
- October 14, 2021, 6:00pm Fireside Lounge or Zoom - Keynote Speaker Hispanic Heritage Month keynote speaker will join us for our general meeting
- October 15, 2021, Sturges Auditorium, Time: TBD - Vamos a Bailar con LSA Come to the Sturges Auditorium for a night with LSA.
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