September 2025 Newsletter

Wednesday, September 3, 2025 - 4:00pm

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Restorative Practices for Pre-Trial Clients

Amanda Andera, Monroe County Director

For over seven years, the Center for Dispute Settlement (CDS) has partnered with Monroe County’s Office of Pretrial Services to provide Conflict Coaching Restorative Circles for non-adjudicated pre-trial clients. This innovative program offers individuals an opportunity to pause, reflect, and engage in safe, structured dialogue about conflict. Guided by trained facilitators, participants practice respect, empathy, responsibility, and self-awareness—essential skills that not only support personal growth but also encourage healthier connections with others and the community.

The program creates a confidential, supportive space where participants can explore the impact of their actions, consider new choices, and develop tools for more constructive communication. Successful completion of the course provides clients with a powerful second chance: the potential for their case record to be expunged, opening doors for a brighter future.

Call to Action: To keep this life-changing work thriving, CDS is seeking volunteers to serve as facilitators. Training will be provided, and volunteers will join a dedicated community committed to giving people the chance to be heard, understood, and supported on their journey forward. If you’re interested in helping create meaningful change in Monroe County, we’d love to hear from you.

Contact Amanda Andera, Director, Monroe County: aandera@cdsadr.org.

CDS Promotes NYS Call Out Hate Campaign

The Center for Dispute Settlement sponsored a table at the Rochester Public Market on Saturday, August 16th to promote the Call Out Hate Campaign, a project of the NYS Division of Human Rights, Hate & Bias Prevention Unit, Finger Lakes Regional Council. CDS President/CEO has served as the lead facilitator for the Finger Lakes Regional Council for the last two years.

Community members who visited the table had an opportunity to participate in a guided “Conversation with a Stranger” activity, in which both people were given a card with a list of question prompts designed to start a dialogue. The goal of the “Conversations with a Stranger” series is to bring together community members from all walks of life to share stories, listen deeply, and build connections across commonalities and differences. By fostering authentic, respectful dialogue throughout the Finger Lakes region, the series aims to help break down stereotypes, reduce fear of the “other,” and create a shared sense of belonging. These conversations serve as a proactive tool in preventing hate and bias in our communities—turning strangers into neighbors, and neighbors into allies and friends.

The Finger Lakes Regional council is one of ten councils across NYS part of the Hate and Bias Prevention Unit. The councils are a diverse network of public and private stakeholders that include community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, law enforcement, government agencies, and other advocacy groups. These broad and diverse partners work together in building connections and local capacity to prevent and respond to hate and bias incidents through community engagement and mobilization.

To learn more, visit: NoHateNYS.org. If you see or experience hate or bias in your community call: 844-NO-2-HATE for support.

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A Lifetime of Recovery

CaTyra Polland, Training & Community Engagement

“God doesn’t love me” -Rachel

September is National Recovery Month. According to the 2023 United States National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH):

48.5 million (16.7%) Americans (aged 12 and older) battled a substance use disorder in the past year.
7.5 million (2.7%) of Americans 12 and older struggled with both alcohol and drug use disorders simultaneously.

There are millions of Americans in recovery across the country, Rachel Ortiz is one of them. Rachel is a Bronx, NY native who moved to Rochester, NY in 2022. She is the founder of Art for the Soul, an MWBE-certified non-profit organization that offers workshops such as Art as an Alternative to Violence. She is a 27-year army veteran, artist, creator, and spiritual coach. She’s healthy, happy, and whole, but that wasn’t always the case.

Rachel grew up in a loving and supportive home. She is the youngest of five children. Her parents were adamant about giving their children a good life. Rachel was on the right path but there was a turning point. When she learned her mom wasn’t really her mom, everything changed. At the tender age of 9, Rachel’s sister told her about her biological mother. Despite telling her family she was okay, the revelation shattered Rachel’s spirit. She was confused and felt betrayed by the family she once considered her own.

Rachel spoke to her biological mom, asking if she could come live with her. To Rachel’s devastation, her mother told her she could not live with her. Rachel was in disbelief. To deal with the rejection, she turned to alcohol. She had her first drink at the age of 10. By 14 she drank a six pack per day. She was convinced that the beer gave her courage. It made her feel brave. Alcohol was the start of Rachel’s downward spiral.

When she was 14, Rachel was introduced to cocaine. At 17, an army recruiter introduced her to heroin. Rachel spiraled, using alcohol, cocaine, and heroin in an attempt to self-medicate. It was her way of escaping pain, the pain of not knowing her mother, the pain and trauma of rape, and the pain of street living.

Rachel made several suicide attempts. In one such attempt she mixed cocaine and heroin. As she lay there feeling empty, she said Jesus reached his hand down to her from a painting on the wall. The epiphany that led her to an 8-day detox. She attended Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous, and outpatient therapy. Rachel was clean from 1989-1991 until her brother died from complications of AIDS. In 1995, she returned to Narcotics Anonymous and she has been clean ever since.

Rachel’s story is similar to that of many recovering individuals. Drugs become a way to numb feelings, forget trauma, and mask the truth. Those in recovery overcome daily temptation to relapse. Fortunately, protective factors like family, friends, and recovery programs help Rachel maintain sobriety. Like others in a lifetime of recovery, she lives one day, one step at a time.

Resources

Conflict Resolution Skills for City of Rochester Human Resources Team

We are delighted to announce a meaningful new partnership between the Center for Dispute Settlement (CDS) and the City of Rochester’s Department of Human Resource Management. Together, we are launching a mediation pilot program designed to expand safe, confidential spaces for employees to communicate concerns, share perspectives, and work toward resolution. By providing guidance and support for city staff making referrals, this program also strengthens a culture of understanding and ensures employees know they have access to a broad array of resources.

The City and CDS share a deep hope that this program will make a difference for employees seeking an alternative way to communicate, listen, and be heard. It reflects our mutual belief in the power of dialogue to build healthier workplaces and stronger relationships. “This pilot program is about more than mediation—it’s about fostering a culture of respect, dignity, and dialogue. Together with the City of Rochester, we are opening doors for employees to express themselves, feel understood, and find constructive ways forward,” said Amanda Andera, Director of Monroe County at CDS.

Our President/CEO, Shira May, PhD and CaTyra Polland, M.A. (Training & Community Outreach) presented conflict management skills training to the City of Rochester Human Resources Management team.