Welcome to our News and Resources page. At the top, you will find news related to Community Mediation Services of St. Louis. In the middle, find news links from around the country. At the bottom of the page, links to other community mediation resources.
Community Mediation Services of St. Louis News
Alleged assault complaint headed to mediation
Two April 14 newspaper headlines followed by their stories provide examples of differing approaches to dealing with conflict. The Post Dispatch headline read University City Council Member gets probation in assault case. The New Jersey Herald headline read Alleged assault complaint headed to mediation. Both cases were similar-local elected official and a person with a difference of opinion were engaged in a heated exchange that resulted in a push becoming charge of assault. The University City case was in Court 12 months after the event. In New Jersey the two men mediated. The Community Mediation Services of St. Louis (CMS) regularly provides mediation to citizens of greater St. Louis preferably before an incident ever reaches the Legal System. Two trained volunteers manage a confidential process that enables the participants to reach their own decision to resolve the conflict. Many referrals CMS mediates are far more serious than those described in the two newspapers articles. Our mission is to bring people together to talk and resolve differences. The neutral third-party services CMS offers are needed.
Community Mediation Services December 13, 2016 Presentation to the Ferguson City Council
Executive Director John Doggette and Board Member Mel Kennedy provided an overview of the mediation services CMS is tasked to provide as specified in the Ferguson Consent Decree with the US Department of Justice. Mel emphasized the commitment of the Board and volunteers to support the City and its citizens. Six additional Board members were in attendance.
News 4 video on Youtube discussing work performed by Community Mediation Services of St. Louis in Ferguson, Mo.
Solution Seeking Problem(s): Community Mediation Service
Editorial written by Attorney Mike Owens describing the work Community Mediation Services of St. Louis is performing in the St. Louis area.
Letter from the Jobs Corps National Director
Board of Director Angela Newsom receives thanks for her commitment at the Y2Y Initiative and her participation in Y2Y Week at the St. Louid Job Corps Center.
Editorial: Messenger: Two years later, Ferguson is the new ‘F’ word
From St. Louis Post Dispatch on 9 September 2016
Editorial about continuing disputes in Ferguson Missouri. The article mentions John Doggette and MediationSTL as well as the work being done in Ferguson by MediationSTL. The article gives hope for the community of Ferguson through mediation and through the rebuilding of trust within the community.
Editorial: Cops and the Mentally Ill: Two Sides, One Video, No Winner
From St. Louis Post Dispatch on 10 April 2014
Editorial about the incident of police usage of force to subdue a mentally ill individual. The authors argue that better trust between police officers and the citizens they serve is desperately needed. In the first part of the article, they site community mediation offered by MediationSTL as having a key role building that trust. The article notes, however, and we would concur, that incidence involving significant use of force are likely not appropriate for mediation.
UMSL Forum Promotes Police Community Mediation
From Community Mediation Services of St. Louis’s Blog
On Monday, March 31, 2014, MediationSTL: St. Louis Community Mediation Program joined with the University of Missouri St. Louis Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice and Community Mediation Concepts of Denver, CO, to present a forum about Police-Community Mediation. Police leadership from throughout St. Louis City and County attended the forum. A panel consisting of Steve Charbonneau, Director of Community Mediation Concepts (Denver), John Bronson, Police Officer’s Union in Denver, Nicholas Mitchell, Independent Monitor for the City of Denver, Dan Isom of UMSL, and John Doggette of MediationSTL, presented on the potential of Police-Community Mediation.
St. Louis Program Helps Police and Public Smooth Over Minor Conflicts
From St. Louis Post Dispatch
April 2, 2014 article from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about the Community-Police Mediation forum on Monday, March 31 at UMSL, jointly hosted by MediationSTL, Community Mediation Concepts of Denver, and UMSL.
Denver Police Mediation Program Gets National Spotlight
From Denver Post
Article from the Denver Post about Community Mediation Concepts of Denver’s participation in helping MediationSTL establish stronger community-police mediation in St. Louis.
Other Mediation News
Free Mediation in New York City
From Wall Street Journal
Article from the Wall Street Journal about the successful establishment of community mediation in New York City.
Jamil Jivani: Not happy with the police? Try talking to them
From the Toronto National Post
Article from the Toronto National Post about the successful establishment of community-police mediation services in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Community Resources
National Association for Community Mediation is a nation-wide clearinghouse of resources for community mediation.
St. Louis Association of Community Organizations is a pool or resources for neighborhood organizations in the greater St. Louis area.
Caring.com is a leading senior care resource for family caregivers seeking information and support as they care for aging parents, spouses, and other loved ones. https://www.caring.com/senior-living/assisted-living/missouri