Our Services

mediate.calm offers a wide range of Appropriate Dispute Resolution (ADR) services to individuals and groups looking for collaborative, interest-based methods of conflict resolution that significantly reduce costs and improve performance. Our goal is to assist disputing parties through a creative, controlled, and principled method of relationship building and problem solving.

The principal spheres of activity for our team include:

• Conflict assessment
• Interest-based negotiation services,
• Individual and group mediation,
• Professional and personal coaching,
• Team building,
• Organizational conflict management,
• Conflict  systems design,
• Change management workshops, and
• Conflict management training

We have more than 25 years' experience developing inexpensive, timesaving and mutually beneficial solutions to many of the most difficult situations that can arise in the healthcare field.

System Design: Organizational Conflict Management

The design of integrated conflict management systems tailored to the client's organizational needs is an integral component of our services. Systems are unique to organizations. The culture and history of the group's "conflict resolving approaches" are tracked; staff are engaged in the design of new options; and the result is a system that enhances staff morale, is cost-efficient, and provides successful conflict management options for all organizational stakeholders — both internal and external.

We follow the standard diagnose - design - implement - evaluate approach to OCM systems design. During the initial phases, we work to build a design team that reflects the important groups, sectors, and functions of the organization. The implementation phase includes a full range of services such as interest-based negotiation training, the development of appropriate systemic support for delivery of the conflict management options, and in-depth conflict management training skills for those principally responsible for the operation of the system. Our services also include system evaluation.

As a general rule, we also believe that a group independent of the original design / implementation team should undertake the evaluation process.

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Professional Coaching

mediate.calm provides individual coaching for healthcare professionals seeking to improve their professional relationships with their staff, colleagues and patients.

Coaching may be defined as collaboration between a coach and an individual who wants to improve and enhance areas of his or her life. The role of the coach is a combination of consultant, supporter, advisor, motivator and trainer.

Individuals hire coaches to help them identify and work towards gaining balance in work and personal life, to better manage stress, to make a career or relationship transition and to resolve ongoing challenges.

Clients who want to become more effective at leading staff and managing conflict will engage in varying degrees of self-reflection and analysis throughout the coaching process. This may involve the use of assessment tools and the performance of tasks during regular professional or personal time. .

Alternate ways of addressing conflict and managing or leading staff are developed with the guidance of the coach, who may use role plays and other methods to facilitate the learning process. The coach works collaboratively with the client to help them identify counterproductive conduct and replace it with effective behaviours.

After an initial assessment meeting of 2-4 hours, subsequent coaching sessions take place on a scheduled basis, usually weekly at first for a specified period of time. Sessions can last from 60 minutes to 2 hours. Initial sessions are held in person and subsequent sessions may be done in person, by telephone or via e-mail.

Fees for these services are payable at an hourly rate for individuals requiring short-term assistance. For those clients wanting to engage in an ongoing arrangement, various packages are available.

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Negotiation, Mediation and Facilitation Services

The professional clinical experience of the founding directors makes the resolution of conflicts in the healthcare field a particular interest and specialty. In addition, our associates bring long-standing experience in the fields of investigations and resolution of public complaints. This unique combination of experience and training makes mediate.calm a leader in conflict resolution in healthcare.

The directors and associates of mediate.calm have broad experience in the fullrange of mediation and negotiation services. This includes acting as neutrals in the resolution of standard, legal, personal injury, and workplace conflicts, as well as small claims matters, harassment issues, relationship conflicts, and public complaints.

While we favour intervention prior to the institution of formal legal activity, we are equally comfortable functioning within the context of court-ordered mandatory mediation programs for the full range of civil litigation matters.

The skills that have allowed us to function as neutral mediators also prepare us well to act as negotiators on behalf of individual parties to a dispute. The emphasis on interest-based negotiation generally leads to more satisfactory and durable outcomes for all parties.

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Training

mediate.calm provides practical and interactive training and education seminars designed to help individuals and / or groups develop the skills required to establish and maintain positive relationships, prevent conflict, and negotiate mutually beneficial solutions in all types of situations.

Members of our team have delivered training sessions to various healthcare, medical, legal and regulatory groups.

Lectures, workshops, interactive role-playing exercises and case studies all come together to help provide a solid theoretical understanding of negotiation and mediation, what role they play in personal and professional situations, and how to make them best work for participants in every aspect of their lives.

Realistic conflict situation workshops are designed to provide participants with hands-on opportunities to resolve conflict so that the real interests of all parties can be uncovered and met. Scenarios and workshops are developed in cooperation with each client to ensure that the situations realistically reflect the culture and issues within the organization so that participants can easily relate to the circumstances of the role-play.

Short courses that teach the basics of interest-based negotiation are often an integral part of equipping an organization to effectively deal with conflict, and are an important part of the service provided by mediate.calm in designing integrated organizational conflict management systems.All members of our team are active coaches, facilitators and trainers with programs offered by other organizations as well.

Resolving Conflict in Healthcare Workshop

Our main focus in training is our recently developed Resolving Conflict in Healthcare workshop. Since it was first designed in the spring of 2001, it has been adapted, based in part on feedback from participants, as well as specific client requirements. The original workshop was three days in length and was designed as a free-standing educational and training experience.

We have since developed a weekend version of the workshop, lasting just over two days, primarily considered an "institutional" version of the full session. By co-sponsoring the workshop with large healthcare facilities, academic programs, and others, we are able to offer the principal elements at a somewhat reduced cost for presentation to focused groups.

At the request of a provincial Ministry of Health, we have developed a one-day version of the workshop for presentation to senior managers within that government Ministry.

We can adapt the workshop to your specific needs and present it in one day or multiple days, depending on your specific requirements.

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