The Impact and Expansion of the Dayton Mediation Response Unit
I want to share an update about a unique City of Dayton program Launched in May 2022. The Dayton Mediation Response Unit (MRU) is a first-of-its-kind program in the United States that sends two-person teams of mediation specialists instead of police officers to certain kinds of calls for service.
The Dayton Mediation Response Unit helps people who are struggling to communicate in productive ways and who need help figuring out potential ways to address their concerns. These unarmed mediation specialists, well trained in addressing conflict, make up the service teams. When they arrive on scene, they separate the parties and listen to understand the situation. The mediation program uses a “transformative” approach meant to help people in conflict address conflict together and on their own.
Dayton Mediation Response Unit Supervision of Parent Visitation Exchanges
Click here to a link to the article I posted here on May 5, 2023. The focus of that blog dealt with Dayton Mediation Response Unit members supervising parent visitation exchanges.
Parents can call the MRU directly at 937-333-2333 and request child exchanges during the hours of 9:00am to 6:00pm, Monday through Friday or callers can call dispatch and request MRU to assist with a child exchange. Most callers want MRU to be available during the exchange as a neutral party. Oftentimes, the exchanges are uneventful, but the Dayton Mediation Response Unit shares information about the Parenting Time Mediation Program in case the situation becomes challenging in the future. Occasionally, one parent does not want the child/children to go with the other parent. The Dayton MRU is very clear that they cannot do any enforcement.
More About the Dayton MRU:
This program has really expanded, and the Dayton MRU responded to more than 3200 calls last year alone! According to Michelle Zaremba, director of the Dayton Mediation Center, sending mediators instead of police makes a big difference. “When people see police they get offended because their neighbor called (law enforcement) on them. They get frustrated, they get angry,” Zaremba said. Police “would have to go to the calls because there was no other option.”
Many calls to 911 are diverted to the Mediation Response Unit. About half of the calls involve quarrelling neighbors. Often these disputes involve parking, noise, barking dogs, property line issues, refuse/trash problems. Specialists are sometimes called when young people are ignoring or talking back to their parents, guardians, or other family members or perhaps refusing to go to school.
“We’re working on making sure that it is very clear to the community that we are not the police and the way we operate is not the same,” said Aaron Primm, acting coordinator of the Dayton Mediation Response Unit. “This is a whole different process about how we intervene…When we talk to people, we talk to people differently than pretty much anybody does, not just the police,” Acting Director Primm said. “We’re seeking to support people and hear them the way they need to be heard.”
Proactive Conflict Resolution by the Dayton Mediation Response Unit
The mediators are getting involved early on in situations and can be very proactive rather than just reactive. The mediation response team members typically can arrive faster than the police and can spend more time talking with the parties and allowing the police to focus on higher level public safety issues.
Conclusion:
In my opinion, the work of the Dayton Dayton Mediation Response Unit is extremely valuable in helping our community! They have reduced physical altercations and have deescalated many potentially dangerous situations. We are extremely fortunate to have progressive leaders in Dayton with this forward dispute resolution vision!
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Attorney Robert “Chip” Mues has been focusing his legal practice throughout Southwest Ohio primarily in divorce and family law matters since 1978. Chip is passionate about family law and has proudly published the Ohio Family Law Blog since 2007. In addition, he is the managing partner of Holzfaster, Cecil, McKnight & Mues. To learn more about him or the law firm, visit the firm’s website at www.hcmmlaw.com. Appointments are available in person, over the phone or by Zoom. Call us at 937 293-2141.