General Family Specialty

All RFMs must meet one of the following four education and experience descriptions:

1.   A Law degree or a Master-level degree in one of the following: Psychology, Social Work, Education, Mediation, Conflict Resolution or other related field (such as Sociology, Criminology, Nursing);

plus

25 hours of mediation experience; or

2.   Bachelor-level degree in one of the following: Psychology, Social Work, Education, Mediation, Conflict Resolution or other related field (such as Sociology, Criminology, Nursing,

plus

minimum 100-hour Conflict Resolution Training with Skills Assessment* and/or two Letters of Reference**

plus

25 hours of mediation experience; or

3.   Bachelor-level degree (in anything) or related Diploma (Social Work, Education, Corrections, Paralegal) plus Minimum 200-hour Conflict Resolution Training with Skills Assessment* and/or two Letters of Reference**

plus

75 hours of mediation experience (co-mediating, shadowing a qualified mediator, volunteer mediation, mentorship); or

4.   Minimum 250-hour Conflict Resolution Training with Skills Assessment and/or two reference letters from a professional in a related field

plus

100 hours of mediation experience.

Mediators who also practice collaborative law may use their collaborative law experience to maintain their RFM status but must initially qualify for this designation by undertaking mediation cases.

*A program with Skills Assessment would be a role play, exam and/or evaluation.

**From a professional in a related field; must use provided form.

 

In addition to, or as part of, the above qualifications, all Registered Family Mediators must have completed generic conflict resolutions courses, totalling a minimum of 40 hours, which have covered all of the following areas:

• Conflict Resolution
• Negotiation
• Communication
• Interest-based Mediation
• Mediation Skills

 

(Please note that AFMS puts on a 40 hour Basic Mediation course but courses from many other institutions are suitable.  The Legal Education Society of Alberta (LESA) course "Mediation of Family & Divorce Conflicts" is NOT a Basic Mediation course but is instead considered "Specialized Training" often used as part of Registered Family Mediator (RFM) membership qualifications.  All levels of mediator membership with AFMS require a Basic Mediation course.)

All RFMs applying for a specialty in General Family must complete an additional 40 hours of training covering appropriate topics of their particular focus group.  Candidates may request to submit and have other relevant training considered in lieu of the requested list.

Required training includes:

• Family Systems Theory

• Child stages and development

• Family conflict and impact on children 

• Family/domestic/partner violence

• Interviewing children (approaches, tools)

• Screening for family violence/partner abuse and power imbalances

• Pre-mediation/Intake (approaches, forms)

• Advanced communication skills

• Advanced mediation skills

• Advanced negotiation skills

• Cultural awareness/sensitivity

• Inclusivity /Diversity 

• Guardianship

• Adoption

• Blended families

• Working with systems (e.g. schools and churches)

• Drafting reports

• Knowledge and application of AFMS Code of Professional Conduct, ethics and standards of practice

 

RFM candidates must submit copies of three (3) real mediation reports (with identifying details omitted) demonstrating the results of General Family mediations. These reports should demonstrate a knowledge and competence to deal in a variety of general family issues.

Please provide sufficient detail of the mediations that you are submitting for review, to allow the review committee to understand the process and its outcomes.

It is AFMS policy that our mediators do not prepare agreements for client signature. The reports should have a clear indication that the provisional agreements reached by the clients are subject to their obtaining independent legal advice (ILA) and will be non-binding until incorporated into a formal signed agreement. Reports should be signed by the mediator.

All RFMs must submit evidence of applicable malpractice insurance coverage for Alberta.

All RFMs specializing in the area of General Family mediation must complete a minimum of 50 hours of mediation per year in this area.

In addition, RFMs must complete a minimum of 20 hours of continuing education in this specialty area every two years.