Statements

Mission

Community mediation keeps people out of court so they can focus on their work, their families, and their communities. In partnership with TN courts and other agencies, Nashville Conflict Resolution Center (NCRC) empowers low-income individuals and families in Middle Tennessee to resolve and move beyond conflict through this collaborative form of justice.

Background

NCRC was founded in August of 2000 when members of the Nashville Bar Association desired to provide mediation in General Sessions Civil Court cases for parties who could not afford legal representation. Today, NCRC's restorative mediation programs focus on housing security, parenting stability, and ending the prison pipeline. A cohort of about 60 trained mediators volunteer their skilss and time to serve a population that struggles disproportionately with poverty, incarceration, violence, and the chronic mental and health challenges that are produced by poverty. Additionally, NCRC provides Tennessee Supreme Court-approved mediation training, continuing education and mentoring for volunteer mediators, and numerous conflict resolution workshops for communities and nonprofit partners.

Impact

In 2022:

NCRC provided mediation in six languages: English, ASL, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Amharic

633 mediation sessions were provided free to participants

1307 people successfully mediated, stabilizing their families, their housing, and their employment

13 different counties in Tennessee sent mediation referrals, taking advantage of our capacity to provide remote services

772 attendees filled 9 online Lunch & Learn events, where they earned free CLE and CME credit

Needs

1. NCRC needs Rule 31 trained mediators for the following programs:
Civil mediators IN PERSON in General Sessions Courts, Davidson and Sumner Counties
Family mediators (in any county) for parenting plan mediations provided REMOTELY VIA ZOOM
Civil or Family mediators in Davidson County to assist with IN PERSON school-based juvenile mediation

2. NCRC needs expansion funds:
$120,000 to launch dedicated mediation staff for Sumner County
$120,000 to launch dedicated mediation staff for Rutherford County

3. NCRC needs $15,000 to underwrite a new website

4. NCRC needs $20,000 for marketing materials to be distributed to all TN county courts

5. NCRC needs expert help in designing automated reports that draw from Salesforce and QuickBooks data and that utilize excel pivot tables

CEO Statement

Every single mediation strengthens our collective community, helping people resolve conflict so they can get back to work or back to school, support their families, and serve their communities. NCRC invests on average $500 for each employee, parent, or young person in Nashville who needs help to resolve an escalating crisis with accountability and dignity. For many of our clients, this gift proves to be the opportunity of a lifetime. It seems simple: mediation instead of eviction, instead of prolonged legal entanglement, instead of escalation that can take a violent turn. $500 opens this door for one individual in need. Our approach fosters resiliency and accountability in our clients, who gain communication skills and a restored faith in their ability to make a valuable contribution to the lives around them. Together, we are restoring our social fabric--one mediation at a time.

Service Categories
Primary Category:	Crime & Legal - Related  - Dispute Resolution & Mediation
Secondary Category:	Human Services  - Family Services
Tertiary Category:	Youth Development  - Youth Development Programs

Areas Served

NCRC provides free and sliding scale mediation services, both via video/phone conferencing and in-person, for people throughout Middle Tennessee. Our in-person services occur primarily in Davidson and Sumner Counties. We accept referrals from any of the TN courts or Legal Aid organization on an ad hoc basis, and will continue to do so as capacity allows, until such time as all counties have reliable access to community mediation.

TN - Davidson

TN - Williamson

TN - Rutherford

TN - Sumner

TN - Robertson

TN

TN - Wilson

TN - Montgomery

TN - Hickman