Family Mediator

Role Responsibilities

Are you an experienced Family Mediator skilled at working with families seeking resolution to parenting, guardianship, and child support disputes? Do you have a strong understanding and ability to apply a facilitative/interest-based model and approach to working with families? Come join the Business and Resolution Services branch in a rewarding permanent full-time position located in Calgary.

In this role, your key responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

MEDIATION SERVICE DELIVERY

• Screen and assess cases to determine if family mediation is appropriate.
• Conduct pre-mediation sessions to ensure parties understand their options and are prepared to proceed, including providing appropriate resources and screening for safety concerns.
• Provide non-evaluative, facilitative, client-focused, ethical approach to mediation.
• Enter into service agreements with clients.
• Use effective strategies in high conflict situations.
• Help parties address needs and interests, focusing on best interests of the children.
• Possess knowledge of relevant Family Law.
• Provide written summary of agreements for clients.
• Assist parties in adjusting to new family structure and circumstances.
• Engage in peer consultation and co-mediation as a means of maintaining and enhancing professional standards and performance levels.

CONSULTATION & PUBLIC RELATIONS

• Consult with Family Court Counsellors, Case flow Coordinators, and other department, government, and community agencies regarding appropriateness of mediation as a means dispute resolution.
• Participate in government and community-based agencies, boards, or groups to provide links between Business and Resolution Services and the community.

The ideal candidate will possess:

• A strong understanding of the facilitative approach to mediation, and the ability to apply an interest-based mediation model to support the resolution of family/parenting disputes.
• Excellent conflict resolution, negotiation, and mediation skills including multi-party and high conflict mediation.
• An understanding of child development and the needs of children in a separation or divorce.
• Strong assessment skills to support mediator and practitioner development.
• Ability to provide leadership and mentoring to staff. 
• Strong organizational skills to handle the volume and complexity of work.
• Ability to work well in a team environment and independently.
• Ability to work with sensitive and complex matters involving families and children.

Please click on this link to view the job description for this position.

APS Competencies

Competencies are behaviors that are essential to reach our goals in serving Albertans. We encourage you to have an in depth understanding of the competencies that are required for this opportunity and to be prepared to demonstrate them during the recruitment process.

This link will assist you with understanding competencies: https://www.alberta.ca/system/files/custom_downloaded_images/psc-alberta-public-service-competency-model.pdf.

The successful candidate will possess the following Alberta Public Service competencies:
 

• AGILITY: You are able to anticipate, assess, and readily adapt to changing priorities, maintain resilience in times of uncertainty and effectively work in a changing environment.
• SYSTEMS THINKING: You consistently take a holistic and long-term view of challenges and opportunities at multiple levels across related areas.
• DEVELOP NETWORKS: You proactively build networks, connecting and building trust in relationships with different stakeholders.
• BUILD COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENTS: You lead and contribute to the conditions and environments that allow people to work collaboratively and productively to achieve outcomes.
• CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING: You are able to assess options, and implications in new ways to achieve outcomes and solution.
• DRIVE FOR RESULTS: You are able to determine what outcomes are important and  maximize the use of resources.

Qualifications

A minimum of 180 hours of Conflict Management training is required, of which at least 40 hours must be in the area of separation and divorce or family mediation. Please clearly indicate in your resume the specific courses, the number of hours of training for each, and the organization or training institution where the training was completed.  

Completion of one of the following is also a requirement:

• Related University Degree (Dispute Resolution, Sociology, Psychology, Law, etc.) and 2 years related practical experience; OR
• Bachelor of Social Work and some related experience; OR
• Master’s Degree in a related field; OR
• Related Diploma and 3 years related experience; OR
• Related Certificate and 4 years related experience.

Preference will be given to candidates with:

• Significant knowledge, supplemented by experience, of theoretical models, specialized techniques, and practical and theoretical procedures related to mediation and alternative dispute resolution. 
• Experience facilitating alternative dispute resolution processes, such as mediation, for families experiencing parental conflict and/or going through separation or divorce.
• Proficient in using technology to mediate remotely and use client relationship software to manage client information and appointments.

Candidates who are successful following the interview, may be invited to participate in an assessed mediation ‘role play’ as part of the selection process. The focus of the role play is to assess the candidate’s ability to apply core communication and mediation skills in an interest-based mediation model.  

Minimum recruitment standards outline the minimum education and experience required for appointment to a job classification. 

Refer to https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-minimum-recruitment-standards.

Notes

Position Information:

• The hours of work for this position are Monday to Friday 8:15AM-4:30PM, 36.25 hours a week.
• This is one full-time permanent position located at the Calgary Courts Centre, 601 5 St SW, Calgary, AB T2P 5P7.
• Hybrid work arrangement is available for this position.

Final candidates will be required to undergo a security screening.

Any costs associated with obtaining the required documents/checks as noted or interview travel expenses, will be the responsibility of the candidate. Out-of-province applicants can obtain the required documents/checks from the province they currently reside in.

Instructions for your Resume:

For Employment Experience:

• Please indicate duration of employment (month, year)
• Please specify employment status (i.e., casual, part-time, or full-time)
• Ex: Youth Worker, Jan 2006 - June 2009, Part-time (three, 8-hour shifts/week)

For any Post-Secondary Education:

• Please specify your major and length of program
• Please specify the year you graduated.
• Ex: Bachelor of Social Work, 4-year Degree (Graduated 2017)

Links and information on what the GoA has to offer to prospective employees.
 

• Working for the Alberta Public Service - https://www.alberta.ca/advantages-working-for-alberta-public-service.aspx.
• Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP) - https://www.pspp.ca.
• Alberta Public Service Benefit Information - https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-benefits.
• Professional learning and development - https://www.alberta.ca/professional-development-support-directive.
• Research Alberta Public Service Careers tool – https://researchapscareers.alberta.ca.
• Positive workplace culture and work-life balance.
• Opportunity to participate in flexible work arrangements such as working from home up to two days per week and modified work schedule agreement.
• Leadership and mentorship programs.