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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Increasing Housing Stability Through State-Funded Community Mediation Delivered By The Massachusetts Housing Mediation Program (Hmp) Fy2023 Evaluation Report, Madhawa Palihapitiya, Karina Zeferino Jan 2024

Increasing Housing Stability Through State-Funded Community Mediation Delivered By The Massachusetts Housing Mediation Program (Hmp) Fy2023 Evaluation Report, Madhawa Palihapitiya, Karina Zeferino

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

The Massachusetts Housing Mediation Program (HMP) is a comprehensive statewide program that provides free housing mediation services as a tool to increase housing stability with the intention of preventing homelessness created by landlord-tenant disputes. It is administered by the Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration (MOPC) at the University of Massachusetts Boston and deploys the community mediation system infrastructure with 11 Community Mediation Centers (Centers) participating and serving all 14 counties of the Commonwealth to provide free conflict resolution services for tenants and landlords/property managers with housing disputes at any stage, from the earliest point a problem occurs, up to, and …


Addressing Barriers To Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In Massachusetts Community Mediation, Madhawa Palihapitiya, Shino Yokotsuka, Karina Zeferino, Jarling Ho Aug 2023

Addressing Barriers To Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In Massachusetts Community Mediation, Madhawa Palihapitiya, Shino Yokotsuka, Karina Zeferino, Jarling Ho

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

This report presents over three years of systematically engaging, documenting and analyzing the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) needs/gaps and assets of state funded community mediation centers in Massachusetts. The report was compiled by researchers and an in-house DEI expert at the statutory state office of dispute resolution, the Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration (MOPC) at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The office has been serving as a neutral forum and state-level resource for over 30 years.

The report is based on qualitative research that falls into the category of community based participatory research conducted through a series of community …


Addressing Barriers To Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In Massachusetts Community Mediation, Madhawa Palihapitiya, Jarling Ho, Shino Yokotsuka, Karina Zeferino Aug 2023

Addressing Barriers To Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In Massachusetts Community Mediation, Madhawa Palihapitiya, Jarling Ho, Shino Yokotsuka, Karina Zeferino

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

This report presents over three years of systematically engaging, documenting and analyzing the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) needs/gaps and assets of state funded community mediation centers in Massachusetts. The report was compiled by researchers and an in-house DEI expert at the statutory state office of dispute resolution, the Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration (MOPC) at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The office has been serving as a neutral forum and state-level resource for over 30 years.

The report is based on qualitative research that falls into the category of community based participatory research conducted through a series of community …


Increasing Housing Stability Through State-Funded Community Mediation Delivered By The Massachusetts Housing Mediation Program (Hmp) In Fy2022, Madhawa Palihapitiya, David Sulewski, Karina Zeferino, Jarling Ho Mar 2023

Increasing Housing Stability Through State-Funded Community Mediation Delivered By The Massachusetts Housing Mediation Program (Hmp) In Fy2022, Madhawa Palihapitiya, David Sulewski, Karina Zeferino, Jarling Ho

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

This report presents findings and recommendations from an evaluation of the Massachusetts Housing Mediation Program (HMP) administered by the MA Office of Public Collaboration (MOPC) at the University of Massachusetts Boston in partnership with 11 Community Mediation Centers (Centers). The program is funded by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and implemented in partnership with the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). The program was initially part of the Governor’s Eviction Diversion Initiative (EDI), which ended in the latter half of FY2022 and is continuing as an intervention to support housing stability. The evaluation was conducted by MOPC’s research unit comprised …


Massachusetts Community Mediation Center Grant Program: Fiscal Year 2022 Report & Evaluation, Madhawa Palihapitiya Dec 2022

Massachusetts Community Mediation Center Grant Program: Fiscal Year 2022 Report & Evaluation, Madhawa Palihapitiya

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

The FY2022 evaluation report prepared by MOPC for the tenth year of the Grant Program operations confirms that the state’s FY2022 appropriation of $2.7 million[1]continued to strengthen community mediation center operations statewide, expanded public awareness and utilization of community mediation, and maintained critical public programs focused on housing stability, youth empowerment, reducing recidivism and building capacity for diversity, equity and inclusion for center practices and services, while producing significant social and economic impacts, including a $22.1 million return on the state’s investment in cost-savings and leveraged resources. This impact demonstrates the public value and cost-effectiveness of this local …


Massachusetts Community Mediation Center Grant Program: Fiscal Year 2021 Report & Evaluation, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston Dec 2021

Massachusetts Community Mediation Center Grant Program: Fiscal Year 2021 Report & Evaluation, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

The state of Massachusetts appropriated $2,700,000 in Fiscal Year 2021 for the Community Mediation Center Grant Program to support its endeavors to expand utilization of community mediation across the state. The state’s $2.7 million investment in the program effectively underwrote center initiatives to preserve the option of community mediation services for meeting communities’ conflict resolution needs. Ultimately, Massachusetts as a whole benefited from the Grant Program in FY 2021 by virtue of the estimated $14 million return on the state’s investment in the program.


Increasing Housing Stability Through State-Funded Community Mediation Delivered By The Massachusetts Housing Mediation Program (Hmp): Evaluation Report, Madhawa Palihapitiya, David Sulewski, Kaila O. Eisenkraft, Jarling Ho Nov 2021

Increasing Housing Stability Through State-Funded Community Mediation Delivered By The Massachusetts Housing Mediation Program (Hmp): Evaluation Report, Madhawa Palihapitiya, David Sulewski, Kaila O. Eisenkraft, Jarling Ho

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

This report presents findings and recommendations from a formative evaluation of the Massachusetts Housing Mediation Program (HMP) administered by the MA Office of Public Collaboration (MOPC) at the University of Massachusetts Boston in partnership with 12 Community Mediation Centers (CMCs). The program is funded by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and overseen by the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) as part of the Baker-Polito Administration’s Eviction Diversion Initiative (EDI). The evaluation was conducted by MOPC’s research unit comprised of staff and graduate student researchers, and does not necessarily represent the views of DHCD. As a statutory state office, MOPC …


Eviction: A Story Of Displacement, Kaila O. Eisenkraft Sep 2021

Eviction: A Story Of Displacement, Kaila O. Eisenkraft

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

About one-third of the US household population lives in rented housing. Among the housing disputes that occur between tenants and landlords, the removal of tenants from their property – that is, their displacement – by landlords through evictions poses one of the greatest threats to housing stability. The prevalence and high stakes of eviction elevate the importance of examining this phenomenon and the efficacy of various interventions, such as financial assistance, legal representation, and mediation.


Massachusetts Community Mediation Center Grant Program: Fiscal Year 2020 Report & Evaluation, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston Dec 2020

Massachusetts Community Mediation Center Grant Program: Fiscal Year 2020 Report & Evaluation, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

The Community Mediation Center Grant Program embodies the state’s commitment to achieving broad state-wide access to community mediation for the resolution of disputes. The Grant Program received $1,090,000 in state funding for its operation during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020, and a total of $848,000 in grants was awarded to 12 community mediation centers based on a performance-based application process. During the first two-thirds of the 2020 fiscal year, administration of the Grant Program and service delivery from participating centers functioned as expected. The emergence of the coronavirus pandemic and attendant restrictions in March 2020 complicated Grant Program administrative responsibilities and …


Parent Mediation Program Evaluation Report: Fiscal Year 2020, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston Jul 2020

Parent Mediation Program Evaluation Report: Fiscal Year 2020, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

During Fiscal Year 2020, the Parent Mediation Program (PMP) operated in its usual fashion, providing services to eligible parties referred by Probate & Family Court Divisions and non-court sources until March 16, 2020 when non-emergency access to the court was curtailed, and constraints on inter-personal contact were urged due to the coronavirus pandemic. All community mediation centers participating in the PMP offered parties the opportunity to mediate remotely, and perhaps as many as 24 cases were mediated remotely. An agreement rate of 89% and a parenting-plan development rate of 79% were produced by PMP mediation in FY 2020, at or …


Parent Mediation Program Evaluation Report: Fiscal Year 2020, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston Jul 2020

Parent Mediation Program Evaluation Report: Fiscal Year 2020, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

During Fiscal Year 2020, the Parent Mediation Program operated in its usual fashion, providing services to eligible parties referred by Probate & Family Court Divisions and non-court sources in Massachusetts until March 16, 2020 when non-emergency access to the court was curtailed, and constraints on inter-personal contact were urged due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Program persevered with its functions for the remainder of the fiscal year by converting as many of its operations as possible into electronic form. All five centers participating in the PMP offered parties the opportunity to mediate remotely. The annual referral and mediation targets set …


Probate & Family Court Onsite Mediation Program: Fiscal Year 2020 Implementation & Evaluation Report, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston Jul 2020

Probate & Family Court Onsite Mediation Program: Fiscal Year 2020 Implementation & Evaluation Report, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

The Probate & Family Court Onsite Mediation Program (Program) was designed to assist parents, referred by Massachusetts Department of Revenue (DOR) attorneys and court judges and staff, with the resolution of parenting disputes by providing subsidized mediation services, free of charge to parties, at Probate & Family Court sites. The goal of the Program was to expedite the disposition of cases in the Probate & Family Court (P&F Court) by helping parties resolve parenting and child welfare issues in addition to child support and eliminate the need to file separate actions and minimize the number of necessary court appearances. The …


Massachusetts Community Center Grant Program: Fiscal Year 2019 Report & Evaluation, Kaila O. Eisenkraft Dec 2019

Massachusetts Community Center Grant Program: Fiscal Year 2019 Report & Evaluation, Kaila O. Eisenkraft

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

In Fiscal Year 2019, the Community Mediation Center Grant Program, administered by the Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration and funded through a legislative appropriation, continued to make progress in implementing its mission to increase public access to community mediation in Massachusetts. Operational funds were awarded to 12 community mediation centers that handled over 4,000 cases involving an estimated 8,000 parties, who hailed from cities and towns throughout the commonwealth and were racially/ethnically and financially diverse. The cases that were mediated resulted in a 72.7% agreement rate.


Using Court-Connected Adr To Increase Court Efficiency, Address Party Needs, And Deliver Justice In Massachusetts, Madhawa Palihapitiya, Susan Jeghelian, Kaila Eisenkraft Oct 2019

Using Court-Connected Adr To Increase Court Efficiency, Address Party Needs, And Deliver Justice In Massachusetts, Madhawa Palihapitiya, Susan Jeghelian, Kaila Eisenkraft

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

This report presents research and findings from a study of court-connected ADR commissioned by the Executive Office of the Trial Court (EOTC). The study was conducted by the state office of dispute resolution also known as the Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The office has been serving as a neutral forum and state-level resource for almost 30 years. Its mission is to establish programs and build capacity within public entities for enhanced conflict resolution and intergovernmental and cross-sector collaboration in order to save costs for the state and its citizens and enable effective problem-solving …


Parent Mediation Program Evaluation Report: January-June 2019 & Fiscal Year 2019, Kaila O. Eisenkraft, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston Jan 2019

Parent Mediation Program Evaluation Report: January-June 2019 & Fiscal Year 2019, Kaila O. Eisenkraft, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

During Fiscal Year 2019, the Parent Mediation Program, administered by the Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration. proved to be an effective dispute resolution program, in which local community mediation centers served the need of divorcing, separating, and never married parents for assistance with resolving their disputes over parenting issues that arose within divorce or separation contexts to the satisfaction of nearly all parties. Under Program auspices, mediation services were provided mostly to a lower-income population, whose racial/ethnic diversity generally reflected Massachusetts demographics. Many surveyed participating parents received mediation benefits in the form of settled parenting disputes, diminished court intervention, and …


Massachusetts Community Mediation Center Grant Program: Fiscal Year 2019 Report & Evaluation, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston Jan 2019

Massachusetts Community Mediation Center Grant Program: Fiscal Year 2019 Report & Evaluation, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

In Fiscal Year 2019, the Community Mediation Center Grant Program continued to make progress in implementing its mission to increase public access to community mediation in Massachusetts. Out of an appropriation of $990,000, operational funds amounting to $785,600 were distributed to 12 community mediation centers that did their part to advance public access to community mediation throughout Massachusetts. Notwithstanding a small decline of 1.6% in demand for services, in FY 2019, centers handled over 4,000 cases – 82% of which were court-referred and 18% were non-court-referred – that involved an estimated 8,000 parties, who hailed from cities and towns throughout …


Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration Parent Mediation Program: Fiscal Year 2018 Evaluation Report, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston Aug 2018

Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration Parent Mediation Program: Fiscal Year 2018 Evaluation Report, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

Under the Parent Mediation Program , the delivery of mediation services to parents quarreling over parenting issues that arose out of divorce or separation together with the impact of mediation on the parents served confirmed that the grant money that was invested in the program for FY 2018 in all likelihood provided substantial value to the parents and children involved with the program. The timely fulfillment of administrative duties and the productivity of centers in delivering highly regarded mediation services that exceeded expectations enabled a majority of at least two-thirds of surveyed parents to settle their disputes and agree about …


Massachusetts Community Mediation Center Grant Program: Fiscal Year 2018 Report & Evaluation, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston Jan 2018

Massachusetts Community Mediation Center Grant Program: Fiscal Year 2018 Report & Evaluation, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

For the past six years, state funding support enabled the Community Mediation Center Grant Program to fulfill its responsibility to award operational grants to qualified community mediation centers. In the FY 2018 budget process, the state legislature again confirmed its commitment to community mediation by appropriating $750,000 to fund the Grant Program during FY 2018. Funded centers contributed extensively to lowering contentiousness in Massachusetts communities in FY 2018 despite the challenges posed by funding and court-referral volatility. Centers provided coverage across all Massachusetts counties and at most Court Divisions. Nearly 8,000 people received center assistance with their disputes through more …


Massachusetts Community Mediation Center Grant Program: Fiscal Year 2017 Report & Evaluation, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston Dec 2017

Massachusetts Community Mediation Center Grant Program: Fiscal Year 2017 Report & Evaluation, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

The state’s policy to promote broad access to community mediation throughout the Commonwealth was effectuated by the establishment of the Massachusetts Community Mediation Center Grant Program to provide operating grants to eligible community mediation centers. The Massachusetts Legislature appropriated $750,000 to fund Program operations during FY 2017 (the Program’s sixth year). The Legislature’s FY 2017 investment in the Grant Program proved to be money well spent. Not only was state-wide community mediation infrastructure strengthened, the quality of community mediation services was upheld. Accordingly, twelve funded centers delivered services throughout the state and affected thousands of people.


Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration Parent Mediation Program: January-June 2017 And Fiscal Year 2017 Evaluation Report, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston Jul 2017

Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration Parent Mediation Program: January-June 2017 And Fiscal Year 2017 Evaluation Report, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

The Parent Mediation Program provides up to four hours of free mediation services from community mediation centers to parents in Massachusetts to assist with parenting disputes that arise from divorce or separation. The popularity of mediation services from the Parent Mediation Program during Fiscal Year 2017 presented a major challenge to the human and financial resources of the Program. Even though the Program budget was depleted, the challenge was met, and mediation services were provided, benefiting majorities of surveyed parents with settlement of their parenting disputes, establishment of better communication with one another, improved management of their conflict, and reduced …


Massachusetts Community Mediation Center Grant Program: Fiscal Year 2016 Report & Evaluation, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston Dec 2016

Massachusetts Community Mediation Center Grant Program: Fiscal Year 2016 Report & Evaluation, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

During Fiscal Year 2016, the Community Mediation Center Grant Program proved generally effective in supporting the delivery of mediation services for dispute resolution from community mediation centers to Massachusetts communities. As a result of a $750,000 legislative appropriation, thirteen community mediation centers were awarded operating grants that proved critical to the centers’ sustained existence and thriving. The Program’s value was demonstrated by evidence of the contribution made by the funded centers towards reducing conflict and increasing access to procedural justice for residents in every Massachusetts county. Furthermore, the commonwealth as a whole benefited economically from the Program due to an …


Access To Justice In The United States With Massachusetts Examples: An Introduction, Kaila Obstfeld Eisenkraft Sep 2016

Access To Justice In The United States With Massachusetts Examples: An Introduction, Kaila Obstfeld Eisenkraft

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

The struggle to gain access to justice requires access to procedural justice, whereby interested parties can effectively participate in the legal processes needed for their pursuit of substantive justice. The justice system’s complexity and cost have effectively rendered the legal system inaccessible to a large portion of U.S. citizenry. A variety of measures have been instituted to increase access to justice, such as government financing of attorney representation, legal aid, pro bono legal assistance, class actions, alternative dispute resolution processes, etc. This paper provides an introduction to some of the issues surrounding the implementation of these measures, with most state-based …


Youth Empowerment For Conflict Resolution, Madhawa Palihapitiya Jul 2016

Youth Empowerment For Conflict Resolution, Madhawa Palihapitiya

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

Participants were trained in conflict resolution and invited to share their everyday experiences through photos.


Legislative Study: Massachusetts Municipal Conflict Resolution Needs Assessment, Final Report, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston Jan 2016

Legislative Study: Massachusetts Municipal Conflict Resolution Needs Assessment, Final Report, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

The destructive public conflicts documented in this study caused dysfunction and harm to Massachusetts local governments and communities. The report documents how municipal officials are managing conflicts and the impact of current approaches to dealing with destructive public conflict. The needs that municipal officials identify as important for dealing with future destructive public conflict and strategies to address those needs are also documented.


Massachusetts Community Mediation Center Grant Program: Fiscal Year 2015 Report & Evaluation, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston Dec 2015

Massachusetts Community Mediation Center Grant Program: Fiscal Year 2015 Report & Evaluation, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

The Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration (MOPC, originally known as the Massachusetts Office of Dispute Resolution), the statutory state dispute resolution agency and an applied research center of the McCormack Graduate School at the University of Massachusetts Boston, has administered the Community Mediation Center Grant Program (the CMC Grant Program or grant program) under G.L. Ch. 75, §47 since July 2012. The grant program provides state operational funding to qualified community mediation centers. The program goal is to advance the mission of community mediation as a cost-effective public service that increases access to justice for Massachusetts citizens, particularly for low …


Intervening In School-Based Youth Conflict: Violence Reduction, Positive Youth Development, Peer Mediation, And Conflict Resolution Education, Kaila Obstfeld Eisenkraft Nov 2015

Intervening In School-Based Youth Conflict: Violence Reduction, Positive Youth Development, Peer Mediation, And Conflict Resolution Education, Kaila Obstfeld Eisenkraft

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

Public concern over youthful conflict was heightened during the latter half of the twentieth century by surges in juvenile violence and crime. In the 1990s, the prevention approach to reducing juvenile violence expanded to include a positive youth development focus which involved interventions to reinforce young people’s strengths. Strategies were devised and implemented in programs, including such school-based interventions as conflict resolution education and peer mediation, to enable youngsters to constructively manage conflict and increase the likelihood of positive outcomes. A review of the research provides promising evidence for the effectiveness of such programs in diminishing and managing school-based youth …


Massachusetts Community Mediation Center Grant Program: Fiscal Year 2014 Report & Evaluation, Susan Jeghelian, Madhawa Palihapitiya, Kaila O. Eisenkraft Dec 2014

Massachusetts Community Mediation Center Grant Program: Fiscal Year 2014 Report & Evaluation, Susan Jeghelian, Madhawa Palihapitiya, Kaila O. Eisenkraft

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

The Community Mediation Center Grant Program, funded by the commonwealth and administered by the state’s office of dispute resolution, was established to “promote the broad use of community mediation in all regions of the state” by awarding operating grants to eligible community mediation centers. This annual report describes the progress made in broadening access to community mediation by the grant program under the challenge of reduced state funding in FY 2014. Due to the funding cut, fewer centers were funded in FY 2014 compared to FY 2013, which reduced the quantity of services provided. However, the amount of money per …


Massachusetts Community Mediation Center Grant Program: Fiscal Year 2013 Year-End Report & Evaluation, Susan J. Jeghelian, Madhawa Palihapitiya, Kaila O. Eisenkraft Dec 2013

Massachusetts Community Mediation Center Grant Program: Fiscal Year 2013 Year-End Report & Evaluation, Susan J. Jeghelian, Madhawa Palihapitiya, Kaila O. Eisenkraft

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

During Fiscal Year 2013, the first year of the Massachusetts Community Mediation Center (CMC) Grant Program, 15 community mediation centers across the state were awarded state operating grants. This report documents and evaluates the progress of the CMC Grant Program towards its goal of expanding the use of community mediation as an affordable public service for Massachusetts citizenry. The status of program implementation is analyzed, and the program’s success is assessed through its impact on the stabilization and effectiveness of the funded community mediation centers as measured by, among other things, their delivery of high quality mediation services, efforts to …


A Study For The Design And Administration Of A Successful Foreclosure Mediation Program In Massachusetts, Madhawa Palihapitiya, Kaila O. Eisenkraft Feb 2013

A Study For The Design And Administration Of A Successful Foreclosure Mediation Program In Massachusetts, Madhawa Palihapitiya, Kaila O. Eisenkraft

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

This study examines foreclosure mediation programs and legislation in ten jurisdictions across the nation as well as relevant research and scholarship in the field in order to capture best practices and lessons learned to inform the authorization and design of effective foreclosure mediation programming for Massachusetts. The lens for the examination is the need for foreclosure mediation in Massachusetts and the statutory and programmatic frameworks necessary for the design and implementation of a successful foreclosure mediation program. The study provides an account of how Massachusetts is dealing with residential foreclosures at present and the ways mediation can contribute to resolving …


Community Mediation Of Parenting Disputes Between Estranged Parents, Madhawa Palihapitiya, Kaila Obstfeld Eisenkraft Jan 2013

Community Mediation Of Parenting Disputes Between Estranged Parents, Madhawa Palihapitiya, Kaila Obstfeld Eisenkraft

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

Community mediation, characterized by free or low cost mediation services delivered primarily by volunteer mediators, aims to provide effective dispute resolution services to a broad spectrum of the population, particularly to underserved and low-income populations. The present study seeks to determine whether community mediation fulfills this goal with respect to divorce/separation-related parenting disputes while concomitantly testing the legitimacy of concerns about the quality of mediation services offered according to a community mediation model. Thus, the effectiveness of community mediation in resolving these disputes is measured through indicators reported by mediation participants, such as the population served, mediation results and party …