Conflict is everywhere, it can be helpful and constructive, or destructive and harmful.  When we understand how to effectively work through conflict it strengthens versus fragment relationships impacting individual and team performance.  Participants will explore differences between restorative and punitive approaches to conflict and wrongdoing, and different ADR approaches you may wish to apply in your setting.   

Learn how to prepare parties and facilitate a collaborative dispute resolution process by working WITH families to make decisions regarding the safety and well-being of a child, youth, or adult experiencing difficulty.  

This approach traces back to traditional ways of knowing in which the care and decision-making for children and vulnerable persons are considered the natural responsibility of the extended family and the community as a whole. 
Formal services can build a positive rapport and achieve intended outcomes by meaningfully engaging with families in decision-making instead of making decisions on their behalf.    

If family is the basic unit of society, we should do everything to preserve it.

Restorative justice is a philosophy that views crime, conflict, and wrongdoing principally as harm done to people and relationships. It offers a non-adversarial, non-retributive approach to criminal justice that focuses on meaningful accountability and reparation of harm to create healthier, safer communities.  

In a non-criminal context, restorative practices is viewed as a social science applying fair, equitable principles into a broader context to shift workplace culture by building social capital and achieving social discipline through participatory learning and collaborative decision-making.

Restorative practices range from informal (daily) communication interactions to formal responses in building, maintaining, and, when needed repairing relationships for individuals and the community to thrive.   

Participants will...

• Become familiar with restorative principles and explore how this fits within the culture of your community to enhance Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Respect in the Workplace, and TRC Calls to Action.  A relational-centric approach aligns with Indigenous worldviews, such as Wahkohtowin in Cree or Otipemisiwak for Métis, “those that rule themselves".
• Learn how to prepare parties, and facilitate a restorative meeting.  
• Experience role-plays applicable to case scenarios in your setting.
• Enhance your facilitation skills to ensure participants feel safe, respected, and empowered and achieve intended outcomes (learning and growth, healing and reconciliation, safety and well-being).