During its eleven year history CYMP more than fulfilled the mandate of its mission. Over 500 neighborhood residents received mediation training and they mediated over 2000 youth related community conflicts. Additionally, CYMP successfully applied conflict resolution techniques to a number of youth related conflicts. Innovative approaches to truancy, school violence and a public agency’s response to abuse and neglect cases clearly demonstrated benefit to this problem solving approach. The institutionalization of two of these pilot programs by Juvenile Court and Cleveland Public Schools affirms their value.

As the reputation of CYMP was established the program began getting requests for services that did not directly involve youth. In 1992 the original planning team along with community leaders met and a strategic planning process was initiated. It resulted in a change in the organization’s name and a new mission statement. The agency became the Cleveland Mediation Center and the mission is:

To promote constructive conflict resolution, especially among youth, and to strengthen community ties primarily through mediation and mediation training.

CMC first became acquainted with the problems of homelessness when it was requested to mediate a dispute between a local a service provider and the community. Since, CMC has been called upon to by others to assist in public policy disputes regarding services to people who are homeless. It was through these efforts that the community board of trustees became aware of the depth and breadth of the problem. They concluded that people who are struggling to meet the basic needs of shelter are in no position to avail themselves to a future oriented problem solving process such as mediation. The board mandated that the staff develop a homeless prevention program. As a result a program was designed and a small grant was obtained from the Office of Homeless Services and 30 evictions were prevented. This program had grown to the point where over 2000 households were assisted in 2001.

In addition to the Homeless Prevention Program, CMC provides these mediation and conflict resolution services:

(1) Neighbor to neighbor mediation.
(2) Intra-family mediations, that focuses on parent- child mediation.
(3) Public policy and community disputes
(4) Dissolution of Marriage Kits
(5) Training and technical assistance
(6) Group and intra-agency facilitation