LETTER FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
CASSIE LIVELY
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Dear CCR Community:
It has been a very busy few months at CCR! Thanks to all of you who have pitched in to train during our busy law student training season, and to those of you who have been mediating on Zoom!
Unfortunately, we are living in a time of great political polarization during this election season and surely beyond it. CCR is proud to announce that we are a partner in the Trust Network, a group of organizations nationwide who are poised to respond to any election-related unrest our communities may experience over the coming weeks. We are grateful for the leadership of the National Association for Community Mediation (NAFCM). NAFCM has tirelessly advocated for recognizing the full range of ways community mediation centers can provide support and build trust in local areas through our impartial services.
CCR is actively responding to hardships created by the COVID-19 pandemic by working in partnership with other organizations to assist with the expected wave of eviction filings. CCR has provided mediation services in eviction cases for many years, but we expect this caseload to increase dramatically in the coming months. Stay tuned for more information about how you can help us in these efforts.
Cassie
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CCR Provides Free and Low-cost Mediation and Conflict Management Training |
The Training Department provides free and low-cost training, in addition to the revenue generating training we provide to support our mediation services. Over the summer we were able to give 10 scholarships to participants in the Mediation Skills Trainings. Recently we provided a pro bono training to volunteer attorneys at Legal Aid Chicago about how to advocate better for their clients during mediations at CCR. We also worked with Housing Action Illinois to provide training to Americorps VISTA members on how to manage conflict in the workplace. Our Training Director also conducted a training for community healthcare workers through our CARE Program on how to address conflict proactively. It's always a pleasure to provide workshops for our Chicago Community! |
2020 MMP
Minnie Robinson
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Minnie M. Robinson has been mediating at the Maybrook Courthouse in Maywood, IL. Prior to her certification at CCR, she served, and continues to serve, as an Ombudsman with ESGR (Employee Support of The Guard And Reserve). Minnie is also an ordained minister and substitute teaches at Oak Park River Forest High School. She has worked in the Communication and IT environments for many years and is a retiree of AT&T/ Ameritech/Illinois Bell. Minnie has a BA in Organizational Leadership and a Masters in Conflict Resolution from Dominican University, River Forest, IL. |
Congratulations to Auxiliary Board Member Alexander Passo and his wife, Bianca, on the birth of Isaac! |
2020 MMP
Laura Weizeorick
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Laura Weizeorick is an attorney with a variety of experience in criminal and civil matters, and as an adjunct professor. She decided to join CCR after teaching Conflict Resolution for several years at North Central College in Naperville. The course focused on the theory and practice of negotiation and mediation in the community and workplace. Laura joined CCR as a way to bring more experience and insight to her classes.
Before teaching, Laura worked at Ottosen Britz in Naperville as part of the litigation and school law groups. Her practice was largely focused on defending and counseling municipal and school clients on discrimination, constitutional, and anti-trust matters. She also worked with a public school district client to develop and implement the first blended remote learning program in the state.
Prior to joining Ottosen Britz, Laura worked for the State Appellate Defender representing indigent clients in criminal appeals and capital post-conviction proceedings.
Laura started her legal career as an associate in the trial department at McDermott, Will & Emery where she first-chaired a successful jury trial and co-authored briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court and the Seventh Circuit of Appeals.
Laura received a B.S. in economics from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana and J.D. from Northwestern University Law School.
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Join CCR online for one of our most popular workshops!
Preparing for Difficult Conversations*
Is there a conversation that you've been avoiding? Maybe it's something about an important relationship in your life or about a deeply held belief. In this 2-hour workshop, participants are given tools to plan and prepare to have a difficult conversation. This session focuses on strategies to manage internal responses to high-conflict dialogue, preparing language and approaches to frame and carry out the conversation, and approaches to de-escalate so that we can have more productive interactions.
*No mediation experience necessary to take this course.
CLE, SHRM and Social Work CEU credits available
Date:
November 17 - 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Location: Zoom
Cost: $50
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CCR's Core Values Initiative |
Core Value #1
Commitment to Serving the Community
- Apply consistency and clarity in message and practice
- Be responsive
- Exhibit flexibility and resiliency
Core Value #2
Collaborative Spirit
- Engage and involve one another
- Celebrate each others' successes
- Pitch in and find ways to contribute
- Give and receive constructive feedback
Core Value #3
Inclusivity
- Value individual differences
- Create space for new and different ideas
- Exhibit transparent communication and understanding
Core Value #4
Strive for Personal Best
- Continuously learn and improve
- Take responsibility
- Think outside the box
Core Value #5
Inspire Growth and Success
- Support and encourage each other
- Embrace and learn from challenges
CCR would like to express our gratitude to the Core Values Implementation Team for 2020 - they have done an amazing job helping us think of ways to meaningfully infuse our Core Values into the work that we do every day, strengthening us as an organization.
The team includes co-chairs Kate Haarvei and Gabe Herrera, and members Joshua Becker, Alyson Carrel, Tynisha Jointer and Lisa Sandlow. The Core Values initiative has from the beginning been guided and coached by Mike Cohen.
Thank you!!
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Core Values Volunteer Spotlight - Fall 2020! |
Lynn Murphy has been so inspirational to CCR staff members over the last few months, and she has done an incredible job demonstrating our Core Value of "Commitment to Serving the Community." Lynn has jumped in with both feet to training and mediating on Zoom, and she's done it with incredible enthusiasm. Realizing that we need to be responsive to the needs of our community and do so with flexibility, Lynn has been a leader and champion as we have worked closely with the Circuit Court of Cook County to resume mediation of small claims cases. |
Have you seen a member of the CCR Community doing a great job demonstrating one of our Core Values? Nominate them to be featured in Caucus!
Do you have general thoughts/comments/ideas related to our Core Values initiative? Let us know!
Share your thoughts HERE.
Want to be a part of the Core Values Initiative?
We are currently recruiting new members for the next phase of the Core Values Implementation Team. If anyone is interested in being part of this team, please reach out to current co-chairs Kate Haarvei (katehaarvei@gmail.com) and Gabe Herrera (gherrera@ccrchicago.org). We’d love to involve as many community members as possible in this effort! Kate and Gabe are more than happy to talk to you about their experience working on this project and answer questions you may have.
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Congratulations, Whitney Trumble and Matt Parrilli on the birth of Lincoln! |
Katie joins CCR with a background in law and education policy. After law school, she specialized in commercial and employment litigation at Winston & Strawn and Sheppard Mullin in Chicago. She then joined TNTP, a national non-profit that aims to end educational inequality, as a project director where she consulted with K-12 public school district officials and state level policy makers regarding teacher preparation and retention. She left full-time work in 2018 to focus on her family and started mediating in 2019 after she discovered her love of the field through the CCR 40-hour skills training. She received her J.D. from DePaul College of Law ('08) and B.A. in Religious Studies and Business Management from Indiana University ('05). |
The Programs Team is still hard at work during this unbelievable year! Thank you to everyone who has volunteered and helped us continue to serve the community over the past seven months. We have opened over 350 cases since mid-March in all case types and we really couldn’t have done it without you.
We have more opportunities to volunteer all the time and would love to hear from you!
In the past few months we have been able to re-establish our relationships with multiple court programs and we are now scheduling volunteers Monday – Friday mornings and Monday afternoons for court calls. We are also working on creative ways to support our court programs and are looking for experienced courthouse volunteers to help manage our relationships with judges and court personnel over Zoom.
You may have also had a chance to co-mediate recently. We have been using co-mediation to give our law student clinic volunteers more opportunities while the court is in flux. Co-mediation is a great experience for new and experienced mediators!
If you are interested in getting involved with any of these adventures, please let us know by emailing Case Management. |
Help Us Plan an Upcoming
Continuing Ed Program!
Do you have a great idea for
a speaker or topic for an upcoming Continuing Ed Program? If so, we would love to hear your thoughts.
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Join us for
Reflective Practice Group!
Every first Wednesday of the month at noon via Zoom. Discuss a recent mediation, trends in ADR, or anything mediation-related with your fellow volunteers and Programs Manager Maia Buess.
Please contact Maia for more information.
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