|
Special Skills or Services:
|
Skilled in mediating large multi-party disputes.
|
|
Year Began Mediating:
|
1998
|
|
Areas of Practice Experience:
|
Aboriginal Child Welfare Issues, Aboriginal Communities, Abuse/Neglect Issues, Adoption Issues, Child Custody/Guardianship/Access, Community Living Issues, Domestic Violence, Drug and Alcohol Addiction Issues, Financial Management Issues, International/Refugee, Intra-Family Conflict, Managing Power Imbalances, Mental Health Issues, Parenting Plan Issues, Permanency Planning, Plan of Care, Special Needs Adults, Special Needs Children, Youth Issues
|
|
Cultural Diversity Experience:
|
Afro-Canadian, Cantonese, French Canadian, Indo-Canadian, Mandarin, Same Sex/Gender, Spanish, Vietnamese
|
|
Mediator's Comments:
|
I have been practising law as a Solicitor since 1986, focusing initially on real estate development, wills & estates, general corporate and commercial work. In 1991 my practice evolved to include the provision of legal and eventually mediative services for and in conjunction with various First Nations in both BC and Ontario. My mediation training includes completion of both the Certificate Program in Conflict Resolution offered by the Justice Institute and the Small Claims Practicum Project. I am fully qualified to conduct Family Law Mediations and have completed numerous advanced training courses and workshops, including Comprehensive Family Mediation training with the Institute of Conflict Analysis and Management. I have participated as a panel member on an Information Session, "Challenges in Mediation: Mediating when Mental Health or Drug and Alcohol Addiction are Issues"; co-presented a workshop on Mediating Estate and Dependant Adult Disputes at a National Mediation Conference; and presented a paper entitled "Mediating Child Protection Disputes: Are we leaving room for the child at the table", at various international, national and regional conferences. I was also invited to participate on the Law Society’s ADR Focus Group. I am a former Mentor in the Family Mediation Practicum Project, member of the provincial Child Protection Mediation roster and have worked extensively in this area. I am a Guest Instructor in Mediation for the Law Society’s Articled Student Training program and also assist Senior Mediator/Instructors through coaching in their mediation training courses offered to lawyers, judges and various provincial and federal government bodies through CLE, and other education and training service providers. I am a former member of the Provincial Court Civil Mediator Roster, General Insurance Ombudservice and the Insurance Dispute Resolution Services of BC Panel. In the community, I recently completed my nine year appointment by the Law Society of BC to the City of Vancouver Building Board of Appeal and served a six year term on the Vancouver Foundation’s Children, Youth & Families Advisory Committee. My mediation style is facilitative, flexible and I am skilled in mediating multi-party disputes. My approach is to assist participants in identifying and achieving their mutual goals within an informal, yet pragmatic environment.
|