Rule 1.47 . Family mediation center (FMC) mediators.

(a) FMC mediators shall have the following minimum qualifications: (1) Law degree or master’s degree in psychology, social work, marriage and family therapy, counseling, or related behavioral science; (2) Sixty hours child custody and divorce mediation training, including a minimum of 4 hours of domestic violence training, sponsored by the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts or approved by the Academy of Family Mediators; and (3) Three years’ experience in the domestic relations arena conducting child custody mediation. (b) FMC mediators must complete at least 15 hours of continuing education each calendar year. The areas of such training may include, but are not limited to, the following: mediation models, theory, and techniques; the nature of conflict and its resolution; family law; the legal process and caselaw relevant to the performance of mediation; substance abuse; recent research applicable to the profession; family life cycles, such as divorce, family reorganization, and remarriage; child development; crisis intervention; interviewing skills; domestic violence, including child abuse, spousal abuse, and child neglect, and the possibility of danger in the mediation session; parent education; sensitivity to individual, gender, racial, and cultural diversity and socioeconomic status; family systems theory; and the development of parenting plans, parental alienation, and the role of parenting plans in the family’s transition. (c) FMC mediators shall adhere to the Model Standards of Conduct for Mediators as jointly developed by the American Arbitration Association, American Bar Association, and Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution. (d) FMC mediators shall attend such other courses, obtain such other qualifications, or complete such other training as the presiding judge may require.