California Academy of Mediation Professionals
(CAMP)













Community and Senior Services (CSS) of Los Angeles County  

In 1986, the California Legislature passed the Dispute Resolution Programs
Act (Business and Professional  Code Sections 465, et seq.) providing, at
each County’s option, the establishment and funding of local  Dispute
Resolution Programs. The purpose of the Act is to encourage the use of
Dispute Resolution  Services as an alternative to formal court proceedings.  

Dispute Resolution Services provides two or more parties, on a strictly
volunteer basis, a way to settle a  dispute by use of a neutral third party who
assists all parties in the discussion of a dispute and coming to  an agreement
or better understanding of an issue. Formal court proceedings are adversarial.
One party  loses and one party wins. In mediation, both parties work out an
agreement in a "win-win" resolution, no  one loses. Using Dispute Resolution
Services saves time and costs to the court and participating  individuals. The
DRP utilizes trained volunteer mediators. Volunteers have been trained in at
least twenty- five (25)+ hours of State-required classroom instruction and
practical application.  

The services include: mediation, conciliation, arbitration, facilitation, and is
provided through private non- profit and public entities. Any fees charged are
based on a sliding scale and no fees are charged for the  indigent.  

There are fourteen (14) contractors funded under the DRP. The County's
program offers the broadest  spectrum of dispute resolution services with
three major focuses: 1. Court referred/related cases  (landlord-tenant,
personal injury, lower jurisdiction-small claims); 2. Community Mediation
(landlord- tenant, employment issues, neighbor-neighbor,
domestic/household, consumer-merchant); and 3. Youth  Program (peer
mediation 14-15+year old; at risk youth; family conferencing). The services
offered are  located throughout the County and some offer bi-lingual
mediation in Spanish and Asian languages.  

Program Administration of the grants is done through the Community and
Senior Services of Los Angeles  County. All inquiries should be directed to:  


DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROGRAM GRANTS ADMINISTRATION Aging & Adult
Services Branch Community and Senior Services (CSS) of Los Angeles County
3333 Wilshire Boulevard, Room 400
Los Angeles, CA 90010
213-738-2621
213-386-3995 fax
esoriano@co.la.ca.us    


http://dcss.co.la.ca.us/dr/dispute.htm