Restorative Practices

Our highly-trained and experienced staff and volunteers at Empowered Pathways offer a variety of mediation services to address issues related to youth, as well as restorative services using the highly successful Circles environment approach to opening and continuing effective communication paths.

Mediation allows people an opportunity to speak and be heard, while a neutral manages the conversation. It helps improve communication, improve relationships, and solve problems. Our professional mediators are trained and certified in accordance with standards set by the New York State Unified Court System, and their services offer real and lasting solutions. These services are free or low-cost.

YOUTH SERVICES

Attendance Mediation

Focuses on helping schools, students, and families increase student attendance and improve educational outcomes. Students, parents, administrators and teachers sit down with a neutral and build a plan for getting the youth to school, including whatever supports or referrals are required.

Special Education/IEP Mediation

Designed to address student’s academic/behavioral IEP, 504 plan and school services. The parents and school officials sit down and discuss topics including determination, eligibility, supports, services, environment, and more; agreements are binding and enforceable.

Student Re-entry Mediation

Designed to address student’s behavioral and environmental needs at school. The youth, parents and school officials discuss creating a plan for when and how a youth can return to school, including what caused them to leave to begin with, and what needs to change.

Parent-Teen & PINS Mediation

Intended to allow parents and teens to build a plan for their daily lives together. For parents struggling with raising teens, mediation can help bridge the gaps and build a workable plan for the household.

RESTORATIVE CIRCLES

Dialogue-Based Restorative Circles

Designed to allow restorative justice to aid in addressing harm done by youths.

Students who harm others are held accountable for their actions and expected to make things right. Victims, families, and other members of the community are invited to help support that process.

Family Group Conferencing

A process where the family comes in to discuss issues in a Circle setting. Usually food or snacks are provided for the family.

Family Circles

A lower commitment Circles process where we can bring in any affected family members and open communication among the whole family.

Project CIRCLE (Community-Involved Restorative Circles for Learning and Education)

An ongoing Circles process in the school scheduled around the school’s needs. Aims to help build community among the student body and assist in self-advocacy.

Project CREW (Circles Restoring the Environment In The Workforce)

Designed to assist workforces in discussing issues in a Circles environment. Aims to improve company morale and productivity.