Elder Decisions®
Elder / Adult Family Mediation Training
A Program for Mediators Interested in Working with Older Adults and Their Families
Join Us
Adult Family Mediation is complex, and the field offers unique challenges and opportunities for mediators. This program is designed for experienced mediators who are interested in expanding their professional skills and broadening the range of families they serve.
We’d be delighted to have you join us for this flagship training program. The strategies and best practices discussed are transferable to mediation in other contexts, and past participants have often remarked about the mediation “gems” they have received and “aha moments” that have helped deepen their mediation work.
If after reviewing the information below you have questions, please feel free to reach out. We’d be happy to talk with you.
March 2027
Online
March 8 to 25, 2027
Six half-days, Mondays and Thursdays
12:15 – 5:00 PM Eastern
Monday, 3/8
Thursday, 3/11
Monday, 3/15
Thursday, 3/18
Monday, 3/22
Thursday, 3/25
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Approved under Part 146 by the NY State Unified Court System’s Office of ADR Programs for Additional Mediation Training*
Course Description
This live, online training teaches mediators specialized skills and techniques for mediating adult family conversations (in-person and/or online) around issues such as living arrangements, caregiving, driving, family communication, medical care, Powers of Attorney / Health Care Proxies, financial planning, estate planning, family real estate, and personal property distribution. Topics and components include:
The Field of Elder / Adult Family Mediation
- Presenting Issues
- Common Hurdles
- Strategies for Intake and Convening Family Members
- Using Private Caucuses in Advance of Joint Mediation
- Working with Large, Dispersed Family Groups
- Managing Multiple Stakeholders and Multiple Issues
- Including the “Voice” of the Elder
- Ethical Concerns, Including Capacity, Financial Disclosure, Power Imbalances and More
- Considerations Regarding Remote Mediation via Videoconferencing
Challenges of Aging
- Mental & Physical Effects of Aging
- Maintaining Independence
- Coping with Loss
- Caregiving and Aging Families
- Long Term Care Options for Elders
Legal Planning
- Planning for Financial Management
- Medical Decision Making
- Long-Term Care Costs, and Options for Paying for Care
- Asset Protection
- Guardianship and Alternatives
Skill-Building Components
- Mediating via Zoom Videoconferencing
- Small Group Exercises
- Lively, Interactive Presentations
- Guest Experts in Elder Law and Gerontology
- Trainers’ “Fishbowl” Demonstration
- Multi-Party Role Plays Featuring “True-to-Life” Scenarios
- Extensive Training Manual to Support Your Ongoing Practice
This training is designed to foster participant engagement, learning, and connection, and is structured with regular breaks each session for the comfort of our class members.
Since launching a one‑day Elder Decisions® Elder Mediation Training in 2007, we’ve continuously fine-tuned and expanded the program into a multi-day event. Past participants have reported a strong sense of community, and this event weaves opportunities for interaction and collaboration throughout its design to offer a rich and memorable experience.
Presented by Elder Decisions®, a division of Agreement Resources, LLC – A team of experienced mediators who work with older adults and their families to facilitate communication and proactive planning, and to address conflicts that arise in transitions of aging, life care, and family decision-making.
“You offered a great training, and one that opened windows both into eldercare practice and your inclusive, evolving approach to mediation. You are trailblazers and I’ve already thought of ways to incorporate a number of your approaches into certain circumstances that may arise more generally in mediation. So, again, all my gratitude.”
“Thank you for an excellent training. The material was comprehensive and the exercises were rich in opportunities for expression and learning.”
“This exceeded my expectations! The Elder Decisions® Mediation Training makes a compelling case for why we need to step up to this national challenge and makes it possible for mediators to step into these critical but delicate family conversations. I got a great return on my investment: information-dense, practical, inspiring — allowing me to extend my company’s services to meet this growing demand.”
Lead Trainers:
Guest Experts:
Steven M. Cohen, Esq.
Anna Pollard, MSW, LICSW, C-ASWCM
Malya Kurzweil Levin, Esq.
“…a fabulous, very enriching training experience that I will always remember.”
“Usually when one goes to a conference or training it is considered successful if one takes away one memorable piece of information from the whole event. In my case my expectations were higher given that I had a return trip of some 40 hours travelling time. I found all the presenters so knowledgeable and so passionate about their topics that I would have considered the training a huge success had I only been able to listen to any single one of them! This training was an unmitigated success for the organisers and I could not praise their work enough, from choosing their topics to their choice of presenters, this was indeed a formidable and professional effort that they can rightly be very proud of. I will certainly be looking to attend another of their events.”
Author of Avoid Retirement & Stay Alive Harper Collins & McGraw Hill 2007 and What’s Keeping You Awake at Night Harper Collins 2010
“The training program was the best I have experienced over the years – so much information to process – I’m still working on it.”
Registration Fee
$1,600. See below for available scholarships and discounts.
Payment plans are also available.
Includes comprehensive practical materials.
Scholarships and Discounts
We welcome and want to support greater diversity in the field, and offer scholarships for Black and BIPOC participants to register at a reduced rate of 50% off the rate at time of registration.
A 20% discount is available (from the rate at time of registration, including BIPOC rate) for any mediators and/or attorneys who are Seniors, Students, Current Community Mediation Volunteers, Attorneys in Public Service, or for whom the regular rate would pose a hardship. (Ten 20%-off discounts are available per training.)
Both discounts may be used when applicable.
If requesting a discount or scholarship, please include in the Comments section of the registration form your request for a BIPOC scholarship of 50% and/or a 20% discount as described above.
Questions or need additional assistance?
Contact us at (617) 621-7009 x29, or training@ElderDecisions.com
Prerequisite
Completion of prior basic mediation training is strongly preferred. Registrants who have not completed basic mediation training are required to participate in a 90 minute “Introduction to Mediation Tutorial” with Elder Decisions® (for an additional fee), and will need to take basic mediation training prior to providing mediation services. (Contact us for more information and to schedule this tutorial at a mutually convenient time.)
Cancellations / Transfers
Cancellations must be made in writing. A full refund is available up to 30 days before the start of a program for registrations that have not been previously transferred. Cancellations received between 30 and 21 days before the start of a program will receive a refund less a $100 fee, or registrants may make a one-time transfer to another program within a one year period without incurring a fee. No refunds or transfers will be made if a cancellation is made within 21 days of the start of a program. Registrants who transfer their registration more than one time will be charged a $100 administrative fee for each transfer. Transferred registrations are not eligible for refunds. Elder Decisions® reserves the right to cancel a program for any reason and issue a full refund.
Refresher Program for Alum
Have you participated in this training with us in the past? Welcome back! Refresher rates are available and we’d be delighted to have you join us again. Please inquire for details.
International Participants
For registrants located outside the United States, please contact us to make arrangements regarding shipping materials, which may require additional time and incur shipping charges.
Location
The training will take place via Zoom videoconferencing. Please contact us at (617) 621-7009 x29, or training@ElderDecisions.com, with questions.
“I’m still raving to everyone how valuable I found the training and how I enjoyed all of the presenters.”
“Elder Decisions®’ Advanced Elder Mediation Training…was excellent; actually the best I have ever experienced. It was well organized (and) the subject matter was completely covered. (This was) the most sequentially programmed and clearly presented (training) I have yet attended.”
“Thank you all for the excellent program last week – the presentations were excellent, the materials just the type of thing that I will use in the future as a reference tool. Obviously you have devoted much time, thought, and effort to creating this workshop – your work has paid off for the participants! “
Continuing Education
* This training is approved for 16 hours of Additional Mediation Training by the New York State Unified Court System’s Office of ADR Programs, under Part 146 of the Rules of the Chief Administrative Judge. Please note that: (1) Final placement on any court roster is at the discretion of the local Administrative Judge; (2) Participation in a course does not guarantee placement on a local court roster; (3) Some courts may require additional training and experience beyond Part 146’s requirements; and (4) Acceptance on court rosters may depend on a court’s need for mediators at any given time and may include a particular court’s need for mediators with specific case-type training or experience.
Elements of Participation
By registering you acknowledge that you have read the following elements of participation:
1. Full participation – This is an interactive training, and you will be asked to keep your camera on for the majority of each session. Please register for a time when you’ll be able to be fully present and engaged – for your own benefit and that of the class. Attendance at every scheduled session is required to earn full course credit.
2. Device requirements – The ability to see nine (9) or more participants on a Zoom screen at once will be important for mediation role‑plays; for this reason, please join the training on a desktop computer, laptop, or tablet (mobile phones are less suitable for this program).
3. Recording policy
– To protect the privacy of all participants and to meet our company’s data‑privacy standards, you agree that you will not make audio/video recordings, screenshots, or AI‑generated transcriptions of any portion of the training, nor use using third‑party transcription services, screen‑capture software, or any device that records the session unless expressly authorized.
– Occasionally facilitators or designated staff may record brief segments, but only with the explicit permission of all trainees present. Such recordings are for internal reference (e.g., to support participants who unavoidably need to miss a session) and will not be shared externally without participants’ consent.
4. Questions & discussion – If you have any questions or wish to discuss any of these elements, let us know. We welcome a conversation and look forward to fostering a collaborative learning environment together.
Accommodations
If you require accessibility accommodations, please let us know when you register. Thank you.
Questions/Next Steps
If you are interested in this training or future programs, please call (617) 621-7009 x29, email training@ElderDecisions.com, or register below.
We look forward to connecting with you.
Elder / Adult Family Mediation Training Registration
Please note: If you wish to keep a copy of this form or are mailing in a check, please print this page before your press “submit.”
You may mail your check (payable to Agreement Resources, LLC) to:
Elder Decisions®, a division of Agreement Resources, LLC
30 Walpole Street
Norwood, MA 02062
Please include a copy of the printout with your check. Thank you.
