43-2938. Mediator; qualifications; training; approved specialized mediator; requirements.

(1) A mediator under the Parenting Act may be a court conciliation program counselor, a court conciliation program mediator, an approved mediation center affiliated mediator, a mediator approved by the Office of Dispute Resolution, or an attorney as provided in subsection (4) of this section.

(2) To qualify for inclusion in the roster of mediators maintained by the Office of Dispute Resolution as an approved Parenting Act mediator, a person shall have basic mediation training and family mediation training, approved by the Office of Dispute Resolution, and shall have served as an apprentice to a mediator as defined in section 25-2903. The training shall include, but not be limited to:

(a) Knowledge of the court system and procedures used in contested family matters;

(b) General knowledge of family law, especially regarding custody, parenting time, visitation, and other access, and support, including calculation of child support using the child support guidelines pursuant to section 42-364.16;

(c) Knowledge of other resources in the state to which parties and children can be referred for assistance;

(d) General knowledge of child development, the potential effects of dissolution or parental separation upon children, parents, and extended families, and the psychology of families;

(e) Knowledge of child abuse or neglect and domestic intimate partner abuse and their potential impact upon the safety of family members, including knowledge of provisions for safety, transition plans, domestic intimate partner abuse screening protocols, and mediation safety measures; and

(f) Knowledge in regard to the potential effects of domestic violence on a child; the nature and extent of domestic intimate partner abuse; the social and family dynamics of domestic intimate partner abuse; techniques for identifying and assisting families affected by domestic intimate partner abuse; interviewing, documentation of, and appropriate recommendations for families affected by domestic intimate partner abuse; and availability of community and legal domestic violence resources.

(3) To qualify for inclusion in the roster of mediators maintained by the Office of Dispute Resolution as an approved specialized mediator for parents involved in high conflict and situations in which abuse is present, the mediator shall apply to an approved mediation center or court conciliation program for consideration to be listed as an approved specialized mediator. The approved mediation center or court conciliation program shall submit its list of approved specialized mediators for inclusion in the roster to the Office of Dispute Resolution on an annual basis. Minimum requirements to be listed as an approved specialized mediator include:

(a) Affiliation with a court conciliation program or an approved mediation center;

(b) Meeting the minimum standards for a Parenting Act mediator under this section;

(c) Meeting additional relevant standards and qualifications as determined by the State Court Administrator; and

(d) Satisfactorily completing an additional minimum twenty-four-hour specialized alternative dispute resolution domestic mediation training course developed by entities providing domestic abuse services and mediation services for children and families and approved by the State Court Administrator. This course shall include advanced education in regard to the potential effects of domestic violence on the child; the nature and extent of domestic intimate partner abuse; the social and family dynamics of domestic intimate partner abuse; techniques for identifying and assisting families affected by domestic intimate partner abuse; and appropriate and safe mediation strategies to assist parties in developing a parenting plan, provisions for safety, and a transition plan, as necessary and relevant.

(4) In lieu of qualifying as a mediator under subsection (2) or (3) of this section, an attorney licensed to practice law in the State of Nebraska may serve as a parenting plan mediator if the parties agree to use such attorney as a mediator.

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