Finding your way around Thursday Topics

• About Thursday Topics
  • Paticipation
  • Scheduled Groups Session Schedule
  • Customer Groups and One-to-one
  • Fee Schedule
  • Booking
• Your professional outcomes
• CPD
• Postponement and non Attendance
• More information

Thursday Topics is one of the Professional Practitioner PD programs I offer. It is your opportunity to attend to your practice of mediation, one stage at a time. If you are seeking to explore specific aspects of your practice in greater depth, you may find Coaching for Mediator Practice or Coaching for FDR Practice more suitable.

The About page has more about the HDR approach to Professional Development in general.

About Thursday Topics

Thursday Topics group sessions are for groups of 4 to 6 new Practitioners. One-to-one sessions offering the same content as the group sessions are available by arrangement.

Each week the 2 hour Thursday Topics session focuses on one of the following stages

• 1. Mediator’s opening comments
• 2. Participants’ opening comments
• 3. Mediator’s restatement
• 4. Agenda setting
• 5. Issue clarification and exploration
• 6. Option development
• 7. Decision-making
• 8. Agreement writing

Session components include, among others

M​ain Purpose		identifying the core purpose of the stage of the model rationale for the stage framework for the stage
Links to previous and subsequent stages		entering to the stage exiting from the stage
Generic skills		developing 3 examples of questions specific to accomplishing the core purpose of the stage developing 3 skills  specific to accomplishing the core purpose of the stage Issues that can arise
Issues		tips for tricky moments

Participation

You can select from

• Online groups: national
• Online one-to-one: national by arrangement
• Face-to-face groups and one-to-one: Perth by arrangement

Join an online Scheduled Group if that suits you or form your Custom Group of 6 to negotiate scheduling including start times and day-of-the-week for sessions. One-to-one sessions offering the same content as the group sessions are available by arrangement.

Scheduled Groups Session Schedule

Schedule​ Update 20 February 2019

2019 Trimester 2 Scheduled Group Pending minimum numbers		2019 Trimester 3 Scheduled Group Pending minimum numbers
Online 6:30-8:30pm AEST/4:30-6:30pm AWST		Online 6:30-8:30pm AEST/4:30-6:30pm AWST             7:30-9:30pm AEDT/4:30-6:30pm AWST

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Mediator’s opening comments Participants’ opening comments Mediator’s summary Agenda setting Issue clarification & exploration Option development Decision-making Agreement writing Optional - First Separate Session (1SS)

2 May 9 May 16 May 23 May 30 May 6 Jun 13 Jun 20 Jun TBA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Mediator’s opening comments Participants’ opening comments Mediator’s summary Agenda setting Issue clarification & exploration Option development Decision-making Agreement writing Optional - First Separate Session (1SS)

TBA

Custom Groups and One-to-One

Custom Groups of 6 and One-to-One sessions are conducted online. In person sessions may be conducted in Perth by arrangement. Scheduling is as negotiated.

Fee Schedule

Payment is in advance by EFT in accordance with the following.

Scheduled Group Fee (including GST) per person

Payment in Advance in 1 instalment (8 session block) 2 instalments (4 session blocks) 4 instalments (2 session blocks)

per Instalment $800 $420 $220

Total $800 $840 $880

Custom Group Fee and One-to-One Fee by negotiation.

Booking

Make your bookings with the HDR Practice Manager at admin@hdr.net.au

Each Group has a maximum of 6 participants. Bookings are allocated in the order in which they are received. You may choose to be waitlisted for any fully booked Group.

Form a Custom Group of 6 and negotiate scheduling.

Payment details will be advised to you after you book with admin@hdr.net.au.

Confirmation of your place in a session requires payment of the instalment at least 1 week in advance of the first session of the block.

Places not confirmed will be offered to those on the waitlist for the Group.

Please refer to the Postponement and non-Attendance Section below for information about these matters.

Your Professional outcomes

Generally speaking, your professional outcomes will include fresh perspectives on professional challenges and a sense of renewal in your practice. Your specific outcomes are likely to include some of those below as well as outcomes particular to your goals. That is, you can expect a unique blend of outcomes.

Per​sonal outcomes: puts ‘the professional into the practitioner’

• increased professional confidence
• increased professional satisfaction
• experience of giving and receiving feedback

Knowledge outcomes: puts ‘the meaning into the model’

• clarity regarding core purposes of each of the stages
• review of theories and principles
• extension of knowledgebase

Practical outcomes: puts ‘the practice into the process’

• continuity from stage to stage
• clarity regarding the role of the mediator
• explanation of purpose from participants’ perspective
• accomplishment of the purpose through principled process
• identification of approaches and  interventions
• a bank of stage-specific questions to ask participants
• clear criteria for participants’ readiness for the following stage
• ideas to address tricky issues

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

National Mediator Accreditation System (NMAS)

To maintain national accreditation, NMAS requires that a mediator must undertake CPD of at least 25 hours each two year period that contributes to the knowledge, skills and ethical principles contained in the Approval Standards (refer Part II para 3.5 of the NMAS document)

The hours spent in Thursday Topics contribute to meeting this requirement and have been described as Participating in education or Reflecting on practice.

Family​ Dispute Resolution Practitioner (FDRP) Professional Development

Under the FDRP Regulations, accredited FDR practitioners must undertake at least 24 hours of education, training or professional development in FDR in every two year period from the date of accreditation. (refer Section 2 of Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner Obligations – Accreditation).

The hours spent in Thursday Topics contribute to meeting this Obligation and would usually be claimed as training, conferences or seminars relevant to the provision of FDR.

Legal Practice Board of WA Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

CPD points for attendance at Thursday Topics can be claimed by submitting an Application for Approval of a Single CPD Activity by a Participant.

Postponement and non Attendance

If you are unable to attend a session for which you have a confirmed booking, ie for which payment has been made, the following arrangements apply

Postponement 5 or more working days in advance		A credit of 100% of the fee for the session toward future sessions
Postponement at least 4 working days in advance		A credit of 50% of the fee for the session toward future sessions
Postponement at least 2 working days in advance		A credit 25% of the charge for the session towards future sessions
Postponement less than 2 working days in advance or non-attendance without prior advice		No credit
Postponement by HDR		If unable to reschedule to a mutually convenient alternative day and time a full credit or refund, as appropriate, will be made

More information

This page provides an overview of Thursday Topics. . If you are seeking to explore specific aspects of your practice in greater depth, you may find Coaching for Mediator Practice or Coaching for FDR Practice more suitable.

Experienced Practitioners may like to consider Monday Modules.

You can read recent Testimonials here.

Online

Online sessions are conducted using Zoom, a well-established and reliable web-based video conferencing service. It is straightforward to use and free.

A Guide on what to expect and pointers to getting started is provided.

Margaret

The About Margaret page has more about my relevant experience, qualifications and accreditations. The About page has more about the HDR approach to Professional Development in general.

I tweet @HalsmithDisRes where you will find my thoughts on what characterises the essence of mediation and on threshold issues of the scope of mediation. My blog is Mediation Musings. It’s where I organise my thoughts on the many fascinating aspects of mediation.

I welcome your email or phone call to clarify any aspect of Thursday Topics.