Action Research on Family Mediation
Action Research on Family Mediation
Relationships Australia NT invited Community Works to work with the organisation in a one-year action research project to address the question ‘what would it take to improve services for remote communities?’ The project was completed in April.
Relationships Australia is a community-based, not-for-profit organisation that helps people strengthen and build relationships or resolve issues arising from relationship breakdown. Separating Aboriginal couples face challenges that are distinct from those of non-Aboriginal people. These include cultural factors, different perspectives on the settlement of a dispute and expectations of the process itself.
Relationships Australia NT saw the need to examine its practice against contemporary mainstream models of mediation practice. It sought to identify key elements of mediation practice, understand how they apply and then commit the experience gained to a formal model. The resulting model of practice for mediation with Aboriginal families is represented in this publication.