Some clients may find the intake process frustrating and tedious. However, the intake process is the most important part of any dispute resolution process, and its value should never be underestimated.
Intake serves many purposes, including:
- The chance to tell your Mediator, Collaborative Practitioner or Parenting Coordinator your version of what’s happened in the past, where you’re at now, and what you would like to achieve moving forwards;
- Getting to know your Mediator, Collaborative Practitioner or Parenting Coordinator before the main event;
- Finding out further information about the process, how it works, what to expect and how best to prepare;
- The opportunity to identify issues in dispute and the causes of those issues;
- The chance to learn strategies to manage disputes moving forwards;
- Brainstorming options for resolving the disputes.
However the primary purpose and most crucial part of any intake is a risk and safety assessment for you and your family. Indeed, an intake and risk and safety assessment is compulsory for any Family Dispute Resolution matter and is mandated by legislation. Risk and safety concerns for you and your family are crucial for any dispute resolution process.
At intake, we can explore your concerns and discuss options to protect your safety and well-being moving forwards and provide referrals to support services who can also assist. We can also check in and see how you’re feeling physically and emotionally and how you’re managing generally. Unless we have concerns that there may be a risk of harm to you, another person or any risk to the safety and well-being of anyone or anything, then intake is private and confidential and gives you an opportunity to confide in your practitioner without feeling that you will be judged.
It also gives us a chance to have a chat about any children who may be involved in the dispute or may be affected by the dispute. If you’re feeling stressed and anxious, then your kids may pick up on that and cause them to feel stressed and anxious. If something is not going well in one part of your life, chances are it is having an effect on other parts of your life. Intake gives you the chance to talk about the effect of the dispute on all parts of your life and the lives of others.
Our concern for your safety and well-being does not end at intake. We will check in regularly as we move through any process to ensure that you feel safe, supported and understand the process.
If you have any concerns about any intake appointment, please contact Abridge Mediation and we can talk you through the process and its importance to you.
