Launching on Monday, Jan. 6, the Office of Mediation, Coaching, Ombuds and Support Services (OMCOSS) will provide education, resources and services to the Brigham Health workforce in support of building and sustaining trusting, respectful relationships. All services are voluntary for faculty, staff and trainees — each person is free to participate or decline without any consequence.

This is the first in a four-part Brigham Bulletin series exploring the services that OMCOSS will provide. This week’s edition highlights mediation.

What is mediation?

Mediation is an informal, confidential and voluntary process in which participants are supported by impartial professionals to move toward collaboration and connection. OMCOSS mediators offer a welcoming environment for participants to explore and potentially transform conflict and/or difficulties that may be causing uncertainty, stress or disruption. Participants are given the opportunity to build agreements that work for them, as those voluntary agreements come from their collective experience during mediation.

Mediation is not blaming, shaming, infantilizing or imposing solutions. Instead, mediators work with participants to explore the underlying concerns, interests and needs that are contributing to conflict and stress. Mediation may lay the groundwork for people to build or rebuild their relationships.

Participation in the mediation process is not connected to an employee’s human resource file or employment record.

When is mediation helpful?

Mediation can help participants who are experiencing conflict achieve a deeper understanding of each other and find positive ways to move forward. For example, mediation can assist when a relationship with a co-worker has become strained or when colleagues who had a prior disagreement find their relationship has been tense ever since.

Learn more about OMCOSS on PikeNotes. Access OMCOSS services by calling 617-525-9797 or email bwhomcoss@partners.org. 

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