The Conflict Resolution Center is located at 4504 Starkey Road, Suite 120.

The Conflict Resolution Center on Starkey Road is a non-profit agency that strives to provide a cooperative and less formal way of resolving conflict, as opposed to court processes. The CRC focuses on training programs like mediation, facilitation, parents education, and restorative justice conferencing.

Cherie Hall, executive director for the CRC, said that the center will celebrate its 20-year anniversary in 2010. Hall has been with the center since July 2008.

When they moved from their old downtown location to the new location in November 2008, they were able to custom build and have more space.

"The new customizable space allowed us to create one large mediation room that can also be divided into smaller spaces."

Their mission is to provide the community with innovative, affordable and cooperative ways to resolve differences and transform relationships. In order to do this the CRC increases awareness and use of alternative dispute resolution, provides education and training on alternative dispute resolution and communication skills to individuals, families, organizations, governments and businesses, ensure the availability of qualified mediators and other resources for the resolution of conflicts, aid individuals, families, neighborhoods and communities with the prevention of conflicts, promote an atmosphere of tolerance, cooperation and acceptance, and transform conflicts into opportunities for understanding and growth.

"Obviously there will be situations where the court proceeding is required but in most disputes mediation could be the first step," Hall said. "Mediation allows two parties to come together and form an agreement that works for them."

Hall says that it is a less expensive and more peaceful way to resolve conflict.

CRC offers family mediation, custody mediation, and parenting classes which teach divorced and separated parents to communicate in a way that is less damaging to the children. They also offer work place mediation for businesses, for example say two banks merge but had different ways of running things.

"It gives us the opportunity to teach people with different backgrounds to communicate, to let the best idea win and be open to new ideas. We do a lot of business training."

Hall says that CRC has staff that can do needs assessments and create a plan for staffing changes and such.

CRC also offers Restorative Justice to bring victims and offenders together to discuss the crime committed. This allows the offender to see how it affected the victim and allows the victim to release emotion, hear an apology, and receive restitution. Restorative Justice can often be court ordered and be very helpful especially in cases with first time offenders.

"It can be a really powerful experience for those involved," Hall said.

The CRC has 26 active volunteers all certified by the Supreme Court of Virginia. They also go through training and observation and serve as co-mediators and are mentored. The CRC also has four paid staff and 18 board members and three student interns.

"Mediation is really an exciting thing and when disputing parties leave here with an agreement in hand, they've worked together for that agreement and see they can work together. That's a powerful thing."

The CRC keeps everything very confidential. The only thing kept on record is the agreement. Any notes that are taken are shredded and cases are not discussed.

"It doesn't have to be a legal matter, it just has to be a disagreement. Ninety-five percent of people who mediate with us leave with an agreement and these people were at polar opposites when they came to us. In today's world if you can reduce stress and cost, why wouldn't you?"

The center is currently on track to give away $80,000 in services this year.

"We really do believe in what we do and work hard to offer our services regardless of an individual's ability to pay."