United States Arbitration & Mediation (USA&M) provides a range of alternative dispute resolution services, one of which is facilitation. Facilitation is a generic term which is commonly used to describe a form of dispute intervention or conflict management which is less formal than a mediation. Facilitation also refers to the process of helping a group engage in productive discussions by lessening the opportunity for rancor or disruptive comments which can undermine meetings.

USA&M facilitators are generally attorney-mediators who are able to work with groups of all sizes to provide direction and leadership to the problem-solving dialogue which is generally at the heart of the meeting process. Facilitation is generally more appropriate than mediation in situations which have not yet erupted into formalized disputes but which threaten to do so without proper guidance. Some examples of group meetings which have benefited from USA&M facilitation efforts include land use-related citizen advisory meetings, neighborhood development groups, and school related functions. Contact USA&M for additional information.