Mediation in mental health matters can improve both the system of providing mental health interventions and the treatment and recovery of persons with serious mental illness.
Our presenters are pioneers in the field who have helped to establish mediation in mental health matters in Michigan, as well as the implementation of mediation in mental health proceedings.
The presentation will include:
The evolution of mediation in mental health matters
How mediation can lead to more treatment engagement and recovery for persons with serious mental illness
How mediation works in mental health matters How ADR providers can learn about mediation of mental health matters
Presenters:
Hon. Milton L. Mack- Judge Milton Mack, State Court Administrator Emeritus, is a graduate of the Wayne State University School of Law, 1975, and Eastern Michigan University, 1972. Judge Mack served as a probate judge in Wayne County, Michigan, for twenty-five years prior to his appointment as state court administrator in 2015. He serves as chair of the Governor’s Mental Health Diversion Council and previously served on the Governor’s Michigan Mental Health Commission. He authored the 2017 Conference of State Court Administrators policy paper Decriminalization of Mental Illness: Fixing a Broken System. He Co-Chaired the National Initiative Advisory Committee established pursuant to that policy paper and later served on the National Judicial Task Force to Examine State Courts’ Response to Mental Illness. In 2022, Judge Mack received the Judge Stephen S. Goss Lifetime Achievement Award from the Judges and Psychiatrists Leadership Initiative, a program of the Council of State Governments Justice Center.
Novia Nichols, Gonzalez-Nichols & Nichols, PLLC - A partner in the firm with her husband, Kevin Nichols, Novia Gonzalez-Nichols has been involved in many aspects of the law, including criminal defense, family law, and probate law. She is also certified by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to practice as a patent attorney. A graduate with honors from Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Ms. Gonzalez-Nichols is a member of the Criminal Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan.
Mary Wallace - Behavioral Health Mediation Services Manager, Oakland Mediation Center - Mary started at OMC in 2021 as a Mediation Specialist assisting with the General Civil, Small Claims, and Landlord Tenant mediations in six various district courts within Oakland County. In 2022 Mary transitioned into Manger of the Behavioral Health Mediation Services program. She was a volunteer with the organization since 2016 after completing mediation training for General Civil, Domestic Relations, Special Education. Mary holds a BA in Communications and a Master of Social Work.
Moderator:
Zena D. Zumeta- Internationally known as both a mediator and trainer of mediators, Zena D. Zumeta is president of the Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
She received her Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School. Ms. Zumeta is a former board member and president of the Academy of Family Mediators (now merged into the Association for Conflict Resolution), past president of the Michigan Council for Family and Divorce Mediation, and past Regional Vice President of the Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution. She is a member of the Editorial Board of the American Bar Association's Dispute Resolution Magazine.
Ms. Zumeta has extensive experience as a trainer, mediator, facilitator and consultant. She has been providing mediation services since 1981.
She is an approved civil and family mediator in Michigan, and an approved mediation trainer for Michigan and many other states. She has taught at Hamline University School of Law, and is an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University School of Law's Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, and Cooley Law School.
Ms. Zumeta is the recipient of the the Family Mediation Council-Michigan Liftetime Achievement in Mediation Award; the National Education Association/Saturn Corporation Award for Union-Management Collaboration; the John Haynes Distinguished Mediator Award from the Association for Conflict Resolution; and the Kumba Award from the National Conference on Minorities in ADR.