Challenges of Being an Advocate and Mediator
Elizabeth Tirado
BSHS/442
April 8, 2013
Linda Latson, MBA/HCM, MPA

Challenges of Being an Advocate and Mediator
Advocacy and mediation tend to go hand-in-hand in the human service field; but what happens when advocacy and mediation challenge one another? There are specific methods that a person can use which can relieve the stress of the ethical, moral, and legal challenges of the dual relationship between advocacy and mediation.

By definition, a mediator is a third party who works with opposing sides to bring about an agreement (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2004). The goal of the mediator is to resolve misunderstandings between two or more parties. The mediator helps the parties involved resolve conflict, but the mediator is not the decision maker. The conflict ultimately will be resolved by the parties that are feuding.

A mediator must remain neutral when in the process of mediation. Remaining neutral for a mediator can present a challenge because of his or her personal beliefs and values that do not relate with either of the feuding parties argument. When a mediator remains neutral, the mediation process is preserved. For a mediator to face the legal, moral, and ethical issues on a regular basis, the mediator must maintain a neutral ground to prevent problems from rising up in the future.

The incorporation of mediators and advocates into any human service agency should be mandatory because most clients do not know or have the knowledge of their civil rights, and their privileges, and it is the responsibility of the professionals to let their clients know of their rights. Mediators are an important part of any human service agency, especially for minority groups who because of their lack of knowledge of human rights live a less than substantial life.
As an individual who hopes to provide mediation