CME CREDIT REQUIREMENT
On November 15, 2007 the Florida Supreme Court removed the Bar membership requirement for certified Circuit Court Mediators and amended the Florida Rules for Certified and Court-Appointed Mediators to provide a true point-based mediator certification system. No longer must one be an attorney to become a Certified Circuit Court Mediator. See, http://www.flcourts.org.
Specific courses at the Academy will list eligibility for receipt of Florida CME requirements of ethics, diversity and domestic violence and will state the following information: “This course is eligible for up to ________ CME hours. Mediators are required to self report those hours applicable to their areas of certification at the time of their renewal. For more information on the CME requirement, visit, www.flcourts.org -Alternative Dispute Resolution/Mediation.”
In Florida, certified mediators are required to report 16 hours of continuing mediator education (CME) credits, applicable to each area in which they are certified every two years depending upon their calendar date of admission. For a program to qualify for CME, it must have “a significant intellectual or practical content and shall constitute an organized program of learning directly related to the practice of mediation.” CME hours are based upon a 50-minute hour. Specific requirements are detailed below.
- County: 16 hours which includes:
4 hours of mediator ethics;
2 hours of domestic violence;
1 hour of diversity/cultural awareness
- Circuit: 16 hours which includes:
4 hours of mediator ethics;
2 hours of domestic violence;
1 hour of diversity/cultural awareness
- Family: 16 hours which includes:
4 hours of mediator ethics;
4 hours domestic violence;
1 hour of diversity/cultural awarenessThe Cole Academy assists its participants by maintaining independent records of participation in courses in order to assist mediators in keeping documentation of their CME activities in the event that they are audited at the time of renewal. the Academy will provide a Program Agenda with the time frames and topics explained, a certification of attendance/completion and a copy of the participants' registration information.
Courses at the Academy will include general and specialized mediation skills, mediator ethics and domestic violence. These courses will apply in all areas of certification (e.g., county, family, circuit civil, and dependency). Courses which are specific to one area of mediation (e.g., Mediation Skills for Family Mediators) may only be applicable in that area of mediation (e.g., family). CME requirements are part of the Supreme Court's Administrative Order Governing Mediator Certification, AOSC08-23.
Florida Mediators must complete one-half of their hours via attendance at a live seminar or attendance at an audio/video playback of a lecture with a group where the group discusses the materials presented. For those who wish to take advantage of the courses, but cannot attend live courses, DVDs will be available on the Website.