Renewal Criteria
| Credential Designation | Credentialed Distinguished Mediator | Credentialed Advanced Mediator | Credentialed Mediator | Candidate for Credentialed Mediator |
| Renewal Fee | $150.00 | $125.00 | $100.00 | $50.00 |
| Annual Experience | Conduct a minimum of 25 mediations or mediate for a minimum of 150 hours each year. | Conduct a minimum of 10 mediations or mediate for a minimum of 60 hours each year. | Conduct a minimum of three (3) mediations or mediate for a minimum of 15 hours each year. | N/A |
| Continuing Education | Complete 15 hours of continuing education each year of which at least 10 must relate to the practice of mediation. Of the 10 hours that must relate to the practice of mediation, at least three (3) must consist of mediation ethics, up to four (4) may be mediation-related self-study, and up to five (5) may be as an instructor of mediation training. The remaining five (5) hours may consist of substantive courses which include education in a subject matter area involved in the cases mediated and such substantive coursework may include up to four (4) hours of self-study. However, TOTAL "Substantive Course" and "Substantive Self-Study" hours cannot exceed five (5) and TOTAL self-study hours (both "Mediation Self-Study" and "Substantive Self-Study" hours) cannot exceed four (4). | Complete 15 hours of continuing education each year of which at least 10 must relate to the practice of mediation. Of the 10 hours that must relate to the practice of mediation, at least three (3) must consist of mediation ethics, up to four (4) may be mediation-related self-study, and up to five (5) may be as an instructor of mediation training. The remaining five (5) hours may consist of substantive courses which include education in a subject matter area involved in the cases mediated and such substantive coursework may include up to four (4) hours of self-study. However, TOTAL "Substantive Course" and "Substantive Self-Study" hours cannot exceed five (5) and TOTAL self-study hours (both "Mediation Self-Study" and "Substantive Self-Study" hours) cannot exceed four (4). | Complete 15 hours of continuing education each year of which at least 10 must relate to the practice of mediation. Of the 10 hours that must relate to the practice of mediation, at least three (3) must consist of mediation ethics, up to four (4) may be mediation-related self-study, and up to five (5) may be as an instructor of mediation training. The remaining five (5) hours may consist of substantive courses which include education in a subject matter area involved in the cases mediated and such substantive coursework may include up to four (4) hours of self-study. However, TOTAL "Substantive Course" and "Substantive Self-Study" hours cannot exceed five (5) and TOTAL self-study hours (both "Mediation Self-Study" and "Substantive Self-Study" hours) cannot exceed four (4). | Complete 15 hours of continuing education each year of which at least 10 must relate to the practice of mediation. Of the 10 hours that must relate to the practice of mediation, at least three (3) must consist of mediation ethics, up to four (4) may be mediation-related self-study, and up to five (5) may be as an instructor of mediation training. The remaining five (5) hours may consist of substantive courses which include education in a subject matter area involved in the cases mediated and such substantive coursework may include up to four (4) hours of self-study. However, TOTAL "Substantive Course" and "Substantive Self-Study" hours cannot exceed five (5) and TOTAL self-study hours (both "Mediation Self-Study" and "Substantive Self-Study" hours) cannot exceed four (4). |
| Other | Make him/herself available to the courts and/or to the public to conduct five (5) pro bono mediations each year. | Make him/herself available to the courts and/or to the public to conduct two (2) pro bono mediations each year. | N/A | Candidate status may be maintained for a maximum of four (4) years to allow the candidate time to complete the requirements for TMCA Credentialed Mediator. |
Volunteer Mediator
A volunteer mediator is defined as a pro bono mediator who receives NO compensation or consideration of any kind in the form of, but not limited to, fees, salary, trading, barter, gift, exchange of goods or services, benefits, perquisites, tokens, or cash. An applicant that meets this definition and signs the certification as a volunteer mediator is entitled to pay reduced renewal fees of $25.00 for any Credential designation.
Continuing Education Criteria*
For purposes of TMCA continuing education, the definition of mediation is a process during which the mediator communicates with the parties to a conflict either together or separately to identify with each known party the issues in dispute and possible solutions, and to encourage and facilitate communication, reconciliation, settlement, and understanding between the parties.
A minimum of 15 continuing education hours is required annually to renew a TMCA Credential.
At least 10 of the 15 annual continuing education hours required must relate to the practice of mediation, including the study of mediation, negotiation, conflict management techniques or theory, or conflict-related topics from communications, psychology, or other related disciplines. Of such hours, at least three (3) must consist of ethics topics, up to four (4) may be self-study, and up to five (5) may be as an instructor of mediation training. Arbitration does not count as a mediation-related topic.
Up to five (5) of the 15 annual continuing education hours required may consist of substantive courses which include education in a subject matter area involved in the cases mediated. The subject matter education must be provided through an organization recognized by practitioners in the subject matter area for providing such training and that issues certificates of completion of the training.
In a course that includes a mediation component, only the portion of the course relating the topic specifically to mediation is to be counted as continuing education hours or hours as an instructor of mediation training.
As an instructor of mediation training, such training:
- must have an interactive component
- must have student involvement–making presentations, writing papers, etc.
- cannot involve only listening to presentations; the participants must be engaged in the course in some way
One hour of training or continuing education must consist of 60 minutes.
The initial 40-Hour Basic Mediation Training taken to satisfy the training required to become Credentialed cannot also count as continuing education.
Continuing Education:
- Presentations at conferences, professional association meetings, and symposiums, will count to the extent they are related to mediation.
- Conference sessions related to ethics count only if the mediator attends that session.
- Webcasts and web conferences related to mediation count as continuing education.
- Self-study hours may be acquired by reading mediation-related content or observing videos, listening to audio tapes, or researching and writing articles related to the practice of mediation.
- For hours as an instructor of mediation training, the mediator may only count hours he/she is actively making presentations or coaching practice mediations.