Andrea Christiansen | Mediation Apprentice

Bio. Since graduating with her Master’s Degree in Molecular and Cell Biology, Andrea Christiansen has been active in various roles, including as a toxicology risk assessment, health, and safety communication specialist, in organizational planning and leadership, and taking initiatives in fostering unity and dialogue. 

Andrea deeply appreciates that mediation skills are transferable through modeling and coaching. Participants often bring skills back to their homes, work, schools, and gathering places, and may be better positioned to “mediate” or negotiate for themselves cooperatively in day-to-day life. Mediation is a skill with great capacity to propagate.

“When people are given time and a safe place to express their interests and to understand each other’s values, amazing ideas emerge. In the end, people may walk away feeling more valued for their own interests and more invested in the values and interests of others

Beyond the apprenticeship, Andrea anticipates pursuing mediation to serve people seeking non-monetary relief for conflicts and as a tool for those who prefer to seek a constructive path to settle disputes without a trial. She plans to use her skills to support dispute resolution centers through organizational support, ongoing mediation service, and to engage and promote alternatives to litigation.

Alex Thomas | Mediation Apprentice

Bio. As a swing manager at fast-food restaurant and automotive mechanic, Alex always found interactions with customers and guests to be the most motivating experiences for him. When conflict arose, Alex found that supporting others and deescalating situations energized him.  Once Alex completed his basic mediation training, he worked with Clackamas County Resolution Services on small claims cases, gained experience in community mediations, and served in eviction prevention mediations. 

Alex takes a particular interest in debriefing cases with mediators following mediation sessions. Alex believes these are valuable spaces to discuss strategies, ethical boundaries, communication methods, and deescalating techniques. Alex hopes to incorporate larger amounts of time and structure for debriefs, especially when new and learning mediators are involved and can benefit from a longer discussion on what went right, what can be improved, and what can be changed. 

“It’s not work.  It’s just engaging. I love facilitating trainings, debriefing cases, and supporting others in improving our craft.  The apprenticeship is giving me direct service experience and is helping me take advantage of more training workshops.”

Alex is hoping to continue his work in coordinating small claims mediation after the completion of his apprenticeship, and to keep honing his training and facilitation skills. Beyond small claims, Alex intends to keep mediating eviction prevention cases, where he goes in-person to the courthouse to meet with community members on the day of court. 

Tandy Tillinghast | Mediation and Restorative Justice Apprentice

Bio. Tandy Tillinghast is a graduate student completing a Master of Science in Justice Studies in June 2024, conducting research for survivors of racism, loneliness and physical health. Previously, Tandy has largely worked as a professor or teacher of writing and language arts for adult learners and she has worked in non-profits in outreach, administration and development. 

Tandy’s work as co-chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Professional Learning Committee in her Western Oregon University department, she dug deeper into social justice processes and to uncover processes to repair harm and support marginalized members of our community.   

“The training in community mediation, small court claims mediation, and restorative justice informs my practices and interactions with others. Each day of my apprenticeship, I seek to share the power of resolution to restore connections."

After the Resolution Apprenticeship, Tandy hopes to continue practicing restorative justice and mediation, and she wants to use the skills she has learned to enhance inclusion and accessibility in her future instructional design, writing and research. 

Carolyn Smale | Mediation Apprentice

Post-Apprenticeship Update: Carolyn is thankful for the connection to Six Rivers and ability to practice mediation while operating her own business. Carolyn continues to mediate cases for Six Rivers and is also seeking out other opportunities to mediate cases, including as a court connected family mediator.

Bio. Carolyn Smale is an attorney with over 20 years of private practice experience in Hood River, Oregon. Her practice has focused mostly on consumer bankruptcy, but as bankruptcies declined dramatically during the pandemic, she began looking for a way to supplement her existing work. Because bankruptcy work tends to be a more collaborative process, Carolyn identified mediation as an obvious complement to her practice and skill set. On the advice of a friend, she applied to be a Mediation Apprentice with Six Rivers Dispute Resolution Center through the Resolution Apprenticeship Program.

Carolyn immediately noted the value of being immersed in and having the support of a community of mediation professionals within an established organization. She appreciated that ongoing training is an integrated component of the job, not something to make time for outside regular working hours. In addition to broader concepts and approaches to mediation, she has learned about mediation program workflow and the nuts and bolts of effective non-profit administration, including internal communications, shared governance, organizational structure, and transparency.

“It has been really valuable to observe mediations and participate in co-mediation opportunities. I’ve received essential feedback from experienced mediators in a safe, supportive environment that encourages collaboration, reflection, and professional growth. Through the Resolution Apprenticeship Program, I’ve gained hands-on experience and developed skills and relationships that would have taken me many years to develop on my own.”

Upon completing her apprenticeship, Carolyn plans to offer mediation services through her private practice, join the roster of court-approved mediators, become a mediator for the USDA Mediation Program, and continue to volunteer with Six Rivers.

Andy Oliver | Restorative Justice Apprentice

Post-Apprenticeship Update: Andy is thrilled to begin mediation cases in his community after a period of relationship building and outreach. Andy also continues to have conversations in his community, some curious and some hopeful, regarding the value of restorative justice. 

Bio. Andy grew up in the South in a culture that espoused forgiveness, mercy, and redemption but sometimes seemed at odds with those values. After joining the U.S. Army, he attended seminary and became a prison chaplain to put his values into practice and work towards systemic change.

As prison chaplain at the state’s execution center, he learned firsthand the brutality of the law and the lack of infrastructure, policies, or practices for victim-offender redress and repair. At the same time, he began reading Howard Zehr’s “Changing Lenses: A New Focus for Crime and Justice,” which opened his eyes to the possibilities of restorative justice models. Over the years, he became increasingly disillusioned with the system, so he decided to change careers but continue working toward victim-offender healing using restorative justice frameworks. He began working part-time for an organization providing crime victim services in Vancouver, WA and, on the advice of a volunteer mediator and supervisor, applied to become an apprentice through the Resolution Apprenticeship Program.

As a Restorative Justice Apprentice at Six Rivers Dispute Resolution Center, Andy has worked alongside organizational leaders to develop a new restorative justice program with the support of the NYU Center on Violence and Recovery, who provided intensive technical training based on their evidence-based, nationally recognized Circle of Peace Model. As a member of the design team, Andy met with various experts for guidance; helped develop program policies, processes, MOUs, and resources, like survivor support groups; and developed strong partnerships with area tribes and victim advocates, among many other community stakeholders. He also participated in creating and conducting a robust community readiness assessment to help prepare the organization and community for effective program implementation—the next, exciting step in the process.

“I heartily advocate this experience to anyone interested in restorative justice work. Through this program, I’ve gained tremendous insight into building a restorative justice program, and I’m incredibly impressed with the work Six Rivers is doing to connect with the community and provide the support that’s needed.”

After completing his apprenticeship, Andy plans to continue and expand his restorative justice work in Vancouver, WA and is working on developing an arrest diversion program in collaboration with area police departments.