NH Mediation Program is a community mediation program organized in 1979 to offer a new approach to resolving family and neighborhood disputes.  In 1981, the program incorporated as a private, non-profit organization offering mediation services for parent-child conflicts, divorce, neighbor disputes, and other community issues. NHMP began training volunteers to provide mediation services and continues with that service delivery model to this day.

From the outset, NHMP has worked with the NH court system, schools, police departments and community groups to offer conflict resolution services as a contribution to strengthening healthy local communities by promoting a range of options for participation in justice, non-violence and the peaceful resolution of conflict. In addition to the gains made by individuals who are able to resolve their differences, the community also benefits when conflict resolution services help reduce the frequency or intensity of involvement with other community services such as law enforcement and social service interventions.

In 1989, NHMP added a Victim Offender Dialogue program for non-violent crime to offer those most affected by a crime a safe, structured process to address those aspects of the offense that may not be directly satisfied by the more traditional processes of our justice system.

In January 2005, NH Mediation Program came under the umbrella of the Community Action Program  Belknap-Merrimack Counties, Inc.  CAP provides organizational support and the CAP focus on services to address the causes of poverty is compatible with NHMP’s values and goals:

• to make services available to everyone in the community
• to facilitate understanding and collaborative decision-making among participants
• to promote community awareness of restorative justice and conflict resolution alternatives.

New Hampshire Mediation is funded by fees and grants from Merrimack County and NH DHHS – Division of Children, Youth & Families Incentive Fund.