Washington State has some of the strictest credentialing standards in the country. All Seattle FEB Mediators are certified mediators in Washington State. That means they have a minimum of:

• 40 hour Basic Mediation Training;

• Passed a 35 page written exam;

• Interviewed and been accepted into the Practicum;

• Observed six to twelve mediations;

• Passed two oral exams (4 hours each); and

• Co-mediated for a minimum of one year.

This entire process takes approximately two years. In many other states, mediators are "certified" after a 38-40 hour Basic Training class.

In addition, 25% of Seattle FEB mediators are certified by the Washington Mediation Association. In order to earn that certification, the person must have a minimum of 200 hours of mediation experience, plus 60 hours training and education in each category in which they seek certification, i.e., Labor and Employee Relations, EEO, Family, Community, Business, etc. We are very proud of this achievement. Having ANY WMA certified mediators on a roster is rare because the credential is so hard to earn.