1
Bring what you already know
Tell CJC and EJF about your training, experience, community role, languages, and the kinds of processes you have facilitated.
Elder Justice Fresno × Community Justice Center
Already trained? Bring your practice to elder and family work.
Fresno already has mediators, restorative practitioners, circle keepers, faith leaders, and community facilitators with real preparation. This pathway is designed to identify that capacity, add an elder-justice bridge, and create a safe route into restorative processes for older adults and families.
Status: Future Phase · pathway development
This pathway is being developed in potential collaboration with the Community Justice Center. It is not yet a referral service, and no practitioner has yet been authorized for Elder Justice Fresno work.
Who we hope to find
Professional skill and community trust can both matter.
Community mediators already trained in mediation
Restorative facilitators and circle keepers
Faith and church leaders with real conflict-resolution preparation
School or community restorative-practice staff
Retired or independent practitioners who want to serve
Culturally rooted community mediators and facilitators
Proposed practitioner path
Respect prior training. Add what elder-family work requires.
2
CJC review
CJC reviews prior preparation and experience. The goal is not to make an experienced practitioner start over.
3
Elder Justice Bridge
Complete the elder-specific preparation needed for this work: abuse dynamics, voluntariness, coercion, capacity concerns, reporting, family/caregiver harm, boundaries, and safety screening.
4
Readiness conversation
Discuss fit, scope, supervision/support, cultural strengths, and what kinds of elder/family processes are appropriate for the practitioner.
5
Project authorization
CJC may authorize the practitioner for a defined Elder Justice Fresno project scope. Authorization is separate from training history.
6
Match to the right process
An authorized practitioner may be invited into a case only after elder-centered safety screening, consent, and process-fit review.
Not every family conflict is a restorative case.
Elder safety, voluntariness, possible coercion, cognitive/capacity concerns, current abuse, power imbalance, reporting duties, and the elder’s own wishes have to be considered before a restorative process is offered.
A community practitioner can still have a meaningful role.
Someone may be appropriate as a mediator, circle facilitator, cultural support, faith/community support person, co-facilitator, or outreach/education partner. The role should match the person’s preparation and the elder’s needs rather than forcing everyone into one practitioner category.