About

Jill Sarah’s academic training is from the University of Massachusetts/Amherst where she received a Master Degree in Public Health. She studied Into the Heart of Mediation at Harvard Negotiation Insight Initiative, and she has been trained in Non-Violent Communication, Formal Consensus Decision Making, Open Space Technology and Coaching Fundamentals. She is past Tri-Chairperson of the Association for Conflict Resolution Workplace Section.  

Jill Sarah’s article entitled Understanding Conflict in Nonprofit Organizations is published in the Winter 2007 issue of the magazine of the Association for Conflict Resolution.  

Jill traveled to India in 1996 and to East Timor in 2000. 

Skills and Expertise

  • High Conflict Board Facilitation
  • Civil Mediation in Municipal and Superior Court of NJ
  • Workplace mediation in large health sciences University
  • Labor Relations: contract negotiations, NJ Law Against Disabilities, ADA, employee grievances
  • Design, implementation and evaluation of training programs tailored to the adult learner
  • Consensus building and organizational development
  • Community organizing and public education

Training and Certification

  • United States Postal Service, REDRESS 
    Transformative Skills for Mediators, 20 hours, September 2007
  • Columbia University, SIPA, Conflict Resolution Working Group
    Open Space Technology, 2 day course, December, 2006
  • Harvard Negotiation Insight Initiative 
    Into the Heart of Mediation with Kenneth Cloke, JD, PhD, 5 day course, June 2006
  • Hofstra University Mediation Clinic 
    Custody and Visitation. 3 day course, February 2006
  • Non Violent Communications (NVC) Training
    Introduction to NVC, 5 week course, February 2005
  • NJ Administrative Office of the Courts
    Mediation and Conciliation Skills, 3 day course, April 2004
  • Mediation Center of Dutchess County 
    Transformative Mediation, 5 day course, July 2004
  • Elder Mediation Training
    Presented by Elder Decisions/Agreement Resources, Boston MA, May 2008
  • Transformative Mediation – Mediation Center of Dutchess County, July 2004

Professional Affiliations

  • Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation – Certified Transformative Mediator
  • Association for Conflict Resolution, Workplace Section, Leadership Council member
  • Association for Conflict Resolution, Spirituality Section, Leadership Council member
  • New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators, member

Education 

  • 1989 – 1991 University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
    Masters Public Health, Community Health Education 
  • 1980 – 1984 Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY  
    Bachelor of Science Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics
  • 1985 – 1986 Beth Israel Hospital
    Dietetic Internship 
  • 2006 Long Island University, New York, NY
    18-credit certificate in Employee Assistance Program counseling
  • 2007- expected May 2011 Eastern Mennonite University, 
    15 credit Graduate certificate in Organizational Conflict Transformation