One of the key benefits for Family Section members with extensive experience is the opportunity to be distinguished as an Advanced Practitioner (AP). Members with this designation enjoy added benefits, including a listing in the ACR Mediator Directory.

To apply for AP status, please download an application here.

For questions about an application that you already submitted, please contact the Co-Chairs of the Membership Committee: Rick Shields rshields@acrfamilysection.org; Marilyn McKnight marilyn@ericksonmediation.com.

Advanced Practitioners shall be required to complete 20 hours of continuing education every two years as follows:

• Of the 20 hours continuing education required every two years, a minimum of 10 of these hours must be in attaining mediation, negotiation and/or other related conflict resolution skills. It is not necessary that the training be “family” related.
• The remaining 10 hours can be anything related to any of the areas covered in the basic family mediation training (family law, family dynamics, child development, assets, liabilities, taxes, and the like.)
• Case consultation of the AP’s own cases with another AP can also count toward the additional 10 hours.
• Trainers may include their own advanced trainings as part of any of the 20 hours but only hours they spend actually training (not those in preparation) and they can only count each advanced training one time (if they conduct the training multiple times.)

ACR-Family Section will accept an affidavit which states that the applicant’s name, the number of hours, the dates, the topics and the trainers.

All affidavits are due in March. Please submit your affidavits directly to Co-Chairs of the Membership Committee: Rick Shields rshields@acrfamilysection.org; Marilyn McKnight marilyn@ericksonmediation.com. New APs shall not be required to submit an affidavit if they have been APs for less than two years.