Screening Before Structure.
Safety Before
Resolution.
A structured, trauma-informed screening tool designed to support safer, more informed mediation decisions and early case triage.
Safe To Mediate™ is a secure professional initiative for mediators, attorneys, mental health professionals, and court-connected systems to evaluate safety considerations prior to mediation.
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Sign up for practitioner dashboard updates, pilot program opportunities, institutional licensing availability, and training announcements.
Our Mission
To improve safety, structure, and consistency in pre-mediation screening and court intake processes helping professionals identify warning signs early enough to reduce preventable harm.
Why Structured Screening Matters
- Undetected coercive control dynamics
- Unequal bargaining power between parties
- Emotional or procedural retraumatization
- Inappropriate mediation referrals in high-risk situations
- Inconsistent intake decisions across professionals and jurisdictions
- Missed indicators of escalating safety or behavioral risk .
- Increased potential for preventable crises, including violence or self-harm outcomes.
Safe To Mediate addresses this gap through structured, consistent, decision-support screening.
What Safe To Mediate Is
A structured, professional decision-support tool that helps identify potential safety, behavioral, and relational risk factors prior to mediation or other dispute resolution processes. It also supports court intake and mental health–informed triage by helping professionals recognize urgency levels, safety concerns, and appropriate referral pathways.
Who Safe To Mediate Is For
- Mediators & Dispute Resolution Professionals
- Attorneys & Legal Professionals
- Judges & Court Intake Professionals
- Mental Health & Clinical Evaluators
- Guardians Ad Litem & Court-Appointed Professionals
- Court-Connected & Institutional Programs
- Organizational & Workplace Conflict Resolution
- Training & Academic Programs
Purpose & Benefits
This platform is designed to help professionals:
- Identify potential safety concerns prior to mediation
- Support structured intake evaluation and triage
- Recognize patterns of coercion, instability, or elevated risk
- Apply a consistent screening framework across cases
- Improve participant safety and procedural appropriateness
- Support ethical decision-making in high-conflict matters
- Document risk-informed decisions with clarity and consistency
Trauma-Informed & Safety-Centered
Safe To Mediate recognizes that risk may not always be immediately visible, coercive control often requires structured identification tools, and emotional safety is essential to procedural fairness.
Structured screening enhances — never replaces — professional expertise and judgment.
Risk Indicator Framework
Results are organized into structured risk categories to support consistent interpretation:
Low Risk
Minimal risk indicators; protective factors evident.
Moderate Risk
Elevated concerns; structured safeguards recommended.
High Risk
Significant risk factors; individualized safety planning and procedural adjustments should be strongly considered.
Override / Do Not Proceed
Immediate safety concerns identified; referral to emergency or crisis resources may be warranted and mediation should not proceed.
Confidentiality & Data Security
Built with strict confidentiality and professional-grade security standards, including:
- Role-based access controls
- Encrypted data transmission and storage
- Restricted professional-user access
- Audit-friendly documentation structures
Where applicable, Safe To Mediate aligns with HIPAA-adjacent security principles for handling sensitive behavioral and health-related information.
Board of Directors
Safe To Mediate is led by a founding board with expertise across behavioral health, family mediation, information security, and higher education leadership.
Elyse Kennedy
MA, BCBA, LBA — Founder & President
- Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator
- Guardian ad Litem
- Parenting Coordinator
- Founder of Serenity Family Solutions
- 13+ years in behavioral health.
John Kennedy
BA — Vice President
- Senior IT Engineer
- Founder of Forge IT Consulting
- 12+ years in Information Security and Technology Infrastructure
Elyse Kennedy
MA, BCBA, LBA — Founder & President
- Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator
- Guardian ad Litem
- Parenting Coordinator
- Founder of Serenity Family Solutions
- 13+ years in behavioral health.
Jacquelyn Otero
MA — Secretary
- Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator
- Dean at Valencia College
- 20+ years in higher education leadership
What's Next?
Safe To Mediate is designed for expansion into a secure mobile application (iOS / Android), court and institutional licensing frameworks, multi-user organizational systems, case management integrations, advanced intake reporting, and training and certification tools.
Get Involved
Get Launch Updates
Sign up for practitioner dashboard updates, pilot program opportunities, institutional licensing availability, and training announcements.
Institutional & Professional Inquiries
Currently onboarding institutional partners and authorized professional users. For licensing, pilot programs, or system integration:
Support Our Work
Safe To Mediate is a pending 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Your gift will be tax-deductible upon approval and supports safer, more structured approaches to mediation, mental health screening, and court intake processes.
Safe To Mediate exists to support safer, more informed decision-making in mediation, mental health, and court intake environments through structured risk awareness and professional judgment.