Training & Continuing Education
Upcoming Lunch & Learn
Our Lunch and Learn series is a free educational programming, designed to help mediators and legal professionals maintain their continuing education credits while strengthening their mediation skills. Held six times a year (every other month) on Tuesdays at noon, these sessions provide high-quality courses and information to support both professional development and the delivery of exceptional mediation services.
Tuesday, June 30, 2026 | 12:00-1:00pm CST
Beyond the Conflict: A Trauma-Informed Approach for Rule 31 Mediators
Conflict often brings unresolved trauma into the mediation room. This course helps mediators recognize trauma’s influence on behavior, communication, and negotiation, while maintaining neutrality and professionalism. Participants will learn how trauma-informed care enhances ethical mediation practice, reduces re-traumatization, and supports parties in making informed, voluntary decisions. Participants will explore the multidimensional nature of trauma—including acute, chronic, complex, historical, and secondary trauma—and examine how trauma affects cognition, memory, communication, and conflict behavior. The session blends scholarship, practical tools, and reflective learning to elevate mediator competence and confidence.
Participants will be able to:
- Describe how trauma affects the brain, body, and interpersonal dynamics, drawing on current research.
- Recognize trauma-related behaviors and differentiate them from resistance, avoidance, or non-compliance.
- Integrate trauma-informed principles into mediation structure, communication, and pacing.
- Evaluate mediation scenarios for potential trauma triggers and ethical considerations.
- Implement strategies that support emotional regulation and maintain a safe, balanced process for all parties.
- Explain how trauma-informed practice strengthens Rule 31 ethical obligations, particularly self-determination and quality of the process.
This course provides one (1) hour of general mediation issues, general continuing education,
or mediation ethics CME credit, and one (1) hour of general CLE credits.
About Simone Cawl, MSW
Simone Cawl, MSW, is a Nashville-native social work professional, community advocate, and Tennessee Listed Rule 31 Civil Mediator with over eight years of dedicated service across public and private sectors. Rooted in a genuine love for her city and a lifelong passion for mental wellbeing and human dignity, Simone has built a career at the intersection of advocacy, policy, and direct service, championing equitable outcomes for individuals and families at every stage of her work.
Simone began her professional journey in independent living housing, spending four and a half years as Lead Independent Living Specialist at Monroe Harding, where she provided housing and wrap-around services to young adults in Extension of Foster Care. Her hands-on case management experience—developing individualized service plans and connecting clients to education, healthcare, and housing resources—laid a strong foundation for the systems-level work that would follow.
In October 2022, Simone joined Metro Nashville Oversight as Senior Social Worker, and within a year was promoted to Program Supervisor for the Nashville Community Review Board—a role in which she led complaint resolution processes, conducted community needs assessments, and collaborated with local agencies to advance accountability and strengthen public trust. She subsequently transitioned into her current role as a Triage Consultant, where she serves military service members and their families with the same commitment to compassion and individualized care.
A proud alumna of Nashville State Community College, Simone earned her Associate of Social Work in 2016 before going on to complete both her Bachelor of Social Work (2018) and Master of Social Work (2019) at Middle Tennessee State University, where she also earned a minor in Organizational Communication. She has training in Trauma-Informed Care and has experience in program development and community engagement. In 2023, she became a Tennessee Rule 31 Listed Civil Mediator, further expanding her capacity to resolve conflict and foster equitable dialogue. She also serves as an Adjunct Professor at Nashville State Community College, teaching Introduction to Social Work and mentoring the next generation of professionals in the field.
Simone's dedication extends well beyond her professional roles. Whether working one-on-one with a client navigating a crisis or building bridges between agencies and institutions, Simone brings integrity, cultural competency, and deep community knowledge to everything she does.
Mediation Training
Mediation training is a seminar focused on the theory and practice of conflict resolution skills necessary for an individual to apply to become listed as a TN Rule 31 mediator. Trainings are either a 40 hour general civil mediation course or 46 hour family mediation course. The Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) ensures that mediation trainings comply with Rule 31 requirements, approves listing applications, and oversees court-related mediation under Rule 31. NCRC requires that volunteers be Rule 31 trained.
AOC guidelines and resources for Rule 31 Training
Complete text of Rule 31
