The Providence Community Mediation Center

The Providence Community Mediation Center (PCMC) is a non-profit agency that gives people an alternative way to deal with disputes. We are located at 570 Broad Street in Providence, and our phone number is (401) 273-9999.

What is mediation? Mediation is a process that helps you sit down with a neutral person, called a mediator, and the party with whom you have a conflict. You talk about your dispute and agree upon a solution.

What does the mediator do? The mediator listens to both sides of the story, helps you and the other party reach an agreement and ensures the safety and confidentiality of everyone involved. The mediator does not take sides but helps the parties talk about the problem and reach an agreement acceptable to both of you. PCMC uses volunteers from the community who have been trained to help people resolve their problems.

Why use mediation? Mediation is an effective alternative to the aggravation and cost of court. The process is very flexible, and allows people to talk about issues that may not be addressed in court. Because the parties sit down and listen to each other, and work together to solve the problem, people leave the mediation feeling more satisfied than if they had gone to court. When people are happy with the result, they tend to follow through with the terms of their mediation agreements more often than if a judge had decided the case.

What kinds of disputes does mediation resolve? People come to PCMC with all sorts of problems including landlord/tenant conflicts, property damage, family issues, consumer disputes, racial or ethnic conflicts, and problems with neighbors.

How much does mediation cost? We charge a small fee to cover administrative costs, but the fee is waived for people with limited incomes.

Contact the Mediation Center:

If you would like to try and mediate a problem you are having with someone, please contact us. We will talk to you about the problem, and then contact the other party to see if they would like to try mediation.

Phone: (401) 273-9999
Fax: (401) 273-7311
email: pcmc@ids.net

Go back to list of Community Resources.