Center for Dispute Solutions, Inc. (CDSI)

  CORI ERICKSON, M.S.  Cori Erickson is the founder and CEO of the Center for Dispute Solutions, Inc. CDSI is a statewide program in Wyoming dedicated to creatively assisting families in conflict. Cori received her first mediation training in 1999 and has been hooked on collaborative dispute resolution since that time. Her work includes engaging leaders in judicial, civic, mental health, education, and economic development professions to support CDSI’s work as part of collaborative effort to improve quality of life for thousands of Wyoming’s citizens. She has applied her comprehensive background in business, leadership, conflict resolution, grant writing, strategic planning, research, mental health, and law to conceive a long-term strategy to develop programs, curriculum, training, policies, and resources, to implement statewide services for parent education, mediation and training. Her advocacy work extends from grassroots organization to strongly influencing legislation. Her tireless efforts have garnered many honors and awards over the years. She is a member of numerous organizations and boards both in Wyoming and nationally, including past member of the Board of Directors for the AFCC and executive committee member of the Family Section of ACR.

 Professional Resume

www.mediate.com/CErickson/docs/Erickson%20Resume.pdf

 Curriculum Vitea

www.mediate.com/CErickson/docs/Erickson%20CV%202008.pdf 

Article: Casper Star Tribune, 2005

http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/article_f5bc78ef-b556-56c4-a348-826710a64cc4.html

  CAROLA SCHMIDT Carola Schmidt has been the Parent Education Coordinator at CDSI since 2008. In this role she communicates with all of the class attendees and faculty. Her goal is to make the class experience as fulfilling as possible for all involved. In addition to her work at CDSI, she spends a great deal of her free time volunteering for various civic groups in Sheridan.

FACULTY

JOEL BURIAN   Joel Burian is a licensed clinical social worker with over 30 years of experience working with children, youth, adults and families. Joel is currently Clinic Director for Peak Wellness Center in Torrington, WY. He has been facilitating the Dispute Solutions: Education for Families in Transition seminars in Torrington since January of 2007.

BUFFY BURRIS   Buffy Burris has a Master's of Human Services Degree from Liberty University.  She has been an advocate for children for many years as a teacher and CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer and she works as a Custody Evaluator for the court system in Wyoming.  In the past few years she spearheaded the committee to re-establish the CASA program in Park County, Wyoming.  Due to her work and extensive education in the areas of the effects of divorce on children, child abuse and domestic violence, she brings practical and professional knowledge on the dynamics of the divorcing familes to her classes.  She has served on the faculty of the Center for Dispute Solutions for over 5 years.

KATHLEEN FARSTAD, Esq.  Kathleen Farstad received her M.S. from Black Hills State University and her J.D. from the University of Wyoming. She also received her LPC as an Education Specialist in Psychology, Counseling and Guidance from the University of Northern Colorado. She is a psychotherapist for children and families at the Cheyenne Children’s Clinic and has been on the CDSI faculty since 2006.

STEPHANIE FISHER Stephanie Fisher has a B.S. in Professional Child Development and a M.S. in  Mental Health Counseling from Walden University.  She and her husband were therapeutic foster parents for several years. She has taught many parenting classes and worked  in a wide variety of family structures throughout her career.  Her passion is working for children through early childhood education and supporting the family as a unit. 

ADDY M. HUTCHISON Addy Hutchison recently received her M.S. in Experiential Education from Minnesota State University.   She is currently an instructor with the Jackson Hole Therapeutic Riding Assoc. assisting students with physical, emotional, behavioral and cognitive challenges. She has been a resident counselor and facilitated drug and alcohol rehab programs for teens. In 2011 Addy joined the CDSI faculty. 

KATHY GARRISON  Kathy Garrison has worked in the social service field for 30 years, and has been the Executive Director of the Sweetwater Family Resource Center for ten years. She teaches anger management and parenting classes in the community and at the jail, facilitates restorative justice meetings for youth, and operates a supervised visitation program. She holds a BA in psychology from the University of Montana. Kathy was appointed to the Wyoming State DFS Advisory Board, and also serves on the Rock Springs Area Community Foundation. She began facilitating the Dispute Solutions: Education for Families in Transition classes in Rock Springs in 2011.

PATTI HESSLING   Patti Hessling has earned a Masters Degree in Health and Kinesiology, and has been a certified teacher and coach for over 20 years. Patti is also a published songwriter and an Artist Associate for World Vision, which is an international hunger relief and crisis intervention organization that operates in over 100 countries. In all her areas of work, she has a deep concern for people and desires to see children grow into healthy and productive citizens.

  MARGIE McWILLIAMS  Margie McWilliams has worked for the Abuse Refuge Foundation in Gillette, Wyoming since 1991 and is currently serving as its Executive Director. She began facilitating parent education seminars for the Center for Dispute Solutions, inc. in 2011.

PENNY MOHAN   Penny Mohan, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, got her Master’s in Social Work at the University of Chicago and has had jobs ranging from the Chicago school system to the psychiatric unit of a hospital.  She has raised two sons and helped raise two stepdaughters.  An early understanding of the complexities and challenges of parenthood are what led her to social work.  Currently she is in private practice in Jackson, WY, seeing adult individuals and couples, with a specialty in re-marriage and stepfamily dynamics. She has been facilitating for the Center for Dispute Resolution seminars in Jackson for 4 years.

PETER R. NEWELL   Peter R. Newell has been engaged as a partner in the leadership development and consulting firm of Coin, Newell and Associates. He is the past chair of the Wyoming Mediation Association. He has worked directly with multi-level management groups in business, industry, government and non-proprietary organizations internationally. He has had extensive experience designing, implementing and facilitating programs in organization development, management education, communications, problem solving, mediation, conflict management and leadership development at all organization levels.

  NOAMIE NIEMITALO   Noamie Niemitalo received her Master’s Degree in Human Services with an emphasis in Social Work and Community Services from Capella University. For over 20 years she has worked with children and families in some capacity. She has been teaching adults for the past 18 years. She was appointed by the Governor eight years ago to sit on the Governor’s Council for Early Childhood. Just recently he appointed her to sit on the Wyoming State Advisory Board for Early Childhood. She has been a faculty member at the Center for Dispute Solutions, Inc. for 6 years.

       JO NEWKIRK-HORNECKER  Jo Newkirk-Hornecker received her M.A. (emphasis on Community Counseling) from the Univeristy of Wyoming.  She is a nationally certified and state licensed counselor.  During her career she has worked as an elementary school counselor, outpatient unit coordinator for the Wyoming State Hospital and is currently a clinical therapist.  She has served on the CDSI faculty since 2008. 

 

CHERYL WADAS   Cheryl Wadas, Esq., has been a licensed attorney since 1994. Her professional experience includes: • Appointed as Internal Hearing Officer for the Department of Employment • Internal Hearing Officer for the Department of Family Services • Facilitator for Center for Dispute Solutions, Inc. Parent Education Classes • Adjunct Professor/Laramie County College • Counsel for Wyoming Guardianship Corporation to provide community legal services to the elderly and disabled • Referral counsel for mental health facilities to provide guardianship services for mentally and physically challenged individuals • Maintains a private practice Cheyenne, WY & Fort Collins, CO where her emphasis has been on bankruptcy and state district court litigation, domestic relations practice with heavy concentration on contested and uncontested guardianship and conservatorship matters, wills, estate matters, contract law, workers’ compensation, child custody, domestic violence, juvenile, child support, abuse and neglect, adoption, bankruptcy, divorce trial and motion hearings and state court appeal work. • Licensed in Wyoming, New Mexico and Colorado.

DIANA WHITNEY  Diana Whitney has worked as a School Psychologist for the past 15 years. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and was a special education teacher for 5 years.  She is passionate about her job and family and is committed to improving the mental health needs of the students and families in her school and community.  Diana has also taught Parenting with Love & Logic classes for 17 years.  She is currently active on the Star Valley Suicide Prevention Committee.  In her free time Diana raises Scottish Highland Cattle and trains horses with her husband and 2 children.