Skills:
Theresa A. Jensen, J.D., has been a dispute resolution professional since 1984, with special emphasis on building consensus in complex public disputes and workplace/organizational issues. A founding member of Confluence Northwest, one of the first dispute resolution firms in Oregon, she started her own mediation and consulting practice in 1994. She draws on her background as a teacher, trial attorney and consultant in cross-cultural conflict. MEDIATION & FACILITATION EXPERIENCE Theresa has successfully mediated a broad range of disputes, including health care, employment, land use, education, estate planning, real estate, business, natural resources, environmental, public policy, organizational, child welfare, family and interpersonal issues, including cases that are in litigation. She has mediated sensitive, high-profile cases involving elected and other public officials. MEDIATION STYLE More than a shuttle diplomat, Theresa is particularly skilled in working with parties together in joint sessions, using an interest-based approach. She is comfortable with strong emotions and interpersonal dynamics, and particularly enjoys working with cross-cultural differences and with issues of trust and respect. She prefers to meet with parties separately before joint sessions, and involves the parties in designing a process that meets their particular needs and context. Theresa is a skilled consensus builder and draws on her training and experience designing and facilitating structured dialogues for controversial public disputes. EXPERIENCE IN THE WORKPLACE ARENA Theresa has successfully conducted mediations in the following areas: employment discrimination, supervisor-worker grievances, harassment complaints, business owner-vendor disputes, board of directors-staff disputes, wrongful termination, dysfunctional work teams, conflicts between functional divisions in an organization, cross-cultural issues, labor-management task force. EXPERIENCE IN THE HEALTHCARE ARENA Working in numerous hospital and medical center settings, Theresa has conducted mediations in medical malpractice, resolved disputes between doctors and nurses, among staff in a birthing center, among administrators, staff and clinicians in a drug and alcohol clinic, among diverse physician partners of a clinic, between physician/partners and management staff, and between CEO and medical chief of staff in a teaching hospital. EXPERIENCE IN THE EDUCATIONAL ARENA Theresa has resolved numerous complaints and litigated matters between faculty and administration in public universities throughout Oregon, including wrongful termination, employment discrimination, contract disputes and interpersonal issues. She has also worked with teaching staff, classified staff and administrators in public elementary/middle/high schools resolving a variety of issues, has mediated complex special education disputes, and has resolved issues between Native American communities and school districts. EXPERIENCE IN PUBLIC ARENA ISSUES Theresa conducts neutral assessments of complex situations, designs conflict resolution and collaborative decision-making processes, and provides neutral convening, facilitation and mediation in complex, collaborative problem-solving processes involving federal, state, and local agencies and other stakeholders. Theresa has experience with the following issues: watershed management, forestry, natural resources, hazardous waste, energy issues, transportation, urban growth/development, noise abatement, land use, agriculture, parks & recreation, education, social services, health care, community and cross-cultural issues. CONSULTING EXPERIENCE In the public policy arena, Theresa provides confidential consultations for parties who are considering a collaborative consensus process, and prepares parties to work together collaboratively. In the workplace arena, Theresa provides organizational development consulting with an emphasis on conflict management. She works with organizations to improve group process, interpersonal communications and team relationships, to help address conflicts at an organizational level and to design systems for conflict management and dispute resolution. She has worked with business partners, teams, management teams, family-run businesses and different divisions within an organization. She has also facilitated collaborative bargaining in the public sector. She especially enjoys working with parties who desire to enhance or restore on-going relationships, including couples, business partners, team members, management teams, family-run businesses and diverse communities. TRAINING EXPERIENCE Theresa has designed and delivered skills trainings in mediation and facilitation skills, consensus decision making, non-violent communication, conflict management and interest-based negotiation for a variety of clients, including numerous state and federal agencies, Willamette University Center for Dispute Resolution, Martin Institute for Peace Studies & Conflict Resolution at the University of Idaho, Southern Oregon University, Portland State University, the State Justice Institute, the U.S. Postal Service in sites across the country, and private companies. She is well known for her highly interactive and participatory training designs, her thoughtful and clear presentations and on-the-spot demonstrations of mediation and conflict resolution skills, as well as her ability to create high levels of safety for participants.