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SOLD OUT | Virtual 2-Part Course: The Nuts & Bolts of Setting Up an Ombuds Office [Part 1 & Part 2]
Thursday, November 11, 2021, 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM PDT
Category: Core Courses

New Virtual Two-Part Course

The Nuts & Bolts of Setting Up an Ombuds Office


Registration Details

Pricing: $500 members | $700 non-members

Course Limit: 30 participants

Please Note:
This course is now full. Please keep an eye out for the on-demand version later this year.

Course Policies


About the Event

Part One 9 November
9:00 AM – 12:30 PM PT

Part Two 11 November
9:00 AM – 12:30 PM PT

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Course Description

This course will introduce new ombuds to the fundamentals of setting up a successful organizational ombuds office. Participants will be provided with a cursory review of IOA’s Standards of Practice, as well as the competencies required to effectively practice. Other topics include appropriate procedures for establishing charters, developing proper intake processes, managing data, and constructing a Standard Operating Procedure Manual. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to create a marketing and outreach strategy with instructor oversight.  

This may be taken as a standalone course and serves as a complement to IOA’s Foundations Course as well. 

Note: This course is not intended for individuals that are not responsible for creating a new office.  

Participants will:

  • Understand role expectations and required competencies 
  • Apply IOA’s ethical principles and standards throughout office development 
  • Identify intake processes
  • Establish appropriate processes for building Charters 
  • Understand data management protocol 
  • Consider logistical requirements 
  • Develop an outreach and marketing strategy 
  • Establish resources and build a personalized and comprehensive training map 

Professional Development Hours (PDH)

This course has been approved for 5 Professional Development Hours (PDH) towards the Candidate for CO-OP® and CO-OP® credentials. Participants must attend both parts of the course in order to obtain their certificate of participation and PDH.


Facilitators

Susan Casino, Ombudsman
United Nations

Susan Casino is a coach and ombuds consultant. She currently serves the United Nation’s World Food Programme as an ombudsman. In this role, she provides mediation, training, coaching, and consultation on a wide array of workplace issues. Prior to her work with the UN, she was elected to create the first ombuds office for Apollo Education Group and served for a decade as the Director. She has more than 20 years of experience in the field of conflict resolution and leadership development. Ms. Casino holds a BA in Psychology, MBA and is an alumna of Harvard Law School’s Program on Negotiation.

Her previous experience includes child abuse investigations, creating and delivering leadership training as well as teaching mediation coursework. She has presented at conferences and symposia on topics of leadership and conflict resolution, taught peer mediation workshops through ACR, and has trained on international platforms. She is currently Chair of the Professional Development Committee for the International Ombudsman Association and has been an active member since 2006. LinkedIn_ SCasino

Don Greenstein, University Ombuds
Brandeis University

Don Greenstein has a background in conflict management, law, facilitation of difficult communications, organizational development, and creative dispute management processes. He has over 32 years of experience working with an array of technical issues and creating conflict resolution processes.  Don’s work has involved conflict assessment, facilitation, mediation, and ombuds services for business, workplace, family, end of life, private, community, and interpersonal issues. His passion is helping people and entities with ongoing and long-term relationships work through differences.

Don is the managing director of the Brandeis University Ombuds Office since 2017.  The office serves the entire Brandeis community (student, faculty, staff, and alumni) as well as anyone with a Brandeis concern or issue. He is an affiliate of Boston Law Collaborative, an adjunct Professor with the MA General Hospital Institute for Medical Professionals, a Senior Affiliate of the MA Office of Public Collaboration (MOPC), and is a retired reservist with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in disaster response matters. Don is a member of the following mediation panels: American Health Lawyers Association, Udall Foundation Environmental Roster, CHI Resolution’s Department of Interior’s Workplace Roster, and the Boston Law Collaboration Workplace Roster.

Jennifer Smith Schneider, Student Ombuds
University of South Florida

Jennifer Smith Schneider opened an independent Student Ombuds Office at the University of South Florida (USF) in February 2015. The office now serves over 500 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students each year. Jennifer teaches graduate-level courses in USF’s College of Education and serves on several doctoral committees. She is currently developing a doctorate-level course on conflict engagement for aspiring and practicing college and university administrators. Prior to her current role,  Jennifer held various administrative positions at USF, the University of Central Florida, and Polk State College. She also spent over ten years teaching in the public K-12 system.

Jennifer earned a bachelor of arts degree in Deaf education from Flagler College, a master of arts degree in special education, and a doctor of philosophy degree in higher education administration from the University of South Florida. She has completed county court mediation training and has also earned the Florida Attorney General’s Victim Services Practitioner Designation. Jennifer has been an active IOA volunteer since 2015. She has served on the Research and Assessment Committee as part of the Practice and Compensation Survey team and was a member of the Communications Committee, where she served as editor of The Independent Voice, IOA’s newsletter/blog.