Our restorative facilitators are experienced practitioners. We facilitate a wide variety of restorative processes, all of which build upon the strength and power of youth, their families and communities who know their best interests and how to handle their own conflicts. We facilitate Family Group Conferences, Circles to Repair Harm, and Restorative Dialogues. Our facilitation reflects our strengths-based perspective which aims to affirm the dignity of all participants and is grounded in frameworks of racial equity, positive youth development, and trauma-informed care. These services are available to school communities we partner with: Minneapolis Public Schools, Saint Paul Public Schools, Robbinsdale Area Schools, and ISD 287. School staff, family members and community members can reach out to us directly to inquire about how our services can help address school-related concerns or incidents of harm. These services are confidential, voluntary, non-legal, and free. We are well-suited to addressing conflict between students or families, preventing and responding to school pushout, and facilitating harm repair dialogues.
Check out this video for an example of school-based restorative facilitation and conflict repair in action.
Our team partners with Hennepin County, Ramsey County, and the Minneapolis Police Department to provide youth charge diversion services. If you have been contacted by one of our partners about a diversion opportunity with the Legal Rights Center’s Restorative Justice Program and need to contact us, please call our main line 612-337-0030 and ask to be connected with the Restorative Justice Program staff. Our services for diversion cases include strengths-based restorative processes and intend to address underlying concerns in order to set up youth to be successful in their life and avoid further contact with the criminal legal system. A young person referred to us for diversion will work with one of our restorative facilitators to create an individualized plan, which may include commitments such as participation in a Circle process, participation in a Family Group Conference at school, writing an apology letter or letter of recognition, participating in a facilitated harm repair conversation.
Through consultation, training, and thought-partnership, we support Twin Cities Metro Area school communities in their exploration of restorative practices. In our collaborations, we seek to improve practical facilitation skills while working towards the development of relationship-centered, non-punitive, and trauma-informed school cultures and modes of accountability. Within this framework, we equip educators and school communities to implement restorative practices and create learning environments in which students can thrive and feel a strong sense of belonging.
Community members can complete the referral form to get in touch with our team and request restorative services. We ask that before submitting a referral, school staff speak with a family about LRC and the purpose of a referral, and have them agree to have the referral made. The warm hand-off helps prevent families from feeling confused about why they’re being called by a legal services organization. Within 48 hours of receiving a referral, we begin outreach to the person who made the referral and the parent of the student being referred.
If you have additional questions or want to speak directly with a member of our team, call 612-377-0030.