Facilitating Youth Restorative Conferences - Applied Skills Training

Applied youth restorative conferencing training: readiness, interviewing, agreements & complex harm. 2-day intensive for facilitators.
This is a two-day in-person training. Each day runs 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
Restorative practice is more than circles and scripts. Effective conferencing depends on preparation, readiness, and the ability to hold accountability without escalating harm.
This two-day intensive is designed for professionals working with youth who want practical, structured skills for restorative conferencing. Grounded in RRDRJ’s real-world diversion and community practice, this training focuses on applied facilitator competence - not theory alone.
Participants will develop skills in:
*Conducting structured preparation interviews
*Assessing readiness and voluntary participation
*Navigating shame, minimization, and defensive responses
*Managing power dynamics and complex harm
*Facilitating youth restorative conferences with clarity and containment
*Building meaningful, measurable repair agreements
*Implementing restorative processes within organizational systems
This training places strong emphasis on interviewing and readiness - the foundation of safe and effective conferencing. Participants will engage in live demonstrations, structured simulations, and guided practice throughout both days.
Who Should Attend:
*Restorative justice facilitators
*Youth justice and diversion workers
*Community agency professionals
*School-based support staff
*Youth-serving program coordinators
*Anyone responsible for facilitating restorative conversations with young people
Participants will receive:
*Structured readiness and interview tools
*Agreement-building templates
*Implementation planning framework
*Certificate of completion (12 instructional hours)
This is not introductory restorative practice theory. It is applied, youth-focused facilitator development grounded in real-world practice.