The Ombudsperson is a designated neutral person in the community who can field complaints, grievances, concerns, problems, disputes, or conflicts between devotees, or devotees and temple staff/management. All information shared with the ombudsperson remains strictly confidential.
The Ombudsperson CAN:
- Listen to your complaints, concerns, problems and disputes.
- Help you explore options and find solutions.
- Provide referrals (mediation, etc.) and facilitate communication.
- Identify relevant policies and procedures.
- Help with bureaucracy and gather facts.
- Recommend changes to the Temple’s policies and procedures.
- Report trends back to the Temple Board and management to help them make better decisions
The Ombudsperson CANNOT:
- Represent you or advocate for you.
- Get involved in legal issues or formal complaints.
The Ombudsperson reserves the right to deny any case considered inappropriate.
The Mediation Board can provide a facilitated conversation between devotees in dispute. When adversaries are angry and cannot negotiate, a neutral third party can help empower devotees to solve their own conflicts. All mediations are confidential.
The Mediation Board CAN:
- Assist a conversation between devotees (or between devotees and temple management/staff) in dispute.
- Provide a good way for devotees to be empowered in order to compromise and work out differences.
- Assist devotees to make their own decisions and help devotees heal damaged relationships.
- Save time since agreements can be worked out in hours or days rather than months or years.
The Mediation Board CANNOT:
- Be constituted as a trial.
- Allow manipulation or coercion on the parts of the parties.
How to access these services:
- Ombudsperson― Call temple office at (386) 462-2017.
- Mediation Board―contact one of the Ombudspersons above and talk to them about the possibility of bringing your dispute to the Mediation Board.