Now Open: Office of Mediation, Coaching, Ombuds and Support Services

The Brigham Health Office of Mediation, Coaching, Ombuds and Support Services (OMCOSS) is officially open to Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital employees. OMCOSS provides services, education and resources to the Brigham Health workforce in support of building and sustaining trusting, respectful relationships. All services are voluntary for faculty, staff and trainees — each person is free to participate or decline without consequence.

OMCOSS provides:

Mediation

Mediation is an informal, confidential and voluntary process in which participants are supported by impartial professionals to move toward collaboration and connection. OMCOSS mediators offer a welcoming environment for participants to explore and potentially transform conflict and/or difficulties that may be causing uncertainty, stress or disruption. Participants are given the opportunity to build agreements that work for them, as those voluntary agreements come from their collective experience during mediation.

Mediation is not blaming, shaming, infantilizing or imposing solutions. Instead, mediators work with participants to explore the underlying concerns, interests and needs that are contributing to conflict and stress. Mediation may lay the groundwork for people to build or rebuild their relationships.

Mediation can help participants who are experiencing conflict achieve a deeper understanding of each other and find positive ways to move forward. For example, mediation can assist when a relationship with a co-worker has become strained or when colleagues who had a prior disagreement find their relationship has been tense ever since.

Coaching

Coaching is an informal, confidential and voluntary process designed to help Brigham Health faculty, staff and trainees identify, reflect on and achieve their professional and personal goals. The coach and coachee collaborate in a relationship-centered, results-oriented partnership. They co-create an action plan focused on the needs of the individual. Coaching nurtures the enhancement of self-directed learning and the personal and professional growth of the coachee.

Coaching can help people gain new perspective on what is possible in their professional or personal lives. Perhaps someone feels frustrated within certain relationships, is struggling to achieve a goal or is just feeling stuck. Coaching can help provide the structure, personal accountability and support needed to gain forward movement and effectiveness.

Ombuds

The Ombudsperson serves as a highly confidential, informal and psychologically safe sounding board to help our workforce members clarify concerns, identify goals and consider options in managing or resolving concerns. The Ombudsperson reports back to the organization regarding broad trends but does not report on specific concerns or specific individuals. This reporting structure adds a level of confidentiality to the ombudsperson, making that office an ideal place to explore options, gain clarity and find potential pathways forward.

Any issue may be brought to the Ombudsperson. Typical concerns, amongst others, might include the work/learning environment, job performance, retaliation or professional misconduct. The Ombudsperson’s role is to listen, help identify issues, goals and options; as with all OMCOSS services, the person seeking services will make their own decisions regarding next steps.

Support Services

Working with the Partners Employee Assistance Program (EAP), OMCOSS will connect workforce members to short-term counseling, information and referral for all types of work/life, family or personal concerns. OMCOSS Support Services also include Peer Support and Crisis Response Support — programs that offer emotional support to clinical staff members following any challenging patient-related event.

Support Services can be helpful when working through any difficult emotional issue, such as a family conflict, financial worries or challenges associated with caring for disabled or aging loved ones. Peer Support and Crisis Response Support can assist providers after a particularly difficult clinical case with an undesired or unexpected outcome.

Access OMCOSS services by calling 617-525-9797 or email bwhomcoss@partners.org.

Please note, participation in the any of these processes is not connected to an employee’s human resource file or employment record.