Organization Details

CMS serves youth and families in the borough of Queens who are referred by the Courts, government agencies, other social service agencies and the community.

CMS was established in 1980 in response to the needs presented and observed in the Family Court, where children and families were subject to an adversarial process that often tore families apart.

The overarching goal of the organization is to provide a focus for the peaceful resolution of difficulties that range from severe family and personal crisis to community disputes. The first program, the Queens Adolescent Diversion Program staffed with non-professional volunteer mentors, officially began in 1980. Funded by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services for the past 24 years, it is the progenitor of the array of services offered by CMS.

From its inception, the agency was highly regarded in the Juvenile Justice, Child Welfare and Mediation fields. With initial referrals coming from the Family Court, the successful mentoring program attracted public funding enabling the new approach to be created.

CMS was incorporated as a not-for-profit entity in 1983 with its foremost goal to empower people to use peacemaking tools to resolve their own problems. CMS fosters this through community advocacy and mediation. Staff function as facilitators, mediators and educators, not as decision makers.

Through Mark Kleiman?s leadership, CMS developed community peacemaking techniques incorporating mediation and practical approaches to resolving even the most difficult crises, e.g., those that tear families apart and result in violence.

Many programs that were piloted in the 80s ultimately attracted support from government and private agencies.

CMS began a small staff and an energetic group of volunteers. The agency now offers a well-integrated system of services to clients in the five boroughs, with over 100 staff, over 300 volunteers.

Address

89-64 163rd St
Jamaica, NY 11432
(718) 523-6868 x248

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