What Community Mediation Services does

Community Mediation Services (CMS) is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1980 and headquartered in Jamaica, Queens, New York. It has served as the designated Queens Community Dispute Resolution Center (CDRC) under Part 146 of the Rules of the Chief Administrative Judge since 1995, providing court-connected mediation across Family Court, Supreme Court, Civil Court, Small Claims, Housing Court, and Surrogate's Court. The organization operates six divisions — Family Services, Community Engagement, Student Support, Justice, Mediation, and Housing — delivering approximately 1,000 community intakes, 700 family/civil mediations, 250 youth sessions, and 200 restorative justice circles annually with an 85% client satisfaction rate and 75% post-mediation compliance rate.

CMS's service portfolio spans court diversion programs, foster care prevention (98% of families avoid placement), youth alternatives to incarceration (98% arrest-free rate during participation), school-based peer mediation, eldercare mediation, transitional housing for migrants, and a certified Training Institute offering NYS OCA Part 146 approved programs. Service delivery is community-rooted, with mediators drawn from the neighborhoods served, embedded sites at Queensbridge Houses, Elmhurst/Corona, Far Rockaway, and Brooklyn schools, and a virtual mediation channel launched during COVID-19.

The business model is government-contract driven. Primary revenue comes from contracts with NYC agencies including ACS, DYCD, DOE, NYC Department of Probation, DHS, and the New York State Unified Court System, with the CFO overseeing more than $40 million in government contracts as of January 2025. Supplementary revenue comes from donations and a Training Institute. Most direct services to community members are provided free of charge. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors, led by CEO John Harrison (since 1998), and employs a lean professional staff supplemented by 60+ volunteer mediators and a network of 100+ community-based organization partners.

Name

Community Mediation Services

Legal name

Community Mediation Services, Inc.

Website

https://mediatenyc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Community Mediation Services is a Queens, NYC-based nonprofit founded in 1980 that delivers community-based mediation, family services, youth justice diversion, and housing programs through government contracts with NYC agencies. It has served as the designated Queens Community Dispute Resolution Center since 1995.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Services & Community Mediation

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Reentry & Justice-Involved Support Services (BPAGAEAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGAEAH), Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

Keywords

• Community mediation
• Conflict resolution
• Family services
• Youth development
• Restorative justice

Headquarters

HQ city

Jamaica

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts: Primary revenue from government contracts with NYC agencies including ACS, DYCD, DOE, Department of Probation, and NYC courts. Services include court diversion programs, foster care prevention, youth justice alternatives, and community engagement initiatives.
2. Free Public Services: Many mediation and community services are free and open to the public, funded through government partnerships and donations. CMS does not turn anyone away regardless of ability to pay.
3. Donations and Fundraising: Not-for-profit organization accepting donations through PayPal and other fundraising channels to support program operations and community services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Community Mediation Services is a New York City not-for-profit that provides court-connected mediation, family crisis intervention, youth development, alternatives to incarceration, housing support, and eldercare mediation across six divisions. Services are delivered through court referrals, school-based programs, and community sites in Queens and Brooklyn, with virtual mediation available. CMS has been the designated Queens Community Dispute Resolution Center since 1995 and operates a NYS OCA Part 146-certified Training Institute for conflict resolution professionals.

Product overview

Community Mediation Services (CMS) is a not-for-profit organization offering a comprehensive suite of conflict resolution, family support, youth development, and community engagement services across New York City. The organization operates six divisions: (1) Mediation Services including the Queensbridge Mediation Hub and Training Institute; (2) Family Services including Family Enrichment Program, Brief Strategic Family Therapy, Family Stabilization Program, Fair Futures Mentoring, and MAAP; (3) Community Engagement including Elmhurst Community Partnership, C.R.E.C.E. Family Enrichment Center, Eldercare Mediation, and HAPP; (4) Student Support Services including Peer Mediation and Mediation League; (5) Justice Programs including NextSTEPS, AIM Program, Alternatives to Incarceration, and case management; and (6) Housing including Sanctuary Housing. CMS also runs specialized programs like the Mediation Basketball League and Health Advocacy Partners Program. The organization handles approximately 1,000 community intakes, 700 family/civil mediations, 250 youth sessions, and 200 restorative justice circles annually, with a 75% post-mediation compliance rate and 85% client satisfaction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mediation Services Community-based mediation services that resolve conflict quickly, confidentially, and without going to court. Handles approximately 1,000 community intakes, 700 family and civil mediations, 250 youth sessions, and 200 restorative justice circles annually across Queens and Brooklyn.
• Queensbridge Mediation Hub Dedicated mediation site at Queensbridge Houses with six resident mediators trained from the community, providing neighborhood-based conflict resolution.
• Training Institute NYS OCA Part 146-certified mediation and conflict resolution training including Basic Mediation Training (30 hours), 13-week apprenticeship programs, specialty tracks (divorce, housing, restorative justice, peer mediation), and custom workshops for schools and agencies.
• Virtual/Remote Mediation Virtual mediation sessions available for participants who cannot meet in person, developed during the COVID-19 pandemic to expand access to justice.
• Family Enrichment Program (FEP) Three-month crisis intervention program for families diverted from Brooklyn and Queens Family Court addressing truancy, substance use, and caregiver conflict.
• Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT) Short-term, family-based intervention for child and adolescent behavior problems with 60-90 minute sessions, typically 12-16 sessions over 3-4 months.
• Family Stabilization Program Intensive in-home crisis support for up to 90 days connecting families to community resources and supporting collaborative service plans for youth ages 11-18.
• Fair Futures Mentoring Mentoring and support program for young people in foster care helping set and achieve goals around education, employment, and life skills, with tutoring provided through the Care4 platform; 85% of participants complete their goals.
• Mentoring and Advocacy Program (MAAP) Strength-based wraparound support services for youth aged 12-21 involved in or at-risk of juvenile or criminal justice involvement, matched with mentors for guidance.
• Elmhurst Community Partnership (ECP) Collective impact initiative funded by ACS bringing together 100+ community-based organizations serving Elmhurst, Corona, and Jackson Heights.
• C.R.E.C.E. Family Enrichment Center

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% of families avoid foster care placement through family programs
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• New York Foundation for EldercarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMS partners with the New York Foundation for Eldercare to provide the Eldercare Mediation Program, offering compassionate support for seniors and families navigating complex eldercare issues including residence decisions, caregiving responsibilities, and estate planning.
• Urban UpboundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMS partners with Urban Upbound for the Queensbridge Health Advocacy Partners Program (HAPP), connecting residents to employment services, college access, mental health support, financial counseling, and tax preparation through community health workers.
• Early StarterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMS collaborates with Early Starters for the Parent/Child Trauma Reduction and Early Education Program, providing comprehensive care that addresses both emotional and educational needs of families facing trauma.
• NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD)coreOthersCMS partners with DYCD for youth development programs including the NextSTEPS mentoring program, COMPASS out-of-school time programs, and various youth services across Queens and Brooklyn.
• NYC Administration for Children's Services (ACS)coreOthersCMS partners with ACS for family assessment programs, foster care prevention, family enrichment programs, and the Elmhurst Community Partnership collective impact initiative under the Community Partnership Program.
• NYC Department of Education (DOE)coreOthersCMS partners with NYC DOE for school-based mediation, student support services, and restorative justice programming in public schools across Queens and Brooklyn.
• NYC Department of ProbationcoreOthersCMS partners with the Department of Probation for alternatives to incarceration programs and the NextSTEPS mentorship program serving court-involved youth ages 16-24.
• NYC Department of Homelessness Services (DHS)coreOthersCMS partners with DHS for Sanctuary Housing program providing shelter and transitional housing services for families facing housing insecurity including migrant populations.
• NYCHA (New York City Housing Authority)coreOthersCMS partners with NYCHA for housing-related services and programs at Queensbridge Houses including the Health Advocacy Partners Program and mediation hub.
• Queens District Attorney's OfficecoreOthersCMS partners with the Queens District Attorney's Office for justice programs and alternative to incarceration initiatives serving Queens County.
• New York State Unified Court SystemcoreOthersCMS serves as the Queens Community Dispute Resolution Center (CDRC), providing court-connected mediation services under Part 146 of the Rules of the Chief Administrative Judge.
• 100+ Community-Based OrganizationsminorOthersCMS partners with over 100 community-based organizations across Queens for the Elmhurst Community Partnership and various collaborative initiatives serving diverse communities.
• Benjamin N. Cardozo School of LawminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMS Senior Director Nicholas Schmitt teaches mediation at Cardozo Law School, contributing to workforce development in the conflict resolution field.
• New York Law SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMS provides mediation training and education at New York Law School as part of its Training Institute outreach to aspiring conflict resolution professionals.

Scale indicators21 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The New York Foundling: Large NYC child welfare and family services nonprofit delivering foster care prevention, mentoring, and family stabilization - directly comparable to CMS Family Services, Fair Futures, and BSFT programs and shares ACS as a major funder.
• Urban Resource Institute: NYC nonprofit providing domestic violence shelter, housing, and social services - directly comparable to CMS's Sanctuary Housing program and community-based family services, with overlapping DHS and City funding streams.
• Children's Aid Society: Long-standing NYC child and family services nonprofit operating across the five boroughs - comparable in scope of family services, youth development, and community-based programming, with overlapping ACS/DOE/City Council funding.
• Rising Ground: NYC child welfare, family, and behavioral health nonprofit (formerly known as Edwin Gould Services for Children and Families) - comparable in ACS-contracted foster care prevention, family stabilization, and youth justice work.
• Center for Community Alternatives: NYC/Syracuse nonprofit focused on alternatives to incarceration, reentry support, and youth justice - operates in the same funding and programmatic space as CMS Justice Programs.
• Henry Street Settlement: Lower East Side-based multi-service nonprofit offering youth, family, senior, housing, and workforce services - highly comparable portfolio breadth to CMS's six-division model and similar city-contract-driven revenue mix.
• Good Shepherd Services: NYC nonprofit providing youth development, juvenile justice, and family services in Brooklyn and Queens - directly overlaps with CMS's Student Support, Justice, and Family Services divisions; a CMS senior director previously led Non-Secure Detention at Good Shepherd.
• Osborne Association: NYC-based nonprofit providing reentry, family services, and youth justice programs - serves a substantially overlapping population and competes for similar ACS, Probation, and court contracts. Two former Osborne leaders now sit in CMS senior roles.
• CASES (Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services): NYC nonprofit providing alternative-to-incarceration, behavioral health, and youth justice programs - directly comparable in mission, target population (court-involved youth 13-24), and funding sources (Probation, ACS, courts). Note: a CMS Justice Programs director previously worked at CASES.
• Center for Justice Innovation: NYC-based nonprofit that designs and operates court-based programs (problem-solving courts, diversion, reentry) and is the leading direct peer in court-connected alternatives to incarceration - operates comparable programs and competes for similar NYC funder contracts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/queensbridgehappcms

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community Mediation Services