This LEAA-funded program, staffed by two specialists in crisis intervention counseling and personal problemsolving, operates in conjunction with the Toledo Bar Association's Citizen's Dispute Settlement Program (CDS). In its first year of operation the program accepted 920 cases, involving allegations of such criminal conduct as telephone harassment, petty theft, property trespass and damage, and simple assault. The CDS component's 50 volunteer attorneys and offer service to anyone with a grievance that could result in the filing of a criminal charge against another person. CDS-mediated situations involve ongoing interpersonal relationships, growing out of family or neighborhood disputes. Referrals come from community agencies, including the community mental health centers, various family service agencies, drug abuse centers and the battered women's shelter. In addition, the police department, attorneys, and Municipal Court judges refer to the program; the major referral source is the prosecutor's office. After separate interviews, the specialist assesses the specific needs of those involved and determines possible solutions. Solutions may include referring one or both to a community agency (22 percent), and proceeding with informal mediation involving written agreements or referrals to the CDS for a formal mediation (26 percent). If progress cannot otherwise be made, the parties could be referred back to the prosecutor's office for the filing of criminal charges. Less than 6 percent of the mediated cases returned to court within a 3-month period. In the 18 percent of the cases in which both sides agreed to settle outside of mediation, less than 25 percent returned to court; only 34 percent of the caseload remained without a definitive solution. The program is one of few community programs that actively attempts to involve the abuser in resolving family violence problems. Case studies and a description of CDS procedures are included.