The Cook County Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation program was launched in April 2010 to provide housing counseling and mediation services to homeowners facing foreclosure. Cook County serves Chicago and its surrounding suburbs. Under the program, homeowners who receive foreclosure summons are given the option of meeting with a housing counselor, who will work with them to identify possible alternatives to foreclosure. According to the program's website, homeowners then meet with an attorney to "discuss the housing counselor's recommendations and prepare for a court date that will determine whether the foreclosure case can be mediated with the lender." The website provides further information about the program, including resources for homeowners wishing to participate.