my son is very far in the hole with debt. several

I am guessing you are talking about debt consolidation program. Yes, this program can help your son to repay his credit card debts. Under this program, all his debt will be consolidated into a single monthly payment. He can get interest rate reduction. Moreover, the extra fees and penalties will be waived off. To know how hoe debt consolidation program can help your son to clear his debts, check out the following page:
http://www.debtconsolidationcare.com/program.html

Another option is debt settlement. Reaching settlement agreements on these accounts would be the most affordable way to rid himself of this unsecured debt. If the accounts with the attorneys are large enough, he could run the risk of having a judgement filed against him. It may be a good idea to hire a debt settlement firm with attorneys on staff.

Another option is for your son to negotiate settlements on his own, this is what is called Do it Yourself Debt Settlement and it will not cost him a penny. he simply needs to deal directly with the lawyers and collectors himself. The money he saves from not paying a debt settlement program could go towards settlements on his accounts.