In-School Consultation and Treatment Issues.

The author describes "Comprehensive Care for Families," an outpatient community mental health center in Chicago which helps to conduct a consultation project serving public school classes for the emotionally disturbed. Based upon students' own expression of goals, a group treatment program was initiated to increase self concept, expressiveness, concern for themselves and others, ability to recognize the affects of their behavior, and awareness of their own strengths. Group sessions include role playing, modeling, paper-pencil tasks, and art. Informal evaluations indicate an overall improvement in student behavior and increased classroom time for academic rather than disciplinary tasks. (CL)