Data on 14 descriptive variables and three measures of functioning were analyzed for 137 chronic psychotic patients who were functioning at such a low level that they were not acceptable for shelter-care placement. Measures of functioning included: the Minimal Social Behavior Scale, administered in a structured interview by professional staff; the Social Breakdown Syndrome Gradient Index, administered to aide-level personnel, modified to questionnaire format; and the Nurses Observational Scale of Inpatient Evaluation ratings obtained from aide-level staff. All three instruments were found to possess high interrater reliability. Intercorrelations among the three measures of functioning gave evidence of a common factor, supporting their validity, and indicated that additional information was added by each instrument. In combination, they provide a practical, reliable, valid battery for assessing global level of functioning in hard-core, chronically hospitalized patient groups. Normative data are provided on the sample for descriptive variables and for the three measures of functioning.

This article is an investigation of a new and relatively controversial development in the field of community mental health, the telephone hotline. It examines the rationale for crisis intervention, the theoretical basis, and historical development of the hotline. The telephone adds a unique dimension which makes it therapeutically useful for many people who would not ordinarily avail themselves of helping services. Those factors which contribute to the utility of the hotlines are examined, with an emphasis on the role of the nonprofessional telephone worker. Finally, the empirical literature evaluating the effectiveness of the hotlines is reviewed. While the evaluative studies performed to date are inadequate and outcome studies have not been attempted, the use of the telephone hotline can be defended theoretically and practically. The hotlines fill a gap left by conventional helping services and serve an ever‐increasing clientele, which emphasizes the need for the services hotlines provide.

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