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Professionals have recently recognized the depth and complexity of emotional and behavioral disorders of America's children. Among those who grasped the scope of the problem early, some have taken strides toward creating more useful concepts and practices, including reconsiderations of issues involving the child's family, treating intensive problems, community locus for services, and multicultural considerations. Such innovations are not predestined to survive and prosper; however, proponents of the new approaches must take steps to raise the chances that gains will be solidified. We need to broaden the base of research and knowledge, establish mechanisms ensuring collaborative work across the disciplines, pass laws that will support the changes, offer help to children before they are identified with emotional and behavioral disorders, train professionals in the new service delivery concepts and practices, and reform mechanisms for financing services.

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This article summarizes and discusses the implications of a recent national study of public policies affecting the delivery of mental health services to disturbed children and adolescents. The findings are based on surveys made of relevant state officials and advocacy organizations, analyses of state reports and child and adolescent mental health statutes, review of federal programs and policies, and the identification of responsive program models. Fiscal, administrative, and service inadequacies as well as innovative programmatic and policy efforts are discussed. Implications for the policy-making and psychological communities are addressed.

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