Having both a service mission with defined limits and an entering clientele with diverse needs has implications for the intake interview. At Kansas State University a relatively small number of clients received an inordinate amount of direct service time. Cost, effectiveness, and definition of service limits became issues to consider. The staff adapted a brief treatment model which uses a set of criteria, 9 variables called "action markers," to indicate who can best benefit from time limited treatment. However, because a gap exists between formal action marker statements and the informal ways individual staff members determined whether or not to check the markers, staff were asked to make statements about what they specifically looked for on each action marker. Putting the statements on 3x5 cards sorted by priority toward making a yes/no action marker decision proved to be useful. Staff devised a second set of action markers to monitor decisions concerning extended services. A rotating treatment decisions-team of staff members who meet regularly with the clinical coordinator to make intake decisions will be implemented to improve effectiveness. A 15.5% decrease in long-term client appointments suggests that these measures are effective. (MSF)