A CLINIC PROGRAM WAS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE EMOTIONALLY DISTURBED CHILDREN INTERMEDIARY GROUP TREATMENT WITH THE ADVANTAGES OF RESIDENTIAL CARE WHILE THEY REMAINED AT HOME. OF THE 47 SUBJECTS SELECTED (27 AGED 6 TO 9, 20 AGED 9 TO 13), 25 HAD BEEN RECOMMENDED, AND NINE CONSIDERED, FOR RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT. ALL WERE JUDGED INACCESSIBLE BY THE CLINIC STAFF AND/OR DIAGNOSTIC GROUP OBSERVATIONS. THE CHILDREN WERE SEEN IN EIGHT GROUPS BY DUAL THERAPISTS TWICE A WEEK FOR 4 HOURS OVER A 6-MONTH PERIOD. DATA WERE OBTAINED THROUGH RECORDED OBSERVATIONS OF THE THERAPISTS AND STAFF INTERACTION. GROUP TREATMENT WAS STRUCTURED (1) TO INCREASE THE CHILD'S ORGANIZATIONAL UNITY THROUGH PLANNED ACTIVITIES AND INTERVENTION, (2) TO DEVELOP THE CHILD'S CAPACITY FOR SELF OBSERVATION THROUGH INDUCTION TO VERBAL-CONCEPTUAL EXPRESSION AND TRANSFERENCE DISRUPTION, AND (3) TO CREATE PARTICIPATION BY PARENTS THROUGH THE TREATMENT CONTRACT, GROUP THERAPY, PARENT CASEWORK, AND FAMILY CONTACT. OF THE 47 SUBJECTS, 39 COMPLETED THE PROGRAM AND 31 CONTINUED IN INDIVIDUAL THERAPY. OF THE CHILDREN WHO ENTERED INDIVIDUAL THERAPY, 28 WERE REGARDED BY THEIR THERAPISTS AS HIGH ON ACCESSIBILITY TO TREATMENT (ROUGHLY 60 PERCENT OF THE ORIGINAL 47). CHANGES ALSO OCCURRED IN SCHOOL BEHAVIOR (ONLY TWO OF 11 PREVIOUSLY EXCLUDED REMAINED NOT IN ATTENDANCE, AND NINE OF NINE ONCE PARTIALLY EXCLUDED WERE BACK IN FULLTIME CLASSES.). PARENTAL ATTITUDES ALTERED, AS INDICATED BY THE FACT THAT 31 FAMILIES CHOSE TO PAY FOR CONTINUING SERVICE. FINALLY, THE DRAW-A-GROUP TEST SHOWED A CHANGE IN THE CHILDREN'S GROUP PERCEPTIONS (THE CHILD INCLUDED MORE AND EXCLUDED FEWER GROUP MEMBERS, SIGNIFICANT AT THE .007 AND .003 LEVELS OF CONFIDENCE RESPECTIVELY). AFTER TREATMENT, HOWEVER, FIVE CHILDREN WERE RECOMMENDED FOR RESIDENTIAL PLACEMENT AND THREE REMAINED INACCESSIBLE (ONE WITH BRAIN DAMAGE, TWO WITH MALFUNCTIONING PARENTS). WITH NO CONTRAST GROUPS IT WAS DIFFICULT TO ATTRIBUTE THE CHANGES TO THE TREATMENT, BUT THE CHIEF EXPECTATION WITHOUT INTERVENTION WAS GREATER DETERIORATION. THE INVESTIGATORS WERE ENCOURAGED BY THE RESULTS. THIS DOCUMENT WAS PUBLISHED BY THE CHILD WELFARE LEAGUE OF AMERICAN, INC., 44 EAST 23RD STREET, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10010, AND IS AVAILABLE FOR $3.25. (DF)