The historical and evolutionary development of the Tazwood Center for Human Services (Illinois) is traced, with a particular emphasis on describing administrative interventions which alleviate excessive stress and strain in the system and provide for growth experiences that prevent stagnation among the staff. The materials presented focus on the key elements which contribute to the viable working environmental climate of the Center, including the following: (1) participative management, (2) inservice training based on staff needs assessment, (3) weekly staff group process to deal with interpersonal conflict, (4) annual evaluation, (5) responsibilities of the supervisors, (6) communication patterns, and (7) support systems. Results of an exploratory survey of staff perceptions of the social climate are also presented, with an overall indication that staff are overwhelmingly positive in their general ratings of satisfaction. (Author/HLM)