BEGINNING IN 1973, THE STAFF OF THE MARTIN LUTHER RESIDENTIAL SERVICES DIVISION, A RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT PROGRAM FOR PROBLEM ADOLESCENTS, INITIATED A BROAD PARTICIPATORY PREINTAKE EVALUATION PROCEDURE INVOLVING THE CLIENT, PARENTS OR GUARDIAN, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE REFERRING AGENCY, AND OTHER SIGNIFICANT PARTIES RELATED TO THE REFERRAL. THE PROCEDURE WAS DESIGNED TO SECURE CONSENSUS AMONG THE INVOLVED PARTIES REGARDING ALL SIGNIFICANT ASPECTS OF THE TREATMENT PLAN. THE SPECIFIC FOCUSES OF THIS CONSENSUAL PROCESS INVOLVED THE FOLLOWING MAJOR ISSUES: (1) THE CLIENT'S NEEDS OR PLACEMENT GOALS; (2) THE APPROPRIATENESS OF MARTIN LUTHER'S PRENEGOTIATION TREATMENT AND EVALUATION PROPOSAL; AND (3) THE TIME FRAME NECESSARY FOR THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE DETERMINED TREATMENT PLAN. THE PREINTAKE CONSENSUAL PROCESS INVOLVED EXTENSIVE INPUT FROM ALL PARTIES INVOLVED IN THE DECISIONMAKING AND WAS INTENDED TO PRODUCE A THERAPEUTIC TREATMENT PLAN SUFFICIENTLY CONCISE AND OBJECTIVE TO BE MEASUREABLE FOR EVALUATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY PURPOSES. THE EVALUATION TECHNIQUE OF GOAL ATTAINMENT SCALING, WAS ADAPTED TO MEASURE THE EXTENT TO WHICH PRENEGOTIATED TREATMENT GOALS WERE ACHIEVED. THE TREATMENT PLAN WAS ENCOMPASSED IN A PLACEMENT FOLLOWUP GUIDE. THE FIRST FOLLOWUP SCORING OCCURRED AT THE TIME WHEN THE RESIDENT DISCHARGED AND AGAIN 3 MONTHS AND 1 YEAR AFTER DISCHARGE. IN ADDITION TO THE PLACEMENT FOLLOWUP GUIDE, INTERMEDIATE OR TREATMENT PROCESS-ORIENTED GUIDES WERE CONSTRUCTED FOR EACH RESIDENT AT PREDETERMINED INTERVALS. THE DESIGN WAS TESTED ON 47 CLIENTS, 15 OF WHOM HAVE BEEN DISCHARGED AND FOLLOWUP. A 65-PERCENT SUCCESS IN GOAL ACHIEVEMENT WAS NOTED WITH THESE 15 CLIENTS. RESULTS AT THIS STAGE ARE ACKNOWLEDGED TO BE TENTATIVE. REFERENCES AND SAMPLES OF FORMS USED ARE INCLUDED. (RCB)