EMOTIONALLY DISTURBED ADOLESCENTS, CONDITIONED BY TREATMENT USING IMMEDIATE ARTIFICIAL REINFORCERS OF DESIRABLE BEHAVIOR, SUCH AS TOKEN ECONOMIES, MUST BE PHASED OUT OF THE PROGRAMS IN PREPARATION FOR DISCHARGE. OTHER SOCIAL AND ACTIVITY REINFORCERS, WHICH WOULD BE AVAILABLE IN THE NATURAL POSTRELEASE ENVIRONMENT, MUST BE GRADUALLY SUBSTITUTED FOR THE ARTIFICIAL BEHAVIORAL INCENTIVES. INTERPERSONAL AND VOCATIONAL SKILLS MUST BE LEARNED IN ORDER TO ENABLE THE RELEASEES TO FIND EMPLOYMENT AND BECOME SELF-RELIANT. PARENTS OF INSTITUTIONALIZED CHILDREN, WHO USUALLY ARE NOT INVOLVED IN THE TREATMENT, MUST BE TRAINED TO BECOME BEHAVIOR CHANGE AGENTS. THIS STEP WOULD ENABLE THEM TO BECOME EFFECTIVE EXTENTIONS OF THE RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM AS THEY ACQUIRE AND APPLY LEARNING PRINCIPLES IN TREATING THEIR CHILDREN. FURTHERMORE, CHILDREN SHOULD ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN DISCHARGE PLANNING. FIFTEEN REFERENCES ARE APPENDED.