THE COMMUNITY-ORIENTED PROGRAMS ENVIRONMENT SCALES TEST WAS USED TO MEASURE THE PROGRAM ENVIRONMENT AT CAREER HOUSE, A PSYCHIATRIC HALFWAY HOUSE IN SUBURBAN PHILADELPHIA. SOCIOMETRY, INTERVIEWS, AND DAILY LOGS OF CRITICAL INCIDENTS WERE ALSO USED TO GATHER DATA. THE PROGRAM'S PURPOSE IS TO HELP YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAVE A HISTORY OF EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE BECOME INDEPENDENT AND ACHIEVE THEIR VOCATIONAL GOALS. RESIDENTS ATTEND LOCAL COLLEGES AND TECHNICAL SCHOOLS AND RECEIVE PSYCHOTHERAPY, VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE, AND REMEDIAL EDUCATION. THE PRESTUDY TEST SHOWED LOW PATIENT INVOLVEMENT WITH THE PROGRAM, A DISCREPANCY BETWEEN STAFF PERCEPTION OF SUPPORT AND RESIDENT PERCEPTION OF AMOUNT OF SUPPORT RECEIVED, AND A LACK OF UNITY IN PROGRAM GOALS. AFTER THE ASSESSMENT SEVERAL SESSIONS WERE HELD TO IMPROVE THE HOME'S ENVIRONMENT. THESE SESSIONS AND THE EFFORTS MADE TO BRING THE STAFF AND THE RESIDENTS TOGETHER ARE DESCRIBED IN DETAIL. THE POSTSTUDY TEST SHOWED THAT THE TWO GROUPS WERE FARTHER APART AT THE END OF THE EXPERIMENT THAN THEY WERE AT THE BEGINNING. ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT THE RESIDENTS FELT THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE HOUSE WAS TO GIVE THEM VOCATIONAL SKILLS AND THAT THEY DID NOT FEEL RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RUNNING OF THE HOUSE NOR THE CHANGING OF THE RULES. THE MOST POSITIVE CHANGE WAS IN PROGRAM GOALS. BOTH STAFF AND RESIDENTS FELT THAT GOALS HAD BEEN LAID OUT AND THAT THE PROGRAM WAS 'GOING SOMEWHERE.' THE STAFF ALSO FELT THAT THERE WAS MORE INTERACTION AS A RESULT OF THE SMALL GROUP MEETINGS AND OTHER EXPERIMENTAL EFFORTS. THE SURVEY DATA IS DETAILED IN A SERIES OF TABLES. THE EFFORTS AT CHANGE ARE PRESENTED CHRONOLOGICALLY. A GENERAL SURVEY OF THE LITERATURE ON CHANGE IS PRESENTED. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS APPENDED. (GLR)