PL 94–142: Benefits for the guidance center and the school

The advent of PL 94–142, the Education of All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, served as a threat to some child mental health professionals, who feared that it would lead to the formation of mental health facilities in the schools. Contrary to that fear, this article outlines a model through which a public school district and a mental health facility used PL 94–142 to enter into a joint mental health/education venture. The model is now in its third year and has proven quite successful in (a) providing an intensive, local outpatient care alternative, (b) containing costs, and (c) reducing use of inpatient care.