CONCEPTS, ISSUES, AND RESEARCH RESULTS RELEVANT TO THE MENTAL HEALTH FIELDS ARE PRESENTED. THE DEMAND FOR SERVICES FAR EXCEEDS AVAILABLE RESOURCES. TYPICALLY, THE APPROACH TAKEN HAS BEEN PASSIVE-RECEPTIVE. PATHOLOGY HAS BEEN ARRESTED AND MODIFIED. IT HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY EVIDENT, HOWEVER, THAT THIS EMPHASIS ON PATHOLOGY AND CURE IS UNWISE. CONCERN SHOULD BE FOCUSED ON THE ORIGIN AND FLOW OF DISORDER. UNFORTUNATELY, PRIMARY PREVENTION WOULD INVOLVE A COMPLETE OVERHAUL AND REBUILDING OF SOCIETY. SECONDARY PREVENTION IS FEASIBLE. THROUGH EARLY DETECTION AND TREATMENT, THE DURATION AND IMPACT OF DISORDERS CAN BE CURTAILED. TERTIARY PREVENTION SEEKS TO KEEP IMPAIRMENT AT A MINIMUM. SECONDARY PREVENTION IS THE PREFERRED FOCUS, BUT EVEN THIS REQUIRES A CHANGE FROM ONE-TO-ONE CLINICAL SERVICES TO CONSULTATIVE, EDUCATION, SUPERVISORY, AND RESOURCE FUNCTIONS FOR PROFESSIONAL PERSONNEL. RESEARCH IN EARLY DETECTION AND SECONDARY PREVENTION IN THE SCHOOL SETTING IS SUMMARIZED. FINDINGS POINT TO FAIRLY RICH POTENTIALS FOR A PREVENTIVE APPROACH IN THE SCHOOLS. MOST PROGRAMS HAVE THE FOLLOWING FEATURES--A FOCUS ON EARLY SECONDARY PREVENTION, UTILIZATION OF SUBPROFESSIONALS, AND SERVICE, BY PROFESSIONALS, IN CONSULTATIVE AND RESOURCE CAPACITIES. THIS PAPER WAS PRESENTED AT THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSN., (75TH, WASHINGTON, D.C., SEPTEMBER 2, 1967). (SK)