The aim of this project was to use and evaluate inaction, amelioration, consultation, focused education, mobilization of existing strengths, and strategic deployment of treatment at the point of crisis or potential stress. Focusing on school entry, the project attempted to identify variables of "life crisis" and determine empirically those interventions which facilitate optimal adjustment to the transition from home to school. Both group intervention and single case intervention were used. Tentative findings (a) support the contribution of mental health teams in assessing children with potential maladjustment, (b) recognize the dynamic place of the school in the life of the child, and (c) find the "crisis model" an effective concept for intervention. The general implications are: (1) exposure to stress develops maturity; (2) stress is better managed than treated; and (3) spontaneous behavior in natural stress situations may have more learning significance than conventional treatment. (KP)