This paper describes a New York State program developed to serve violent juvenile delinquents in need of mental health intervention. Since two separate state agencies had to be involved in the design and operation of this project (the Department of Mental Hygiene, which traditionally excludes "anti-social" youths from its psychiatric centers, and the Division for Youth, which is not supposed to provide "psychiatric" care), the paper questions this artificial dichotomy which fragments the ability to deliver effective services to a high-risk population. There should be an integrated service delivery system which would not "screen out" those not under one specific jurisdiction. Case histories are cited, and the validity of a theory of behavior which defines psychiatric malfunction outside of its social context is questioned. The unfortunate reliance on such factors as staff conditioning, bureaucratic (i.e., turf-defined) mandates, cost effectiveness and convenience is seen as undermining more important considerations. What should be a priority is the need to develop a systems-oriented base which encompasses developmental, cognitive, social and economic factors; parental concerns; and ego and intra-psychic factors as the basis for an effective intervention strategy. (Author)