The involvement of behaviorists in primary prevention for mental health programs has been limited, to date. Using behavioral researchers offers several advantages, including the need to emphasize prediction and a priori control of maladaptive behavior, increased cost effectiveness, and increased monies for research. Common obstacles to the participation of behaviorists in prevention programming are showing program effectiveness and demonstrating the benefits which come to a client as a result of intervention. Also, problems appear to exist with the behavioral researcher's reliance on subject-specific experimental designs and variables, which differ from strategies commonly used in the prevention field. In order to incorporate behavioral research prevention, researchers would likely emphasize changing the response classes rather than individual behaviors, identifying and modifying variables responsible for these response classes, and treating the environment rather than the individual. (Author/PJC)