The demands by applicants for prompt emergency services and by funding sources for greater accountability along with long waiting lists resulted in the formation of a crisis unit offering brief psychotherapy in a problem-solving framework. The services focused on: (1) the presenting problem as it reflected a core conflict or longstanding life problem; (2) a contractual treatment plan for the presenting problem with specified behavioral goals; and (3) the development of general problem-solving skills that the patient could apply to other life problems. The effectiveness of the crisis unit was evaluated by comparison to an alternative service, the intake group. The Rotter I-E Scale was administered to patients prior to and after treatment to monitor changes in internal locus of control. Statistical analysis indicated significant differences in pre- and post-test scores for the crisis unit patients (N=22) and not for the group intake patients (N=16) as well as significantly higher change scores between the two treatment groups in the pre-tests and post-tests in favor of the crisis unit patients. The findings underscore the efficacy of prompt, focused, and time-limited intervention and its advantage over a more global, supportive group intervention. (Author/JAC)