The assessment process can be integrated with treatment and evaluation for helping teenage suicide attempters and families in short term psychiatric hospitalization programs. The method is an extremely efficient way for the therapist to work within a given time constraint. During family assessment sufficient information can be gathered to accommodate hospital record demands; targeted family problems can be treated; and treatment effectiveness can be evaluated. In assessment a genogram can be drawn which will satisfy hospital requirements for family assessment. Many types of family treatment can be utilized for integration with assessment. Three types of therapy include structural, communication, and psychodynamic. Assessment and treatment can be integrated so that the clinician can not only get information for hopsital records but can treat targeted family problems. Assessment alone would include the eliciting of information about family structure, family health, or family interaction. By asking simple questions and making interpretations, assessment can become family treatment. This method of assessment/treatment was evaluated with a teenage suicide attempter and her mother. It was determined that the lack of open communication between mother and daughter was the single most important factor leading to the suicide attempt. A single case design was used to evaluate the method. Assessment integrated with treatment strategies took place triweekly. Results showed a significant increase of open communication between mother and daughter and no repeat of suicidal behavior for 3 years after hospitalization. (ABL)