This collection of papers presented at a 1996 conference on children's mental health focuses on research methodology and information systems. Papers have the following titles and authors: (1) "Parental Agreement on Ratings of Child Behavior: Measures of Agreement and Related Factors" (Carol T. Nixon, William E. MacLean); (2) "CAFAS as a Measure of Child and Family Functioning among Children and Families Enrolled in Intensive Case Management in New York State" (Steven Huz and others); (3) "The CAFAS as an Outcome Measure in the Alternatives to Residential Treatment Study" (Kimberly S. Hall and others); (4) "An Innovative Methodology for Assessing Children's Mental Health Services Need" (Rene C. Grosser and Alan J. Flisher); (5) "Developing an Effective, Standardized Client Information System for Child Mental Health Treatment Centers" (Denise Hallfors and others); (6) "Enhancing the Methodology of Social Validation: A Survey of Child and Family Service Issues" (D. Kevin Gillespie); (7) "Making 'Cents' of Outcome Measures in a Partial Hospitalization Setting" (Pamela Gullye Smith and Carol M. Smerz); (8) "A Functional Integrator in Systems of Care Research on an Operational Language for Service Planning" (Gordon Harper and others); and (9) "An Alternative Approach to the Study of the Children's Mental Health Service Systems: Anthropological Models" (Jini M. Hanjian). (Individual papers contain references.) (DB)