This brief paper presents initial findings midway through the first year of implementing a school-based model of providing mental health services to children and families living in urban, low-income communities and provided by community-based mental health providers. The model emphasizes the central role of ecological factors in childhood conduct disorders and utilizes the school's unique opportunity to provide mental health promoting activities. Classrooms (n=17) were assigned to either the PALS (Positive Attitudes for Learning in School) intervention or as controls. Recruitment efforts resulted in 64 PALS families who received school-based and home-based services and 24 control families. Classwide programs for behavior management were implemented and parents were provided with school meetings, PALS meetings, home visits, and informal contacts with community consultants. Results indicate that the program appears to be successful at engaging parents and teachers in services, although outcome data are not yet available to indicate the effectiveness of these services. (DB)