The administration of hospital-based services

Hospital-based child psychiatric services have evolved rapidly in the past 15 years from stand-alone programs to integrated systems linked internally and externally. This evolution has occurred under the pressure of changing treatment technologies, organizational philosophies, and financing strategies. This article provides a brief overview of administrative concepts and functions, followed by descriptions of administrative issues related to specific programs and their integration into a coherent service. The specific services include specialized child inpatient and partial hospital programs, crisis intervention service, and consultation/liaison service.