Level systems: inpatient programming whose time has passed

Structuring of inpatient behavioral programming in child-adolescent psychiatric, residential treatment, and juvenile justice settings.

To review the underlying theory underpinning current practices and recommend remedies to the uncovered problems.

A review of the literature from 1965 to 2001 from selected nursing and medical psychiatric and mental health publications.

Intensive professional and staff education and greater precision in communication about patients' behaviors are needed in many settings. There is also a need to move away from generic treatment approaches and return to individual treatment planning based on individual assessments and the unique needs of an increasingly volatile and complex in-patient population.