A systems approach to the child, school, family, and community in an urban area

Fifteen eighth-grade students, their parents, teachers, and relevant school administrators received a multilevel systems consultation from a community mental health center. Clients were conceptualized and worked with in terms of the subsystem to which they belonged and with regard to the interrelationships of the other subsystems comprising the school-community system. Theoretical considerations following Lewin's life-space concept are described as a basis for this approach in contrast to more traditional ones which typically fail to treat directly, simultaneously, and/or sequentially all client subsystems, e.g., child, school, family, and community. The consultation is described as a case example with each client contributing to the evaluation of the intervention. Although the consultation could not be carried out entirely along the lines originally conceived, it serves as a helpful model for making a more potent impact in school interventions.