This report discusses a study that examined clinical outcomes for 145 children (ages 5-17) with severe emotional disturbances attending a Children's Behavior Therapy Unit (CBTU) day treatment program across several locations. Children are referred to CBTU following failed placement with the respective school districts in less-restrictive settings, such as individual counseling, resource classes, and self-contained special education classes. The behavioral model at CBTU has a dual focus of treatment: reducing behavioral excesses (e.g., physical/verbal aggression, inattention, and noncompliance), and increasing behavioral skills (e.g., ability to identify and verbalize emotions in self and others, impulse control, and completion of tasks). Academic instruction is delivered within an environment utilizing core behavioral techniques, such as a level system, frequent feedback, and individual behavior contracts. Daily training is provided for interpersonal and self-management skills, such as communication, impulse-control, and problem-solving skills, using a mixture of didactic, role-playing, and generalization opportunities. Preliminary findings from the study indicate that the children attending the CBTU day treatment program demonstrated improved behavioral symptoms during approximately 12 months of treatment. Elementary school children showed slightly better improvement than the adolescent group. (Contains 14 references.) (CR)