THE DESCRIPTION OF THE NUMBER AND KIND OF MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC SERVICES IN RURAL AREAS WAS BASED ON REPORTS RECEIVED FROM 1,537 OUTPATIENT PSYCHIATRIC CLINICS IN THE UNITED STATES AS OF APRIL 1961. ASPECTS OF CLINIC SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH EXAMINED WERE GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION, CLINIC CHARACTERISTICS, PROFESSIONAL MAN-HOURS AVAILABLE PER WEEK, AND PATIENT-LOAD FOR 1961. RURAL CLINICS SERVING CHILDREN AND YOUTH WERE CONFINED TO A SMALL AREA, MOST IN THE NORTHEAST. THE SOUTH HAD THE GREATEST NUMBER OF RURAL CHILDREN BUT RANKED SECOND IN NUMBER OF CLINICS. IN THE WHOLE COUNTRY, 4,400 CHILDREN, REPRESENTING TWO PERCENT OF ALL CLINIC PATIENTS UNDER 18 WERE SERVED IN A TOTAL OF 50 CLINICS, REPRESENTING FOUR PERCENT OF THE 1,185 CLINICS SERVING YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES. STATE AGENCIES AND INSTITUTIONS WERE MOSTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR CLINIC ADMINISTRATION. DIRECT SERVICE TO PATIENTS WAS THE MAIN FUNCTION OF ALMOST ALL OF THE CLINICS, MENTAL HEALTH CONSULTATION TO OTHER AGENCIES OR PROFESSIONALS WAS THE SECOND FUNCTION. MOST RURAL CLINICS WERE OPEN TO ALL CHILDREN AND YOUTH. THE MOST FREQUENT SOURCE OF REFERRAL WAS THE CHILD'S SCHOOL. MOST CLINIC SERVICE WAS BRIEF, OFTEN CONSISTING SOLELY OF PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION. PROFESSIONAL MAN-HOURS OF SERVICE WERE AVERAGE OF 8 MAN-HOURS PER WEEK FOR EACH 100,000 RURAL CHILDREN. DESPITE THE PROBABLE ELIGIBILITY OF RURAL CHILDREN FOR SERVICE IN NEARBY URBAN FACILITIES, URBAN RESOURCES WERE FOUND TO BE INADEQUATE ALSO. DATA INDICATED THAT ADMISSION RATES TO MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS WERE MUCH LOWER FOR RURAL THAN FOR URBAN CHILDREN.