In the inpatient treatment of acute psychiatric episodes in children und ad
olescents, the psychiatrist must set up an initial treatment plan incorpora
ting one or more psychotherapeutic modalities and adapt this plan to the pa
tient's clinical course. This article summarises the clinical experience of
a model unit at the University of Heidelberg, the result of a collaboratio
n between the Department of General Psychiatry and the Department of Child
and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Clinic of Psychiatry. A series of 116 adol
escent admissions was reviewed for clinical diagnosis, the nature and frequ
ency of psychotherapeutic modalities, and the role of family involvement in
patient care. Differential and adaptative approaches to the selection of t
reatment modalities in the context of an acute care setting are emphasised.