The purpose of the study have been: (1) to provide an explanatory, descriptive, and analytic viewpoint of the functions and structure of crisis intervention centers (2) to provide an intensive investigation of counseling and treatment practices in crisis intervention centers and (3) to relate the experiences that the writer has encountered as a resident counselor at Help House Inc. (twenty-four hour drug and crisis intervention center in Denton, Texas) to sociological, psychological, social psychological and philosophical constructs that deal with or pertain to crisis intervention, particularly in the area of drug use. The study indicates how participatory observation serves as an aid in acquiring insight into sociological areas such as crisis intervention centers. The role of the participatory observer is most important because concepts and theories arise out of actual situations.