The authors describe the work of a Veterans Administration task force in developing guidelines for staffing patterns and team composition on a hospital inpatient ward. The task force first defined the objectives of treatment, and then proceeded to define the needs of patients and their families, the types of professionals constituting the mental health team, and the functions they performed. It also identified the specific activities required in providing patient care, the staff involved in them, and those who could be involved, in some cases with more training.