This article describes the case of a 17-year old white male referred for treatment by his mother. A year earlier, after a relationship breakup, he had threatened suicide & made a suicidal gesture for which he spent the night in jail. The backgrounds of both the teenager & his mother are described. The two sets of case comments, with different observations & approaches to outpatient treatment planning, highlight the challenges of providing effective follow-up care for adolescents. (31 refs.)