The authors, disillusioned by their experiences in a traditional psychiatric setting, began a crisis intervention center in October 1969. As this program increased in size, their desire to create a structure responsive to a different set of values came into conflict with internalized assumptions concerning “help,” and the role of the Organization. This paper attempts to create a conceptual framework useful in discussing the issues involved in this conflict. Distinctions between the innovative professional crisis center and the counter-cultural center are discussed.