When secondary school students display continued negative behaviors, school administrators often decide to assign out-of-school suspension or transfer the students to alternative placements, citing the school's inability to educate these students in the district's home setting. Out-of-district placements are not an option for all districts, pushing them to create their own alternative programs, relying on their own discipline policies. Zero-tolerance policies, which rely on out-of-school suspensions, often fail to change behaviors and can, in fact, contribute to increased negative behavior. Public educators, often concerned with declining graduation rates, have observed an increase in students with mental health disorders, who exhibit negative behaviors. In an attempt to ensure the safety and success of all students, districts have proposed alternative settings, which include psychiatric day-treatment components. This case study explored and sought to understand the intersection of psychiatric treatment with providing instruction in the state-required academics in two alternative learning programs. Additionally, this study explored the relationship between participation in the alternative-learning programs and a diminished suspension rate. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]