AMENDMENT NO. 8
                                         TO
                    SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT

                  AMENDMENT   NO.  8  dated  as  of  January   24,   1996  (this
"Amendment") to the SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT dated as of May
2,  1994 (as  amended  by  Amendment  No. 1  thereto  dated as of June 9,  1994,
Amendment No. 2 thereto dated as of September 30, 1994,  Amendment No. 3 thereto
dated as of December 12, 1994,  Amendment  No. 4 thereto dated as of January 11,
1995,  Amendment  No. 5 thereto  dated as of March  17,  1995,  Amendment  No. 6
thereto  dated as of October 17, 1995 and  Amendment  No. 7 thereto  dated as of
November 30, 1995, the "Credit Agreement"), each among MAGELLAN HEALTH SERVICES,
INC., a Delaware  corporation formerly known as CHARTER MEDICAL CORPORATION (the
"Company"), the banking and other financial institutions from time to time party
thereto (the "Lenders"),  BANKERS TRUST COMPANY,  as agent for the Lenders,  and
FIRST UNION NATIONAL BANK OF NORTH CAROLINA, as Co-Agent. Capitalized terms used
herein and not defined herein shall have the  respective  meanings set forth for
such terms in the Credit Agreement after giving effect to the amendments thereto
set forth herein.

                            W I T N E S S E T H :

                  WHEREAS,  the Company has requested that the Credit  Agreement
be amended  to,  among other  things,  (a)  disregard  certain  cash  settlement
payments for purposes of the  definition of EBITDA and (b) provide that the sale
by the  Company of certain  shares of common  stock of Green  Spring will not be
considered an Asset Sale under the Credit Agreement; and

                  WHEREAS,   subject  to  and  upon  the  terms  and  conditions
hereinafter set forth and in the Credit Agreement as amended hereby, the Lenders
party hereto are willing to agree to the foregoing;

                  NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:

                  Section 1.  Amendments to Credit Agreement.  Effective as of 
December 31, 1995, the Credit Agreement is amended as follows:

                  (a)  Section 8.2 of the Credit Agreement is amended by (i) 
deleting the "and" at the end of clause (k) thereof, (ii) replacing the period 
at the end of clause (l)


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thereof  with ";  and" and  (iii)  inserting  the  following  at the end of such
Section as clause (m) thereof:

                                     "(m) so long as no Default or Event of 
         Default has occurred and is continuing either immediately  before or 
         after giving effect thereto, the Company may sell the New Green Spring
         Common Stock to any Person in one or more transactions, and such 
         transactions will not individually or in the aggregate constitute an 
         Asset Sale other than for purposes of Section 7.1(e)(iii);  provided 
         that: (i) each such sale is made for consideration that is at least  
         equal to the fair
         market value of such New Green Spring Common  Stock,  (ii) at least 70%
         of the  consideration  therefor  is the  payment  of  Cash,  (iii)  the
         Collateral Agent has a perfected Lien on any non-Cash proceeds received
         in such sale, other than notes and similar  instruments  having, in the
         aggregate,  a principal  amount of $500,000 or less,  (iv)  immediately
         after giving effect to each of such  transactions  individually  and in
         the  aggregate,  the  Company  will  own  at  least  51%  of all of the
         outstanding  shares of each class of capital stock of Green Spring on a
         fully diluted basis,  and (v)  notwithstanding  anything  herein to the
         contrary,  the  entire  amount of any  excess of (A) the  consideration
         received by the Company in  connection  with such sale or sales of such
         New  Green  Spring  Common  Stock  over (B) the  consideration  paid or
         payable by the Company in connection  with the  acquisition of such New
         Green Spring Common Stock (it being  understood  that to the extent all
         or any part of such  consideration  consti tuted Company  Common Stock,
         the amount of such consideration  shall be considered zero for purposes
         of  this  clause  (B)),  which  excess  shall  be  deter  mined  either
         proportionately  on a per share basis or in the aggregate,  as the case
         may be,  shall  constitute  Net  Proceeds of an Asset Sale and shall be
         used to make the prepayments required by Section 4.2(a) hereof."

                  (b) The  definition  of the term "Asset Sale" in Section 10 of
the Credit  Agreement  is amended by (i) deleting the "and" at the end of clause
(vi) of the second proviso  thereof and (ii) inserting ", and (viii) the sale by
the Company of New Green Spring Common Stock to the extent  permitted by Section
8.2(m)" at the end of clause (vii) of the second proviso thereof.

                  (c) The  definition  of the term "EBITDA" in Section 10 of the
Credit  Agreement  is amended by  inserting  the  following  at the end  thereof
"Notwithstanding  anything  in the  foregoing  to the  contrary,  (a)  Insurance
Settlement  Payments made at any time prior to or on December 31, 1995 shall not
be deducted from the calculation of EBITDA for the relevant period,  and (b) if,
on or prior to March 31, 1996, the


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Company shall have  consummated  the sale of shares of Company Common Stock to a
group of  investors  led by  Richard  Rainwater  and Darla  Moore and shall have
received Cash Net Proceeds from such  transaction in an amount at least equal to
$60,000,000,  Insurance  Settlement Payments made at any time after December 31,
1995 shall not be  deducted  from the  calculation  of EBITDA  for the  relevant
period; provided that such Insurance Settlement Payments do not in the aggregate
exceed $67,300,000 at any time."

                  (d) The following is inserted after the definition of the term
"Initial NME Acquisition Closing" in Section 10 of the Credit Agreement:

                           "'Insurance  Settlement Payments' shall mean the cash
         payments made from time to time by the Company to the insurers that are
         party to the Set tlement  Agreements  dated November 16, 1994 and March
         31, 1995, respective ly, in accordance with Schedule 10.1(f) hereto and
         in an aggregate amount not to exceed $67,300,000."

                  (e) The definition of the term "Net Proceeds" in Section 10 of
the Credit  Agreement  is amended by (i) deleting the "and" at the end of clause
(a) and (ii)  inserting  "; and (c) in the case of any sale of New Green  Spring
Common Stock,  the amount set forth in clause (v) of Section  8.2(m)" at the end
of the first sentence.

                  (f) The following is inserted after the definition of the term
"Net Proceeds" in Section 10 of the Credit Agreement:

                           "'New Green Spring Common Stock' shall mean the 1,349
         shares of common  stock of Green  Spring  purchased  by the  Company on
         December 21, 1995 from Health Care Service Corporation for an aggregate
         consideration  of  $16,705,098,  which  shares  represent  10%  of  the
         outstanding common stock of Green Spring."

                  (g)  Exhibit A hereto is added as Schedule 10.1(f) to the 
Credit Agreement.

                  Section 2.  Representations and Warranties.  The Company 
hereby represents and warrants to the Agent and the Lenders that:



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                  (a)  Exhibit A is a true,  correct  and  complete  copy of the
payment schedules relating to the Insurance Settlement Payments, as adjusted for
future asset sales.

                  (b)  The  execution  and  delivery  by  the  Company  of  this
Amendment and the performance by the Company of the Credit  Agreement as amended
hereby are within the Company's  corporate powers,  have been duly authorized by
all  necessary  corporate  or  other  action  and will  not (i)  contravene  the
certificate  or articles of  incorporation  or the bylaws of the  Company,  (ii)
contravene any law, regulation,  order, writ, judgment, decree, determination or
award  currently  in effect  binding on or  affecting  the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries or any of their respective assets, except where such contra vention
would not have a Material  Adverse  Effect,  or (iii) conflict with or result in
any breach of any of the  terms,  covenants,  conditions  or  provisions  of, or
constitute a default under,  or result in the creation or imposition of any Lien
(except  pursuant to the Security  Documents) upon any of the property or assets
of the  Company  or any of its  Subsid  iaries  pursuant  to the terms  of,  any
indenture,  mortgage,  deed of trust,  agreement or other instrument (including,
without  limitation,  the Senior  Subordinated  Notes  Inden  ture) to which the
Company or any of its  Subsidiaries  is a party or by which the Compa ny, any of
its Subsidiaries or any of their respective properties or assets is bound or sub
ject to,  except to the extent  such  conflict,  breach,  default or creation or
imposition would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

                  (c) This  Amendment,  the Credit  Agreement as amended hereby,
and after giving effect to this Amendment, the other Credit Documents constitute
the legal,  valid and binding  obligations  of the Company and the other  Credit
Parties party thereto,  enforceable  against the Company and such Credit Parties
in  accordance  with  their  re  spective  terms,  except  to  the  extent  such
enforceability   may  be   limited   by   applicable   bankruptcy,   insolvency,
reorganization,  moratorium  or  similar  laws  affecting  the en  forcement  of
creditors' rights generally,  and by general principles of equity (regardless of
whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding in equity or at law).

                  (d) On and as of the date  hereof,  and both  before and after
giving effect to this Amendment, no Default or Event of Default has occurred and
is continuing.

                  (e) The  representations and warranties of the Company and the
other  Credit  Parties  contained in the Credit  Agreement  and the other Credit
Documents are true and correct on and as of the date hereof as if made on and as
of the date hereof both before and after giving effect to the  effectiveness  of
this  Amendment,  except  to the  extent  such  representations  and  warranties
expressly relate to a specific date.


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                  Section  3.   Effectiveness.   This  Amendment   shall  become
effective when the Agent shall have received duly executed  counterparts of this
Amendment  from the Company,  each  Subsidiary of the Company that is a party to
any Credit Document and as many of the Lenders as shall be necessary to comprise
the "Required Lenders".

                  Section 4. Company  Certificate.  The Company hereby agrees to
provide a certificate  to the Agent on or prior to March 31, 1996  regarding the
sale by the Company of shares of Company  Common  Stock to a group of  investors
led by Richard  Rainwater and Darla Moore,  which  certificate shall specify (i)
whether such transaction has been consummated,  and (ii) if such transaction has
been  consummated,  (a) that  immediately  before and after giving effect to the
consummation  of such  transaction  no Default  or Event of  Default  shall have
occurred or be  continuing  and (b) the  aggregate  amount of net cash  proceeds
received by the Company in connection with such transac tion.

                  Section  5.  Status of Credit  Documents.  This  Amendment  is
limited  solely for the purposes and to the extent  expressly  set forth herein,
and, except as ex pressly modified hereby, the terms,  provisions and conditions
of the Credit Documents and the Liens granted  thereunder shall continue in full
force and effect and are hereby ratified and confirmed in all respects.

                  Section 6.  Counterparts.  This  Amendment may be executed and
delivered in any number of counterparts  and by the different  parties hereto on
separate counterparts,  each of which when so executed and delivered shall be an
original,  but  all  of  which  shall  together  constitute  one  and  the  same
instrument.  A complete set of counterparts shall be lodged with the Company and
the Agent.

                  Section 7.  Governing Law.  THIS AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSTRUED
IN ACCORDANCE WITH, AND SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
(WITHOUT GIVING EFFECT TO THE CONFLICT OF LAW PRINCIPLES THEREOF).



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                  IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the parties  hereto  have  caused  their
respective duly authorized  officers to execute and deliver this Amendment No. 8
to the Second Amended and Restated  Credit  Agreement as of the date first above
written.

                                            MAGELLAN HEALTH SERVICES, INC.


                                            By:________________________
                                      Name:
                                     Title:


                                            BANKERS TRUST COMPANY,
                                              as Agent and a Lender


                                            By:________________________
                                      Name:
                                     Title:


                                            FIRST UNION NATIONAL BANK OF
                                              NORTH CAROLINA, as Co-Agent
                                              and a Lender


                                            By:________________________
                                      Name:
                                     Title:


                                            BANK OF AMERICA NATIONAL TRUST
                                              AND SAVINGS ASSOCIATION


                                            By:________________________
                                      Name:
                                     Title:



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                                            BANK OF IRELAND


                                            By:________________________
                                      Name:
                                     Title:


                                            BANQUE FRANCAISE COMMERCE
                                              D'EXTERIEUR


                                            By:________________________
                                      Name:
                                     Title:


                                            CREDIT LYONNAIS,
                                              Cayman Islands Branch


                                            By:________________________
                                      Name:
                                     Title:


                                            DRESDNER BANK AG, New York and
                                              Grand Cayman Islands Branches


                                            By:________________________
                                      Name:
                                     Title:


                                            By:________________________
                                      Name:
                                     Title:



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                                            GENERAL ELECTRIC CAPITAL
                                              CORPORATION


                                            By:________________________
                                      Name:
                                     Title:


                                            GIROCREDIT BANK AG DER
                                              SPARKESSEN


                                            By:________________________
                                      Name:
                                     Title:

                                            THE BANK OF NEW YORK


                                            By:________________________
                                      Name:
                                     Title:


                                            THE MITSUBISHI BANK, LIMITED,
                                              New York Branch


                                            By:________________________
                                      Name:
                                     Title:




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Consented  and  agreed  to as of the date  first  above  written  by each of the
entities listed on Schedule I hereto:


By:____________________
   Name:
   Title:              ,
                  of each of the entities
                  listed on Schedule I hereto



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