EXHIBIT 5.1
                                 [LETTERHEAD]

404/572-4676                                                        404/572-5147

                                April 16, 1998



Magellan Health Services, Inc.
3414 Peachtree Road, N.E.
Suite 1400
Atlanta, Georgia 30326

     Re:  2,566,622 Shares of Common Stock, $.25 par value per share, of 
          Magellan Health Services, Inc.
          ---------------------------------------------------------------

Gentlemen:

     We have acted as counsel to Magellan Health Services, Inc. (the 
"Company"), in connection with the preparation and filing of a Registration 
Statement on Form S-3 (the "Registration Statement"), for registration under 
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, of 2,566,622 shares of Common Stock, 
$.25 par value per share, of the Company (the "Common Stock"). The shares of 
Common Stock are issuable upon the exercise of the Stock Purchase Warrants 
(collectively, the "Stock Purchase Warrants") issued by the Company to each 
of Crescent Operating, Inc. and Crescent Real Estate Equities Limited 
Partnership.

     In rendering the opinions expressed below we have examined the 
Registration Statement, the Stock Purchase Warrants, and such other documents 
as we have deemed necessary to enable us to express the opinions hereinafter 
set forth. In addition, we have examined and relied, to the extent we deemed 
proper, on certificates of officers of the Company as to factual matters, on 
the originals or copies certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction 
of all such corporate records of the Company and such other instruments and 
certificates of public officials and other persons as we have deemed 
appropriate. In our examination, we have assumed the authenticity of all 
documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to the original 
documents of all documents submitted to us as copies, and the genuineness of 
all signatures on documents reviewed by us and the legal capacity of natural 
persons.

     Based upon and subject to the foregoing, we are of the opinion that all 
legal and corporate proceedings necessary for the authorization and issuance 
of the shares of Common Stock to be issued by the Company pursuant to the 
Stock Purchase Warrants have been duly taken and the shares of Common Stock, 
upon issuance pursuant to the terms of the Stock Purchase Warrants, will be 
duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

     We hereby consent to (a) the filing of the foregoing legal opinion as an 
exhibit to the Registration Statement and all amendments thereto and (b) all 
references to our firm in the Registration Statement.

                                       Very truly yours



                                       /s/ KING & SPALDING
                                       ---------------------------------------
                                       King & Spalding