Includes bibliographical references (p. 335-351) and indexes.

Pt. 1. Overview -- Racism, racial identity, and skin color issues -- Extended family patterns, kinship care, and informal adoption -- Role flexibility and boundary confusion -- African american men and women: socialization and relationships -- Separation, divorce, remarriage, and stepparenting -- Religion and spirituality in African American families -- Additional important topics in African American communities -- Pt. 2. Major treatment theories, issues, and interventions -- The therapist's use of self and value conflicts -- Major family therapy approaches and their relevance to the treatment of African Americans -- The multisystems model -- Public policy issues: a guide for clinicians -- Pt. 3. Socioeconomic class issues and diversity of family structures -- Poor families and the multisystems model -- Single-parent African American families -- Middle-class African American families -- Pt. 4. Implications for supervision, training, and future research -- Implications for training and supervision -- Conclusion and implications for future clinical work and research.