Letters to a Young Practitioner: Essays of Advice brings together invaluable insight from a variety of professionals in the counseling and educational practice fields into a single volume to provide students-in-training and new practitioners with mentorship. The text promotes career self-actualization and offers readers a greater understanding of the culture of their given profession, the technical knowledge they need to advance in their careers, suggestions for professional development, and more. The book features 22 essays written by clinical psychologists, couple/marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers, and others. Each essay is divided into three specific sections in which contributors provide general information about their educational background, discuss their experience and area of expertise, and offer advice in a particular area. Individual essays explore building community ties and navigating clinical errors; the experience of mentoring international students; handling conversations about race with clients; the challenges and promises inherent in child welfare social work; navigating the helping professions as a person of color; community and school-based therapy; and more. Offering readers the unique opportunity to receive valuable insight and mentorship from diverse practitioners in a single volume, Letters to a Young Practitioner is an exemplary resource for courses and programs in the helping professions, as well as new practitioners in the field.

In Black Families: A Systems Approach, Anthony James convenes the voices of social scholars to examine the multifaceted nature of black family life. Grounded in family systems theory, the book provides readers with a unique lens through which to better understand the structures of, and processes within, black families. Through interaction with valuable literature and nuanced perspectives, readers learn to embrace a multidimensional perspective of black family life. The text begins by presenting theory, history, and methods of engaging in research with black family life. Chapters explore belief systems and contextual influences, including perspectives on fatherhood, the dynamics of military and interracial families, and the effects of mass incarceration on black families. The text examines family processes and structures, addressing racial socialization, marriage, divorce, interfaith relationships, and more. Readers learn about mental health and well-being from a clinician's perspective and how economics and politics impact black families systems. The final section speaks to the future, with suggestions for expanding and improving research, practice, theory, and policy related to black family life. Featuring relevant social inquiry and scholarly perspective, Black Families is an ideal textbook for courses that explore family theories and diverse family systems and structures.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI): A Practical Guide provides readers with an effective model for fostering DEI within a variety of contexts, including education, corporate settings, nonprofit agencies, social organizations, and more. It equips any grouping of individuals with a desire to advance issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion with the ability to clearly articulate their goals and then strategically move toward them. Each of the chapters within this brief and accessible volume outlines a specific step within the greater DEI model: identifying the area of DEI to be addressed; articulating intended outcomes; identifying metrics of changes; listing and securing the resources needed to achieve expected outcomes; deciding upon an entity or individual who will be accountable for the change process; and establishing a clear timeline. Throughout, examples illuminate the material and bring the spirit of the model to life. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is an excellent and timely resource, whether for individuals and organizations who are new to concepts and processes related to DEI, or those who have experience but want to take their practices to the next level.