Social Work Practice presents concise, "bottom line" information on how to interview clients. The interview is the medium through which much of social work practice takes place -- from it flow decisions about assessments and implementations and with it begins the relationship between practitioner and client, perhaps the most crucial determinant of outcome. Social Work Practice synthesizes the latest information from contemporary theory and research in social work and related fields that contribute to practitioners' competence in the social work interview. It then ties these developments to current models of working with clients and concludes with a systematic description of core interviewing skills. Discussion of each skill includes the following: definition, impact of diversity on its implementation, evidence supporting its use, challenges in its use, practice guidelines, and exercises and vignettes that help the reader to develop the skill. Each major part of the book -- interview theory and research; the interview process; and interview skills -- is carefully tied to the others so that students have a clear understanding of the pathway from concept to practice.