This course provides a basic theory, concepts, and skills to understand and work with high-risk families who face with the challenges of poverty, divorce, minority status, domestic violence, child abuse, and family care. From a multicultural perspective, the influence of ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic class, religion, language receives special attention as well as the role of the social worker in assessing, intervening and supporting the family across the lifespan.