Differential Clinical Assessments: The Influence of Class and Race

The clinical assessment or "clinical judgment" of clients has historically served as a guide for the interventions of social work practitioners. Yet, despite the critical importance of such judgments, very little is known about how certain variables influence the clinical judgment process. This study explored the nature of the interaction between practitioner variables associated with differential judgments and the client variables of class and race. The paper describes specific strategies likely to increase practitioners' effectiveness with working-class and black clients, and the implications of these findings for future research endeavors.