Practicum education is a critical component of master’s-level behavioral health training, providing students in social work, counseling, and marriage and family therapy with supervised, practice-based experience. However, programs increasingly face challenges recruiting and retaining practicum sites and supervisors due to high workloads, limited organizational capacity, inadequate incentives, and growing competition for placements.

This article examines how master’s-level behavioral health programs develop and expand practicum sites, support and incentivize supervisors, and address barriers to sustaining clinical training opportunities.