The toolkit provides practical guidance for clinics, agencies, community organizations, and private practices seeking to establish or enhance clinical counselling/psychotherapy practicum opportunities.

VICTORIA, BC, June 8, 2026 /CNW/ - The BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC) has announced the launch of its 'Practicum Toolkit' – a comprehensive blueprint for those offering mental health services in any capacity to set up and maintain high-quality practicum sites for clinical counselling/psychotherapy students.

Establishing more high-quality and consistent training pathways for clinical counsellors and psychotherapists is the need of the hour in British Columbia. It helps bridge the gap between academia and practice and strengthens the future mental health workforce in the province. However, many clinics, group practices, non-profits, and community organizations struggle with the logistics, liability, and supervision demands. This limits the number of robust practicum sites available to clinical counselling/psychotherapy students. By providing a practical roadmap for establishing and operating practicum sites, BCACC aims to reduce barriers for organizations interested in supporting student training. The toolkit is designed to help expand practicum opportunities, strengthen workforce development, and increase the availability of mental health services across British Columbia.

BCACC developed the Practicum Toolkit in collaboration with educational institutions, supervisors, clinics, and stakeholders across the mental health sector. It not only simplifies the often-complex process of establishing a practicum site, but also provides practical resources covering the following:

• Student onboarding and evaluation tools
• Supervision contracts
• Checklists
• Evaluation rubrics
• Learning plan templates
• Interview questions
• Consent forms
• Practice management checklists
• Clinical supervision frameworks
• Templates for supervision agreements, learning plans, and assessments
• Risk management and public protection measures

This announcement comes at a time when demand for mental health services continues to grow across British Columbia. By helping organizations establish high-quality practicum experiences, BCACC hopes to increase the number of training opportunities available to clinical counselling / psychotherapy students, support workforce development, and improve access to mental health services in communities throughout the province.

BCACC CEO, Michael Radano says, "We're pleased to launch the Practicum Toolkit after months of consultation and collaboration with educators, supervisors, and practitioners across the sector. Practicum placements are essential to developing the next generation of clinical counsellors / psychotherapists. By helping organizations establish and strengthen practicum opportunities, we are investing in workforce growth, expanding training capacity, and improving access to mental health services throughout British Columbia."

Free online session on using the BCACC Practicum Toolkit: To guide stakeholders through the process of setting up a practicum site, the BCACC has organized a free panel discussion workshop on June 17. The session will be led by seasoned clinicians and clinical supervisors - Jane Beaumont, MC, RCC-ACS: Director of Clinical Practice at the BCACC, Dr. Janine Orlando, Ph.D., RCC-ACS: Founder and Director of Magnolia Health and Wellness and the Canadian Therapist Network Inc., and Dr. Susie Lang-Gould, RCC-ACS: Director of Peace Portal Counselling Centre.

The free session is open to anybody wishing to set up a new practicum site or improve/strengthen an existing practicum site. Registrations for the session are currently open.

BCACC: Founded in 1988, the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC) is a non-profit provincial professional association representing more than 10,000 members. BCACC advocates for the clinical counselling and psychotherapy profession and for improved public access to mental health services. Its regulated members, Registered Clinical Counsellors (RCCs), are held to rigorous standards of practice and a strict code of ethics in service and protection of the public. More information on their website, www.bcacc.ca

SOURCE BC Association of Clinical Counsellors