Youth work is a field that has moved from a sole focus on the treatment of youth problems to their prevention, and more recently, the promotion of normal, healthy development. Concurrent with this trend to a more comprehensive approach to youth services (one that serves a continuum from promotion to prevention to short- and long-term treatment) has been the growth of professional development strategies that prepare and support workers in the "shallow end" of the services continuum--that is, in their role as youth development specialists. Professional development efforts have existed for several decades in the youth development field, especially among national youth organizations that have paid significant attention to training for youth work executives and to program support, such as handbooks and short training courses, for volunteers. This article provides an overview of the main issues involved in professional development in the youth development field today and examines accomplishments and challenges from a national perspective, while also discussing local practice that exemplifies many of the principles of best practice in youth development. (Contains 13 notes.)