December 18, 2024
At its November meeting, the Board of Directors of the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) approved the revisions to the CAAHEP Standards and Guidelines for the Accreditation of Educational Programs in Art Therapy.
Prior to the Open Hearing held on September 24, ACATE reviewed the 57 comments that were received during the preceding public comment period. A significant number of those comments suggested changes in specific wording. Much of the terminology in the Standards is part of the CAAHEP template for all allied health professions and, therefore, is unchangeable. Many of the terms deemed “vague” by the commenters were intentionally broad to allow for individual program autonomy and flexibility. For language more specific to the Art Therapy profession, the ACATE opted to maintain the phraseology developed by the Standards Revision Ad Hoc Review Committees over months of deliberation during the revision process.
One suggested edit was adopted to enhance the understanding of the qualifications for Practicum/Internship Coordinator (see Standard III.B.4.b.). Additionally, adding a requirement that Program Directors hold doctoral degrees was revisited. The ACATE recognizes that, although a terminal degree is preferred, at this time, this requirement would place a burden on programs already strapped to find qualified art therapy educators and this subject was tabled for consideration during future revisions.
There were a number of comments related to two important topics: student-to-faculty/supervisor ratios and curriculum content.
Regarding ratios, while ACATE understands the value and utility of specifying numbers, CAAHEP and ACATE are committed to individual program autonomy. This does not mean that there are no mechanisms in place for addressing non-compliance with the Standards or for evaluating the efficacy and quality of the student experience, for example, many concerns related to ratios may be addressed under Standard III.A. Resources or Appendix B.4.b.8. Content Area B.8. Supervision and Consultation. Furthermore, while acknowledging that other bodies, such as CACREP, COAMFTE, or MPCAC, do provide ratios, it is helpful to note that ACATE is not the accrediting body, CAAHEP is. And, as noted, CAAHEP is tasked with standardizing core principles across more than 30 health science professions.
Substantial attention was focused on the details of Appendix B: Curriculum Competency Requirements for Educational Programs in Art Therapy. During the review of the comments, it appeared that many of the commenters were interpreting the content areas as single courses. Additionally, it seemed that individual competencies were not considered within the context of the overall description of the content area(s). In response to those concerns, the ACATE considered the description provided for Appendix B.2. Core Curriculum Content Areas, which states:
The following Core Curriculum content areas describe required curriculum content but do not refer to course titles or required courses. The Core Curriculum content areas are more specifically delineated into competencies that allow programs to have goal-defining minimum expectations to prepare entry-level Art Therapists.
with the following guidelines:
Programs may combine content into a single course or distribute content over multiple courses as they develop curriculum to address program mission, goals, and outcomes. Attention to state licensing requirements also may assist in determining course structure and content.
As such, the concerns were reviewed with consideration of program autonomy to determine the depth and breadth of each content area topic.
The new Standards will be posted on the CAAHEP website with an effective date of January 1, 2026. In the upcoming weeks, ACATE will provide more details regarding the transition to the new Standards.
The ACATE wishes to extend heartfelt appreciation to all who submitted comments and input during the years-long revision process.
For more information or to request a copy of these updates and additions to the Standards contact: ACATE Executive Director, Eliza Homer, PhD, ATR-BC, LCPC, NCC, at acatecouncil@gmail.com