AATA News
Registration is Open for AATA’s Virtual Conference!
August 13, 2020 | Susan Boxer Kappel
We are excited to announce that registration for our virtual conference, Art Therapy Connected: Advancing Mental Health in a Virtual World is now open! The conference is an exceptional education and networking opportunity that provides attendees with flexibility and a library of up to 57 hours of on-demand learning! We invite you to join us!
Standing up for Mental Health during COVID-19
July 30, 2020
From the start of the Coronavirus pandemic, AATA has joined our coalitions in mental health, specialized instructional support personnel (SISPs) in schools, and the arts in congressional COVID-19 relief package negotiations and working with federal agencies.
Bicameral Resolution to Designate July as BIPOC Month
July 30, 2020
The AATA strongly supports the goals of this bicameral resolution to bring awareness to the disparities in the incidence of mental health-related challenges faced by black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) and to encourage Congress to act to address the systemic drivers of those disparities through culturally-informed mental health services.
A Warm Welcome to AATA’s New Online Student Corner
July 30, 2020
We are so pleased to be able to welcome our members to AATA’s new Student Corner, an online community forum created especially for student involvement. Students are the future of art therapy, and we look forward in being able to share in your insights and discussions about the student experience in art therapy!
Join the Multicultural Committee’s Digital Healing Quilt Project
July 22, 2020 | Multicultural Committee
The American Art Therapy Association’s Multicultural Committee is launching a digital art project, the Healing Quilt, for which we encourage art therapy professionals, students, local chapters, and graduate and undergraduate programs to contribute a digital copy of an artwork.
Early Bird Registration Rates are Here to Stay!
July 15, 2020 | Susan Boxer Kappel
To add more flexibility during this challenging time and based on feedback we have heard from members, we are continuing the early bird rate, and will offer the lowest registration rates all the way through to the conference dates in Washington, DC. We hope this provides more reassurance and flexibility for your planning.
Statement on ICE’s Mandate that International Students Resume In-Person Classes or Face Deportation during Coronavirus Pandemic
July 10, 2020
For art therapy students, this rule is particularly harsh. Few academic institutions offer art therapy programs, so students would be challenged to find an alternative program if the school they are currently enrolled in remains online in the fall. In addition, the art therapy profession itself is needed now more than ever as the mental health ramifications of the Coronavirus pandemic continue to grow—and our country faces a dire shortage of mental health care providers. Furthermore, the United States has long been a pioneer in the field of art therapy. Our art therapy programs educate and train over two thousand art therapists annually, many of whom go on to become mental health care providers and advocates in other countries.
It’s Black, Indigenous, People of Color Mental Health Month
July2, 2020
July is known as Minority Mental Health Month and, more recently, people have been using the more inclusive term, Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) Mental Health Month. As Mental Health America puts it, “The continued use of ‘minority or marginalized’ sets up BIPOC communities in terms of their quantity instead of their quality and removes their personhood…The word ‘minority’ also emphasizes the power differential between ‘majority’ and ‘minority’ groups and can make BIPOC feel as though ‘minority’ is synonymous with inferiority.”
A Newly Revised and More Flexible Conference Refund Policy is Now in Place
July 2, 2020 | Susan Boxer Kappel
During these challenging times of Coronavirus, we understand the apprehension about making plans to attend a conference which may require air travel and a hotel stay—and is still four months away. As previously communicated, in response to the feedback we are receiving from our members, we are developing plans to ensure that everyone will have an opportunity to participate in the AATA 2020 Conference in some shape or form, be it in person or virtually.
Art Therapy Licensure is Official Law in Washington, DC
July 2, 2020
The AATA is thrilled to announce that licensure of art therapists in the District of Columbia is now official law! The art therapy licensure legislation passed congressional review, the final step of the legislative process, and was assigned Law Number L23-0115 on June 24, 2020. With the Virginia license recently enacted in May of 2020, art therapy licensure is now the law throughout the entire DMV (District – Maryland – Virginia) area.