Advocacy
Vote with Art Therapy in Mind: The AATA Guide for Election Day 2018
October 25, 2018 | Advocacy
As mental health professionals, art therapists are connected with the needs of the communities they serve. You may already be a champion for your clients in your community to ensure they get the care they need. Similarly, Election Day is an opportunity to be a champion for your clients and for the values that are core to our profession.
Virginia Board of Health Professions Votes to Recommend Licensure for Art Therapists to the Governor and Legislature
By Clara Keane | August 30, 2018 | Advocacy
On August 23, 2018 the Virginia Board of Health Professions (BHP) voted to recommend licensure for art therapists in the state of Virginia. Following years of advocacy work and a full year in the formal sunrise review process, a group of art therapists gathered to witness history unfold in the field of art therapy. After the BHP’s Regulatory Research Committee made their final recommendations and “concluded that all criteria [for state regulation] were met,” the Committee voted unanimously to “adopt a separate license for Art Therapists to practice in Virginia.”
Chapter Projects Funded by the 2017 Government Affairs Committee Grants
By Clara Keane | July 5, 2018 | Advocacy
Each year, the Government Affairs Committee (GAC) awards grants to chapters to help support their legislative goals. In 2017, grants were awarded to three chapters, the Southern California Art Therapy Association (SoCalATA), the Arizona Art Therapy Association (AzATA), and the Michigan Association of Art Therapy (MAAT).
Art Therapists Make the Case for Regulation in Virginia
By Clara Keane | June 28, 2018 | Advocacy | Events
On the morning of June 26, 2018, fifteen art therapists gathered for an open comment hearing during a meeting of the Virginia Board of Health Professions (BHP) to speak to the need to regulate art therapy to protect the public. The PHP’s initial draft report was positive, acknowledging the potential harm to the public if art therapy remains unregulated.
Recapping Mental Health Month 2018
By Clara Keane | May 31, 2018 | Children | Events
Since 1949, America has observed May as Mental Health Awareness Month. Each year as a nation, we double down on the fight against stigma and educate the public, support those struggling with mental illnesses, and promote policies grounded in evidence-based treatment and methods.
Appreciating Specialized Instructional Support Personnel: Here’s what this Means for Art Therapists
By Lida Sunderland | April 19, 2018 | Advocacy | Children | Education | #WeAreArtTherapists
April 16-20, 2018 is Specialized Instructional Support Personnel (SISP) Appreciation Week! Check out the Congressional Resolution (H. Res. 823) introduced on April 12th to honor art therapists and other SISP colleagues during this special week.
Arts Advocacy Day 2018: Taking a Stand for the Arts in America
By Clara Keane | April 5, 2018 | Advocacy | Events
The AATA is a proud National Partner of Americans for the Arts’ (AftA) Arts Advocacy Day (AAD), which gathered over 650 advocates from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, who attended more than 300 meetings with legislators and staff. AAD provides a chance each year to stand in solidarity with over 85 national arts organizations to support and defend the arts in America.
National Recognition of Art Therapy among Decision Makers
By Clara Keane | Feb. 15, 2018 | Advocacy
The AATA has seen significant increased interest in art therapy among decision makers across various levels of state government. Within the last year, art therapy has been represented in national events and initiatives by the National Lieutenant Governors’ Association (NLGA), the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), and the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM).
Virginia Sunrise Review Application Featured in Board of Health Professions Meeting
By Gretchen Graves | January 18, 2018 | Advocacy | Events
As the AATA works with members in 24 states engaged in advocacy efforts during the 2018 legislative sessions, I would like to highlight some good news from Virginia. The Virginia Board of Health Professions recently presented its proposed scope of study and schedule for a comprehensive review of the art therapy profession during a public meeting on December 7, 2017.
The Case Made for Art Therapy Licensure at the 2017 National Conference of State Legislatures
By Deborah Good | January 11, 2018 | Advocacy | Events
The AATA was invited to participate in a panel presentation entitled “The Arts and Well Being Across the Military Continuum” at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Capitol Forum in San Diego, California. I was honored to represent the AATA in this capacity and to speak on the pressing need for every state to pass licensure for art therapists.