NATIONAL ADVOCACY
The American Art Therapy Association is committed to engaging, both at the state and national levels, in legislative and regulatory initiatives that move the profession forward and/or support the well-being of art therapists and the clients they serve. Through collaborations with chapters and other organizations, the Association seeks to promote public awareness, increased availability, and appropriate regulation of art therapy services and to support advocacy efforts within our wider communities of behavioral health providers, the arts, and education services.
COLLABORATIONS
The AATA is committed to allocating resources wisely to participate in collaborations with organizations that share common interests in health care, the arts and education support services. Through collaborations with groups such as the Mental Health Liaison Group (MHLG), Americans for the Arts (AftA), National Alliance of Specialized Instructional Support Personnel (NASISP), National Coalition of Creative Arts Therapies Associations (NCCATA), and others, the Association engages on national legislation and regulatory issues to express the interests and concerns of art therapists and the client groups they serve. Click the button below for a list of our collaborators.
AATA ATTENDS MEETINGS WITH COALITIONS IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
AATA is proud to be a Mental Health Liaison Group (MHLG) member, in the company of our friends from dozens of mental health associations such as the American Psychological Association, the American Counseling Association, and the American Dance Therapy Association. Participation enables the AATA to stay apprised of critical legislation affecting the communities served by art therapists and to attend MHLG monthly meetings, Congressional briefings, educational seminars, and related events throughout the year.
AATA also attends monthly meetings with the National Alliance of Specialized Instructional Support Personnel (NASISP) to remain aware and engaged in legislation affecting students both at the lower-school-level that may relate to school-based art therapy services and in higher education that may impact students in art therapy programs.
JOINT EVENTS AND CAMPAIGNS
With our partnerships and collaborators, the AATA participates in a number of annual advocacy events including:
ARTS ADVOCACY DAY
The AATA partners with the Americans for the Arts each year for their Arts Advocacy Day, a day of lobbying on Capitol Hill for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).
For more details, read our annual reports in Art Therapy Today:
NATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH
AATA joins the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) as a National Collaborating Organization for their annual Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day event. In honor of the 2018 theme, “Partnering for Health and Hope Following Trauma,” the AATA collaborated with the SAMHSA team to produce a video showcasing art therapy as a trauma-informed discipline.
Throughout the month of May, representatives of the AATA participate in Mental Health Awareness Month Briefings on Capitol Hill to help raise awareness about mental health issues and educate legislators and staff on how policies can reflect best-practice care.
Read More
For more details on the AATA’s activity during Mental Health Awareness Month, read these articles in Art Therapy Today:
NATIONAL CREATIVE ARTS THERAPIES WEEK
Each year the National Coalition of Creative Arts Therapies Associations (NCCATA) promotes the third week in March when creative arts therapists and organizations sponsor events such as special workshops, exhibitions, and career days to highlight their work to the public and to other professionals.