Legislative News
Dept. of Education Art Therapy Project Grants FAQ
February 11, 2021
We want to share with you a recent notice by the Department of Education’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education inviting applications for new awards for FY 2021 for the Assistance for Arts Education (AAE) Program. The agency identifies Art Therapy as a program priority—so we encourage you and your colleagues to consider applying. This is an excellent opportunity to support the work of art therapists making an impact every day in our schools!
Vote with Mental Health in Mind — 2020 AATA Guide
October 19, 2020
As mental health professionals, art therapists are closely connected with the needs of the communities they serve, especially now during the Coronavirus pandemic. Election Day is an opportunity to be a champion for your clients—and an advocate for mental health and the values that are core to our profession.
Art Therapy is Particularly Effective in Times of Crisis
September 24, 2020
In the survey, we asked respondents: “As an art therapist, how would you describe to someone unfamiliar with the profession why art therapy is uniquely suited to support mental health during this pandemic?” The survey takers explained that art therapy is particularly effective during times of crisis, especially in coping with isolation, changes in circumstance, trauma, and grief.
Virginia Governor Announced Appointments to the Advisory Board on Art Therapy
September 10, 2020
On August 28, 2020, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announced appointments to the Advisory Board on Art Therapy — the first step to implementing the art therapy license, which took effect on July 1st, 2020. The AATA congratulates each appointee for this accomplishment and thanks them for their service to the art therapy profession.
Art Therapy Legislation 101 Learning Module
August 25, 2020 | By Ashley Skelly
As an art therapist or art therapy supporter, you are often asked to take action to contact state government legislators/leaders. Politics can be confusing to navigate, and the prospect of contacting senators/representatives may seem intimidating. However, legislators want to hear about the issues and changes needed from the people they represent – YOU!
Mental Health Policy Implications during the Coronavirus Pandemic
August 24, 2020
While the results of this survey of art therapists capture a particular moment during the Coronavirus pandemic—when 95% of Americans were under some sort of stay-at-home policy—the findings remain relevant as the number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise. We hope that these results will help inform how lawmakers address the ongoing mental health ramifications of the pandemic and better support mental health professionals.
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.
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.
First Licensure Applications Approved in New Jersey as Authority Transfers Boards
June 18, 2020
During the final meeting of the Art Therapy Advisory Committee on June 16th the first set of licensure applications (approx. 15-20) were approved! However, after a four-year journey of implementing the art therapy license enacted in 2016, the way forward in the application process is once again uncertain as authority to process applications transitions from the current Advisory Committee of the State Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners to a new State Board of Creative Arts Therapies, effective June 19, 2020.