2021 – 2023 STRATEGIC PLAN
In July 2021, the American Art Therapy Association’s Board of Directors adopted a new Strategic Plan along with new Mission and Vision statements. The board also identified Five Pillars, or priority areas of focus for the Association. Over the next three years, AATA’s leadership, members, and staff will work toward the goals laid out in this strategic plan.
OUR MISSION: To advance art therapy as a regulated mental health profession and build a community that supports art therapists throughout their careers.
OUR VISION: A world where everyone has access to professional art therapy for improved mental health and well-being.
Download the 2021 – 2023 Strategic Plan PDF
To further our mission, AATA’s priorities, or Five Pillars, for 2021-2023 are:
- Advocacy: Advocate for the profession and the communities art therapists serve
- Connection: Strengthen a diverse community that supports art therapists throughout their careers and increase member value and engagement
- Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI): Continue to diversify membership; and attract, diversify, and support the next generation of art therapists
- Education & Research: Expand access to professional and career development; maximize public awareness of the value of art therapy; and serve as the leading resource for scholarship and research
- Leadership: Develop a culture of mentoring and empowering the next generation; and create an organizational culture of accountability and long-term sustainability
The strategic plan recognizes that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) impacts all aspects of the association’s work and policies, as well as the field of art therapy and the communities our members serve. The priorities and goals identified in the strategic plan embody the principles articulated in our 2017 Values statement and in our DE&I Mission and Vision statements, approved in 2019.