Art Therapy Certification and State Licensure in Washington, DC
Call to DC-based
Art Therapists: Licensure committee request for letters of endorsement
Attention Art Therapists Who Are Working
or Have Worked in DC: The American Art Therapy Association has
made licensure for art therapists a national priority.Currently, there are four states with
independent art therapy licenses (KY, MD, MI, NM) and another four that license
art therapists under another mental health title (NY, PA, TX, WI).There are licensure efforts currently
underway in other states (FL, IL, IN, LA, NJ) and in the planning stages for
others (AZ, GA, MI, NC, OH, SC, UT, VT).
To do our part, the Potomac Art Therapy
Association (PATA) is moving forward with steps toward obtaining an independent
professional license for art therapists in Washington DC.
The PATA DC Art Therapy Licensure
Committee is calling on all art therapists who are currently working or have
worked in Washington DC to assist us in our efforts.At this stage we are collecting letters of
endorsement from the DC-based organizations that have benefited from art
therapy.We are looking for a diverse
mix of settings (psychiatric, medical, educational, community) across all wards
in DC. Obtaining these letters is an essential step in the licensure legislative
process. We urge you to take part and join us as we make history.
Here is how you can help:
Commit to collecting one letter of endorsement from your current or past employer. Email Jordan Potash at[email protected]. with your name and the name of the organization.
Once you have identified the organization that you will approach, write a draft letter according to the following guidelines:
Salutation:Address the letter to “Kathryn Martin, President, Potomac Art Therapy Association”.
Paragraph 1: Introduction and Support - Introduce the organization and state support for " a professional art therapy license in the District of Columbia"
Paragraph 2: Briefly Introduce the Organization - Paraphrase the mission statement, identify the clients who are primarily served, and describe key services offered. Make sure it is clear that DC residents are among the clients.
Paragraph 3: Role of Art Therapy - Describe how art therapy is utilized or integrated into the agency. Give an example, but be mindful of confidentiality.
Paragraph 4: Benefits of a Professional License - Describe how a professional license in art therapy would benefit the organization (easier to hire, increase service offering to more clients, ensure quality...)
Paragraph 5: Closing -Close with an additional statement of support.
*SPECIAL NOTE: If the organization is unable to engage in lobbying or political activity, they can still help.The letter should follow the same format, but do not include the statement of support.These organizations should only describe the role that art therapy has played in their organization and the benefit that a qualified art therapist can offer.
Please approach the most senior leader in your organization (i.e. Executive Director, Principal, Head of Unit, Manager,…).Let them know about the DC Art Therapy License initiative and show them the draft of the letter.They are invited to add their own personal note to the letter, but this is not required.
Once approved, print the letter on official letterhead and obtain the signature of the sender.
Send a color scan of the original to Jordan Potash at [email protected].
Mail the original to: Jordan Potash, GWU Art Therapy, 1925 Ballenger Avenue, Suite 250, Alexandria VA 22314
Please click here to view a draft letter for an example.
Your involvement is instrumental to obtaining support as DC policy makers need to hear about the invaluable work that we do as professional art therapists and that you do every day. Your work matters to us and the clients that you serve. Let’s make our work matter to DC officials, as well! Join us in shaping the future of the art therapy profession.
If you have any questions about the DC Art Therapy licensure process or obtaining a letter of endorsement, please contact Jordan Potash at [email protected].
Thank you to all for your hard work and perseverance in support of the field of art therapy.
Sincerely,
Jordan S. Potash, PhD, ATR-BC, REAT, LCPAT (MD), LCAT (NY) Licensure Committee Chair The Potomac Art Therapy Association
More information about professional licensing in Washington, DC can be obtained by contacting the DC Board of Professional Counseling. More information about registration and certification as an Art Therapist in the United States can be obtained by contacting the Art Therapy Credentials Board.
