Department of Labor

Licensed Creative Arts Therapist

Description:

The Licensed Creative Arts Therapist uses the arts, as approved by the Department, for the assessment, evaluation and therapeutic intervention and treatment of mental, emotional, developmental and behavioral disorders. The Licensed Creative Arts Therapist uses assessment instruments and psychotherapy to identify, evaluate and treat dysfunctions and disorders for the purpose of providing appropriate creative arts therapy services.

Licensure Requirements:

The practice of Creative Arts Therapy and use of the titles "Creative Arts Therapist" and "Licensed Creative Arts Therapist" or any derivative thereof within New York State requires licensure as a Creative Arts Therapist, unless otherwise exempt under the law.

To be licensed as a Creative Arts Therapist in New York State you must:

• be of good moral character, as determined by the Department;
• be at least 21 years of age;
• meet education requirements;
• meet experience requirements;
• meet examination requirements; and
• complete coursework or training in the identification and reporting of child abuse offered by a New York State approved provider.

The specific requirements for licensure are contained in Title 8, Article 163, Section 8404 of the New York State Education Law and Section 52.34 and Subpart 79-11 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education.

Education Requirements:

To meet the professional education requirement for licensure as a Creative Arts Therapist, you must present evidence of receiving a master's or doctoral degree in Creative Arts Therapy from a program that is:

• registered by the Department as licensure qualifying;
• accredited by the American Art Therapy Association or another acceptable accrediting agency; or
• determined by the Department to be the substantial equivalent of such a registered or accredited program.

Experience Requirements Requirements:

To meet the experience requirement for licensure as a Creative Arts Therapist, you must complete at least 1,500 contact hours of post-degree supervised experience in the practice of Creative Arts Therapy. Any experience obtained in New York State must be performed by an applicant under a limited permit issued by the Department, except the Department may, in limited circumstances, accept experience that was not obtained under a limited permit where an applicant demonstrates that such experience was obtained in an authorized setting under a qualified supervisor.

Any experience completed in another jurisdiction may be accepted by the Department if it was completed in a setting authorized to provide Creative Arts Therapy in that jurisdiction and the experience was provided under a qualified supervisor, as determined by the Department. The supervised experience must be obtained after completion of the master's or higher degree program required for licensure.

For information about limited permits, see the Limited Permits section. You must apply for a license and have your education approved to be eligible for a limited permit.

The practice of Creative Arts Therapy is defined in Education Law as:

• the assessment, evaluation, and the therapeutic intervention and treatment, which may be either primary, parallel or adjunctive, of mental, emotional, developmental and behavioral disorders through the use of the arts as approved by the Department; and
• the use of assessment instruments and mental health counseling and psychotherapy to identify, evaluate and treat dysfunctions and disorders for purposes of providing appropriate Creative Arts Therapy services.

Not less than 1,000 clock hours of such required experience shall consist of direct contact with clients. The remaining experience may consist of other activities that do not involve direct client contact, including but not limited to, recordkeeping, case management, supervision, and professional development.

To be acceptable to the Department, your supervised experience must meet the following supervision and setting requirements.

Supervision of Experience

Your supervisor must be licensed and registered in New York State as a Creative Arts Therapist, physician, physician assistant, psychologist, licensed clinical social worker, registered professional nurse or nurse practitioner and competent in the practice of Creative Arts Therapy, or must have the equivalent qualifications as determined by the Department.

An applicant must obtain experience for licensure while under the general supervision of a qualified supervisor. General supervision means that a qualified supervisor is available for consultation, assessment and evaluation when professional services are being rendered by an applicant and the supervisor exercises the degree of supervision appropriate to the circumstances.

The supervisor must provide at least one hour per week or four hours per month of in-person individual or group supervision where the supervisor:

• reviews the applicant’s assessment, evaluation and treatment of each client under his or her general supervision; and
• provides oversight, guidance and direction to the applicant in developing skills as a Creative Arts Therapist.

In addition, the supervisor is responsible for appropriate oversight of all services provided by a limited permit holder under his or her general supervision. No supervisor can supervise more than five limited permit holders at one time.

The setting where the experience is obtained must be a location where legally authorized individuals provide services that constitute the practice of Creative Arts Therapy, as defined in Education Law, and must be responsible for the services provided by individuals gaining experience for licensure. The setting cannot be a private practice owned or operated by the applicant. If the experience is completed in a setting other than the permit setting, you must submit an operating certificate or certificate of incorporation that indicates the entity is authorized to employ licensed professionals and provide services that are restricted under Title VIII of the Education Law.

The setting where the experience is gained is responsible for the services provided by individuals gaining experience for licensure. The setting is also responsible for providing adequate supervision to such individuals and for assigning a qualified supervisor, as defined in this section, to individuals gaining experience for licensure.

Examination Requirements

To meet the examination requirement for licensure as a Creative Arts Therapist in New York State, you must pass one of the following examinations:

• "Board Certification" examination administered by the Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB); or
• "Board Certification" examination administered by the Certification Board for Music Therapist (CBMT); or
• New York State Case Narrative Examination administered by CASTLE Worldwide, Inc.

Fees (as of November 2, 2016)

The fee for licensure and first registration is $371.
The fee for a limited permit is $70.

Licenses Issued and Active:

In 2014, there were 100 licenses issued for this occupation.
In 2015, there were 112 licenses issued for this occupation.

As of July 1, 2016, there were 1,716 registered licenses for this occupation.

Licensing Authority:

New York State Education Department
Office of the Professions
Division of Professional Licensing Services
Mental Health Practitioners Unit
89 Washington Avenue
Albany, New York 12234
Phone: (518) 474-3817 Ext. 592
Fax: (518) 402-2323
E-mail:opunit5@mail.nysed.gov

Standard Occupational Classification:

29-1129.00 - Therapists, All Other
To learn more about this occupation search the Occupational Information Network (O*Net).

Additional Information:

For the "Board Certification" examination administered by the ATCB, contact:

Art Therapy Credentials Board
7 Terrace Way
Greensboro, NC 27403-3660
Phone: (877) 213-2822
Fax: (366) 482-2852
E-mail:atcbinfo@atcb.org
Web: http://www.atcb.org/

For the "Board Certification" examination administered by the CBMT, contact:

Certification Board for Music Therapists
506 E. Lancaster Avenue, Suite 102
Downington, PA 19335
Phone: (800) 765-CBMT (2268)
Fax: (610) 269-9232
E-mail:info@cbmt.org

For the New York State Case Narrative Examination, contact:

CASTLE Worldwide, Inc.
Attn: NY Exams
PO Box 570
Morrisville, NC 27560
Phone: (800) 655-4845 or (919) 572-6880
E-mail:info@castleworldwide.com

Disclaimer:

Fees stated and other information contained in this report are subject to change. Please contact the licensing authority listed above for the most current information.

This page was last updated on 11/14/16.