Accreditation Council for Art Therapy Education

Ron Hunt, DDS, MS, Chair
For questions, contact: Dana Elmendorf, MA, ATR-BC, LPC, Coordinator
4875 Eisenhower Avenue, Suite 240
Alexandria, VA 22304
Phone: 724-830-1140
Email: acatecouncil@gmail.com

 

LINK TO ACCREDITED ART THERAPY PROGRAMS DIRECTORY HERE

 BE SURE TO SELECT "ART THERAPY" AS THE PROFESSION and "ACCREDITED" TO VIEW A FULL LIST  

(Contact each program to learn if they are in-person, hybrid, low residency and/or fully online ) 

  

FAQ SHEET:  Do you want to become an art therapist?

 

  ALSO REVIEW THIS PAMPHLET TO UNDERSTAND THIS IMPORTANT TIME OF TRANSITION FROM AATA APPROVAL TO CAAHEP ACCREDITATION FOR ART THERAPY PROGRAMS. 

Sponsors for Art Therapy    

The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and the Accreditation Council for Art Therapy Education (ACATE) cooperate with the American Art Therapy Association (AATA) to establish, maintain and promote appropriate standards of quality for educational programs that meet or exceed the minimum standards.  

Benefits of Accreditation
Art Therapy programs accredited by CAAHEP have voluntarily undergone a comprehensive process of internal self-study and continuous quality improvement. Accreditation attests to the quality of an educational program that prepares for entry into the art therapy profession. 

• For the public, accreditation promotes the health, safety and welfare of the public by assuring competent mental health professionals 
• For prospective students, accreditation serves a consumer protection purpose.  It provides assurance the program has been evaluated and has met accepted standards established by and with the art therapy profession. 
• For prospective employers, it provides assurance that the curriculum covers essential skills, knowledge and attitudes needed for today's job market in mental health care. 
• For graduates, it offers assurance to employers of competency in the essential knowledge, skills and attitudes needed for entry level art therapy practice. 
• For art therapists, it involves practitioners in the establishment of standards and assures that educational requirements reflect the current training needs of the profession. 
• For the profession, it advances the field by promoting standards of practice and advocating rigorous preparation. 
• For public and private finding sources, it represents a highly desirable indicator of a program's quality and viability. 
• For the faculty and administrators, it promotes ongoing self-evaluation and continuous improvement and provides an effective system for accountability. 
• For the school or program, accreditation represents peer recognition. 

 

FOR PROGRAM DIRECTORS AND FACULTY: How do I get started? 

See Accreditation Documents (to right) for material related to the accreditation process and ACATE policies and procedures. Art Therapy programs interested in applying for accreditation will wish to start with a review of the:

1) Standards and Guidelines for the Accreditation of Educational Programs in Art Therapy

2) Initial Self-Study Report Handbook  

3) Initial Self-Study Report Template 

* To be eligible to submit a full Initial Self-Study Report (ISSR) for accreditation review, programs must have at least one graduating class and  have provided graduate-level instruction in art therapy on a continuous basis for at least three academic years.  Programs may, however, submit a preliminary Request for Accreditation Services (RAS) at the end of the second academic year of instruction as long as they have achieved one graduating class by that time. 

 

 

Read the June 2022 "ACATE CANVAS" semi-annual newsletter here

Current ACATE Roster of council members

Upcoming Council Meetings: 2022   
July 19
August 15 

Accreditation Documents

1) Standards and Guidelines for the Accreditation of Educational Programs in Art Therapy.  (Approved Nov. 2016) 

2)  Initial Self-Study Report Handbook- (updated July 2021)

• Request for Acccreditation Services Form 

3)  Initial Self-Study Report Template 

4)  ACATE Fee Structure 

5)  Survey templates utilized in Self Study and/or Annual Report process

• Faculty and Advisory Committee Survey
• Student Survey (link to survey provided by ACATE staff) 
• Graduate Survey
• Employer Survey 
• Student Survey of Program Resources
• Personnel Survey of Program Resources

6) Fillable Forms, charts and surveys 

7) Site Evaluators are Coming! - A guide for Program DIrectors  

8) Program Personnel Change Form 

9) Change in Program Sponsorship- Substantive Change Report Form

10) FAQ Sheet for Newly Accredited Programs

11) Guidance for Art Therapy Program Directors on Outcomes Standards 

12) Annual Report(2022) Portal Instructions - provided for example of annual processes once accredited. Related webinar and Word version of these materials may also be requested from ACATE. 

13) ACATE Policies and Procedures

14) Post-Graduate master's degrees also offered by art therapy programs

15) Brochure for students on the transition from approval to accreditation of art therapy programs 

16) Complaints Policy