Recently within the last four years Art Therapy Legislation has been slowly but surely growing in one state at a time. One of the biggest states that has been repsomsive and very open to art therapy is Florida. They were a big part in the Code Classification System change for art therapists. The U.S. Department of Labor collects and analyzes information on salaries, but back in January 2012 they changed "The "art therapist" occupational classification is changed from "29-0000 Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations" to "21-0000 Community and Social Service Occupations". Now they are actually recognized, where as before hand they were just grouped with health care and other general jobs to a category that defines their work more and shows who they work for and serve to make better. This was one more step in the right direction to making art therapy a well known and highly respectable career that will help the future in so many medical and mental ways; no one has any idea what storm is getting ready to come crashing in. Floridaarttherapy.org/art-therapy-in-florida--licensure.html
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The City of Surprise Arts & Cultural Advisory Commission is responsible for the integration and promotion of art into the city and advising City Council on problems and interesting ideas involving the arts. Members meets and evaluate what is going on within the city, and what can be done to make it better to promote cultural and artistic interests to improve the city. Their purpose as written in their Strategic Plan is "to serve in an advisory capacity to the council on matters relating to the development and placement of public art and to encourage the development of cultural opportunities and resources for the Surprise community". Over the years Surprise has been rapidly growing and has presented the commission the opportunity to advocate the expansion of art into the community. Driving to work or school every day they have made an effort to integrate art into public places, and people can't get from Point A to Point B without passing one. Each piece symbolizes unity and a specific part of some of the best parts of what Surprise does. There are so many sculptures and murals around the city that are so beautiful in shopping plazas, parks, and public buildings/facilities. On top of that city hall is a piece of art within itself architecturally. The commission members propose to the council what should be done and how to budget the art services contributions they get of that budget. They put together community events and coordinate with organizations like WHAM and Valley Vista Performing Arts Center to put together different art programs for the community. But in their evaluations they also analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the commission as well. While there is a glowingly diverse population and existing city amenities, there is a lack of funds and museums as well as an economic and political climate that is not supportive of art. In the future I would like to meet with some of the members of the commission and interview with them about their future plans and past successes within the city and discuss art therapy potential.
http://surpriseaz.gov/DocumentCenter/View/6277 Today I happened to be doing some research and stumbled across a very interesting chart of information founded by the American Art Therapy Association back in December. They did some research on a few different questions for each of the fifty states, and put it all together in an organizer that is extremely easy to read. Scrolling through I found Arizona, and looked at the results. Not only do they not license art therapists, they don't license them as counselors either. Arizona does not even consider art therapy as a profession! The Board of Behavioral Health Examiners is currently in charge of licensing counselors, and I am heavily considering writing to them. It is said in the chart that in order to have the art therapists separately, there needs more legislation passed and more art therapists to come forward so that it can be separate. The Arizona state government does not acknowledge them because they don't know how many are out there or participate in this. But considering our weather and amount of retirement homes, retired veterans, and disabled or handicapped people on top and many other circumstances that utilize art therapy as a remedy or treatment in their lives, you would think they would be recognized as a occupation. People go to college and get degrees to study for art therapy and services; and it is outrageous to think that after all that hard work of going through college they would be able to be classified under a work field.
Art therapy is all about having a balanced and safe environment, as well as an instructor that is highly qualified and knows what they are doing. After reading and analyzing this chart, this is potentially the point I will be addressing in my personal contacts and influence portion of this service project. http://www.americanarttherapyassociation.org/upload/licensure10.09.pdf Going back to December 10, 2015 President Obama signed into action ESEA, formally known as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). On December 2nd, bill won a large majority in the House by a landslide; 359 to 64 with 10 members not voting. Then it passes into the Senate on December 9th, winning 85 to 12 members; three not voting which happen to be Cruz, Sanders and Rubio (hmm). This new legislation redefined and shaped a "core academic subject" education to being a "well rounded education" that tied in more music and art programs. By signing this, there is more funds that have shaped "Arts in Education and have given it assistance, especially the Title I students that struggle and are in need or a well rounded education. The ESEA is a big movement going into 2016, and is going to prioritize the future minds of America by providing all that they need to be successful in running our country in the years to come. On top of the improvements to defining art in public and charter schools, it will help to provide states flexibility within the efforts and requirements in the nation. It allows more programs to address issues of student safety, health and academic success. Under this Act the United States of America will be less separated, and give all children an equal education; even those who are disabled, struggling financially or are even homeless. President Obama is strong advocate for equal education, and has finally passed a legislation that fixes the standards of education across the country and ties in the importance of art, stability and support that is available to children all over.
Resource http://www.arteducators.org/advocacy/advocacy-esea-reauthorization The American Art Therapy Association (AATA) has grown leaps and bounds in recent years, and is now a large advocate in public policy for art therapy and services. The organization dedicates itself to its members and the general public to render support for professional competence and increasing the knowledge and progression in and of the study of art therapy. They have a wide range of connections including American Association of School Administrators (AASA), Health Professions Network (HPN), and Mental Health Liaison Group (MHLG) plus many others that work to advance the profession of art therapy in communities.
Within the last three years, they have fought tirelessly to get art therapy included in social services and health care reforms. Finally on January 23rd, 2012 they were successful in getting the profession of art therapy included within Code 21, which scopes the service level of a job title in government agencies and programs. The organization has taken aggressive steps in making a national public policy plan strategy and is still pursuing change today through legislation. A big part has been providing reimbursements to providers and art therapists through the government since they are to be considered of a health service. They have gotten bills into the House and Senate that extends rural Medicare and allows art therapists to be individual Medicare providers for clients with or without a physicians recommendation. They actively participate in programs for art therapy used as healing devices for diseases, cancers, cases of substance abuse and mental health. In a brief position statement, the AATA addressed the Advocacy for Health System Reform and the Protection and Affordable Care Act. They chose to support it and its efforts to extend health care, to provide more coverage, and help improve public health across the board. People do not know they are in need or can benefit from art therapy, and by advocating for that act they can implement more legislation for art therapy services within the government and health care policies. One thing that I found reading through one of the newsletters was the section "Respite and Restoration", and it truly tugged a few strings on my heart. One girl, Grace, has been struggling with pancreatic cancer for years now. When she got diagnosed, Grace not only fell into a deep state of depression she lost interest in the things she once enjoyed including classical music. Her therapy of choice was art therapy, and has since helped her to grow less isolated and more reflective on her journey of cancer. Two of the paintings she created spoke volumes and showed how her art "is giving her voice to her unconscious and unspoken struggles" (Gambarony, 2012). That really hit me reading that and seeing those two paintings, the way they reflected her thoughts, her life. In Figure 8 and 10 on the newsletter, her artwork is displayed. In Figure 8 Grace started this piece in a way to work on formal qualities, but ended up being extremely expressive with the pancreatic cancer leaving her body in a whim from the abdomen. This was inspired from some of the monoprints and scans she had seen, and then went on to paint the piece in Figure 10 when she couldn't attend her therapy classes for a few weeks because she had to go in and receive more treatments. The piece is abstract and she says its a self portrait and is purposely abstract to show her as a person and not cancer, to show her loneliness at one point and to think about how happy she was when she created the piece and where she could be later. Resources: Gambarony, M. (2012). American Art Therapy Association 2012 Winter Newsletter. 1-6. Retrieved January 29, 2016, from http://www.americanarttherapyassociation.org/upload/file/newsletters/AATAnewsletter2012winter.pdf http://arttherapy.org/aata-aboutus/ http://www.arttherapy.org/upload/2012policystatementPPACA.pdf |
AuthorLauren Schuster. Art Activist and Enthusiast. Archives
May 2016
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