License Requirements for Creative Arts Therapists

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.

Submit an Application for Licensure (Form 1) and the other forms indicated, along with the appropriate fee for licensure and first registration, to the Office of the Professions at the address specified on each form. It is your responsibility to follow up with anyone you have asked to send us material.

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.

You should also read the general licensing information applicable for all professions.

The fee for licensure and first registration is $371.

The fee for a limited permit is $70 (the limited permit fee is not refundable).

Fees are subject to change. The fee due is the one in law when your application is received (unless fees are increased retroactively). You will be billed for the difference if fees have been increased.

• Do not send cash.
• If you apply for licensure electronically using the online Application for Licensure, you will be required to pay by credit card.
• Other payments must be made by personal check or money order payable to the New York State Education Department. Your cancelled check is your receipt.
• Mail any required forms and fees to the indicated address on the form.

NOTE: Payment submitted from outside the United States should be made by check or draft on a United States bank and in United States currency; payments submitted in any other form will not be accepted and will be returned.

Individuals who withdraw their licensure application may be entitled to a partial refund.

• For the procedure to withdraw your application, contact the Creative Arts Therapy Unit by e-mailing opunit5@nysed.gov or by calling 518-474-3817 ext. 592 or by faxing 518-402-2323.
• The State Education Department is not responsible for any fees paid to an outside testing or credentials verification agency.

If you withdraw your application, obtain a refund, and then decide to seek New York State licensure at a later date, you will be considered a new applicant, and you will be required to pay the application fee and meet the licensure requirements in place at the time you reapply.

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.

A program located outside the United States and its territories may be used to satisfy the professional education requirement if it:

• prepares individuals for the professional practice of Creative Arts Therapy; and
• is recognized by the appropriate civil authorities of that jurisdiction; and
• can be appropriately verified; and
• is determined by the Department to be the substantial equivalent of a registered licensure qualifying or acceptable accredited master's or doctoral program in Creative Arts Therapy.

Substantial Equivalence

To be considered substantially equivalent, your program must include at least 48 semester hours, or the equivalent, of graduate study that contains curricular content that includes but is not limited to the following areas:

• preparation in one or more of the creative arts therapies, including but not limited to art, music, dance, drama, psychodrama, or poetry therapies, for the practice of Creative Arts Therapy;
• human growth and development;
• theories in Creative Arts Therapy;
• group dynamics;
• assessment and appraisal of individuals and groups;
• research and program evaluation;
• professional orientation and ethics;
• foundations of Creative Arts Therapy and psychopathology;
• clinical instruction; and
• include a supervised internship or supervised practicum in the practice of Creative Arts Therapy of at least 500 clock hours.

Note: The education requirement for licensure as a Creative Arts Therapist can only be met through completion of graduate level courses at an acceptable degree granting institution. Training in an institute or by a registered individual does not meet the education requirement for licensure even if the training is accredited by a private organization.

Evidence of receipt of your degree(s) must be presented on a Certification of Professional Education (Form 2) - and must be submitted directly to the Office of the Professions by the school(s) where you obtained your degree(s). In most cases, an official transcript is also needed.

A degree in counseling, psychology, social work or a related field does not meet the education requirements for Creative Arts Therapy. An applicant with a degree in another field must be individually evaluated to determine what additional graduate coursework, including supervised internship/practicum, must be completed to constitute an equivalent degree.

The Department must conduct an individual transcript evaluation of an applicant for licensure as a creative arts therapist who graduated from a program that, at the time of graduation, was not a masters or higher degree in creative arts therapy of 48 semester hours (or more) that was either:

• Registered by the Department as leading to licensure in creative arts therapy; or
• Accredited by the American Art Therapy Association (AATA) under its 2007 Standards.

In addition to verifying the required courses content, the Department must determine if the applicant completed a supervised internship in creative arts therapy and psychotherapy as part of the degree program. This evaluation requires information that is not on the transcript, so the applicant must ask the Chair or Director of the academic department to complete and submit a Certification of Supervised Internship and Practicum (Form 2INT). Failure to submit this form will delay the evaluation of the applicant's education and his/her eligibility for a limited permit and admission to the licensing examination. Please note that this form is not required for graduates of 48 credit hour AATA accredited or NYS registered licensure qualifying CAT programs.

In addition to the professional education requirement, every applicant for Creative Arts Therapist licensure or a limited permit must complete coursework or training in the identification and reporting of child abuse in accordance with Section 6507(3)(a) of the Education Law. See additional information and a list of approved providers for this training.

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. Experience for licensure must be completed in a legal manner, under a qualified supervisor in a setting that is authorized to provide professional services. Hour calculations are based on a typical 40-45 hour work week to ensure that the applicant meeting the experience requirement obtains the appropriate supervision, client contact, and supervisor feedback in an educationally sound manner. Obtaining experience in an unreasonable amount of time is not acceptable as it compromises the learning process. 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 experience will be evaluated to determine if the equivalent requirements have been satisfied in a legal manner. 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 or at least two thirds of the hours in any setting shall consist of direct contact with clients; the remainder may be indirect. 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. It is not acceptable to complete direct and indirect activities in different settings under different supervisors and attempt to combine these hours to meet the experience requirement.

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.

All supervised experience must be verified by your supervisor(s) using a Certification of Supervised Experience (Form 4B). Acceptable verification should include an attestation by the actual supervisor. In cases where such attestation is not available, the Department may accept an attestation of the duration and frequency of the supervised experience and the qualifications of the supervisor submitted by a licensed colleague.

Setting for Experience

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 limited 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.

An acceptable setting is defined in the Commissioner’s Regulations as:

1. a professional corporation, registered limited liability partnership, or professional service limited liability company authorized to provide services that are within the scope of practice of Creative Arts Therapy;
2. a sole proprietorship owned by a licensee who provide services that are within the scope of his or her profession and services that are within the scope of practice of Creative Arts Therapy;
3. a professional partnership owned by licensees who provide services that are within scope of practice of Creative Arts Therapy;
4. a hospital or clinic authorized under Article 28 of the Public Health Law to provide services that are within the scope of practice of Creative Arts Therapy;
5. a program or facility authorized under the Mental Hygiene Law to provide services that are within the scope of practice of Creative Arts Therapy;
6. a program or facility authorized under Federal Law to provide services that are within the scope of practice of Creative Arts Therapy;
7. an entity defined as exempt from the licensing requirements or otherwise authorized under New York State law or the laws of the jurisdiction in which the entity is located to provide services that are within the scope of practice of Creative Arts Therapy.

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.

Please note: New York State candidates for the Creative Arts Therapist licensing examinations must have completed their graduate program and received the graduate degree as a condition for admission to the examination. Applicants for licensure will not be approved to take the examination prior to receipt of the graduate degree.

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.

New York does not accept examinations in other professions (e.g., professional counseling, social work, or psychology) as meeting the examination requirement in Creative Arts Therapy.

Before being admitted to an examination for New York State licensure, you must:

1. Submit an Application for Licensure (Form 1) and fee ($371) to the New York State Education Department.
2. Ask your school to verify your education directly to the New York State Education Department on the Certification of Professional Education form (Form 2).
3. Receive notification of approval of your education and all application materials from the New York State Education Department. (We will notify you and the examination administrators when you have satisfied the examination eligibility requirements.)
4. Register directly with the examination administrator of your choice to take the examination after being notified of your eligibility. You may contact the examination administrator using the contact information below.

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 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
Web www.cbmt.org

If you previously passed the ATCB or CBMT examinations, you will need to ask that your scores be reported to New York State.

For the New York State Case Narrative Examination, contact:

Scantron Assessment
Attn: NY Exams
P.O. Box 570
Morrisville, NC 27560
Phone: 800-655-4845 or 919-572-6880
E-mail: candidatesupport@scantron.com
Web: www.scantron.com/programs/nysed-creative-arts-therapy/

The New York State Case Narrative Examination consists of submission of two case narratives that describe the assessment and treatment of separate clients. This will allow you to demonstrate a basic level of competence in applying the knowledge and skills necessary to practice Creative Arts Therapy in New York State. You will be able to select your own cases in advance, but you will write the case narratives in a supervised, secure test center. Each narrative will be reviewed and scored by the State Board or its designees to determine the thoroughness and appropriateness of your interactions with and your therapeutic approach to the treatment of a client. Additional information regarding this examination is available in the New York State Creative Arts Therapy Case Narrative Licensing Examination Packet.

NOTE: New York State will not accept an examination given under non-standard conditions except per the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Examples of such non-standard conditions include the use of a dictionary or extra time for applicants whose primary language is other than English. If a candidate passed the examination under non-standard conditions for another jurisdiction, that candidate may be required to retake the examination under standard conditions.

Reasonable Testing Accommodations

If you have a disability and may require reasonable testing accommodations for the examination, you must complete and submit a Request for Reasonable Testing Accommodations form (23 KB). You must mail the Request for Reasonable Testing Accommodations form to the address printed on that form, along with the required documentation. You will be notified in writing as to whether or not your request for accommodations has been approved. If your request is approved, it will be valid for 1 year from the date of the approval notification. A copy of your accommodation approval must be attached to your ATCB or CBMT examination registration form. You may not test until your request for accommodations has been processed by the Department. If you schedule a test before your request for accommodations has been processed, you may lose any fee paid to the examination administrator. Please be sure to check the box in item 20 of your Application for Licensure (Form 1) if you are requesting accommodations.

If you are or have been licensed/certified in another jurisdiction(s), you must request the licensing authority of the jurisdiction(s) to provide verification of your licensure/certification on a Verification of Other Professional Licensure/Certification (Form 3). The Form 3 will be reviewed to determine if you have prior disciplinary history which may constitute a question of moral character for the license or limited permit.

Licensure by Endorsement

An applicant seeking endorsement of a license in Creative Arts Therapy issued by another jurisdiction must present evidence of having completed 5 years of licensed practice in the 10 years prior to applying for licensure in New York State. The applicant must have been licensed in the other jurisdiction by meeting the following requirements:

• being at least 21 years of age;
• holding a graduate degree in Creative Arts Therapy or a related field that at the time of completion qualified the applicant for licensure as a Creative Arts Therapist in another jurisdiction;
• completing supervised experience in Creative Arts Therapy and psychotherapy that qualified the applicant for initial licensure in the other jurisdiction; and
• passing an examination acceptable to the New York State Education Department for the practice of Creative Arts Therapy.

The applicant must be of good moral character, as determined by the Department, and complete the required course work in the identification and reporting of child abuse or the exemption from such course work, as required in Section 6507(3) of the Education Law.

If you cannot certify 5 years of acceptable post-licensure experience in the 10 years prior to applying for a New York State license, you are not eligible for licensure by endorsement and must apply as an applicant for initial licensure. If your initial license in Creative Arts Therapy was issued by a jurisdiction that does not have significantly comparable licensure required to New York State, you will need to submit all of the documentation required of an applicant for initial licensure so that the Education Department can determine whether your personal qualifications are substantially similar to New York State’s licensure requirements.

To apply for licensure by endorsement you must submit:

• an Application for Licensure (Form 1) along with the $371 fee; and
• Certification of Professional Education (Form 2); and
• verification of your licensure status from the jurisdiction in which you were initially licensed, and if it is different, from any other jurisdiction in which you are or have been licensed. Each licensing authority must complete and submit a Verification of Other Professional Licensure/Certification (Form 3); and
• an Endorsement Applicant Experience Record (Form 4E); and
• a Certification of Licensed Experience (Form 4F) completed and submitted by the licensed professional who is attesting to your 5 years of post-licensure experience within the last 10 years.

In addition, you must have ATCB or CBMT submit your examination scores to the Department. No other examination scores are acceptable (See Examination Section).

A limited permit allows an individual who has submitted an Application for Licensure (Form 1) and who, in the determination of the Department, has satisfied all the requirements for licensure as a Creative Arts Therapist except the examination and/or experience requirements to practice Creative Arts Therapy under the appropriate supervision while meeting the requirements.

Limited permits are only issued for specific practice sites in New York State under a qualified supervisor acceptable to the Department. The setting must be authorized to employ licensed professionals and provide services that are restricted under Title VIII of the Education Law. Appropriate supervision and allowable practice sites are the same as those for the experience requirements specified above. Effective January 1, 2006, one must be licensed or otherwise authorized to practice Creative Arts Therapy or supervise a permit holder.

The limited permit is valid for a period of two years. The permit may be extended for up to two additional one-year periods at the discretion of the Department if the Department determines that the permit holder has made good faith efforts to successfully complete the examination and/or experience requirement but has not passed the licensing examination or completed the experience requirement, or has other good cause as determined by the Department for not completing the examination and/or experience requirement. To request an extension of your limited permit, you must submit a new Application for Limited Permit (Form 5) and a fee of $70 along with a justification for the extension.

You may apply for a limited permit by submitting the Application for Limited Permit (Form 5) and fee of $70 at the same time or any time after you submit your Application for Licensure (Form 1), licensure fee of $371, and evidence of satisfactory education using a Certification of Professional Education (Form 2). Practice without a permit is not allowed and any experience obtained without a limited permit may not be acceptable for licensure. You may not practice until the limited permit is issued by the Department.

When you are leaving employment, for maternity leave or other reason, your employer must return the permit to the State Board office immediately with an explanation as to why the permit is being returned. We will void the permit at that time and "clock will stop". You will have the remaining time available for a future permit. If you are not returning to the setting, your supervisor should submit verification of experience on a Certification of Supervised Experience (Form 4B). When you return to work at that setting or another, you would submit a new permit application for review and approval by the Department. The subsequent permit would be issued for the remainder of the valid period.

You may print and keep this checklist as a reminder of what forms you need to file. This is for your reference and should not be submitted with your application forms. You should also keep a copy of all application forms submitted.