Alert: Credential changes, updates and reminders 

Changes to the ATR requirements

 

EFFECTIVE 12:00AM EST ON JULY 1, 2024.  TO QUALIFY AS A NEW ATR, ALL APPLICANTS MUST BE AN ATR-P IN GOOD STANDING AND MEET THE REGISTRATION STANDARDS.

The ATCB will allow a grace period for all ATR applications submitted before July 1, 2024, 12:00 a.m. EST. All applications submitted before this date must be completed by June 30, 2025, 11:59 p.m. EST.

A completed application meets the registration requirements and has the following items submitted and approved:

  1. Official Academic Transcript
  2. Verification of Post-Education Experience
  3. References (3)

After this deadline, any incomplete ATR applications will automatically be converted to ATR-P applications.

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Credential Retirement Ending

As of July 1, 2024, at 12:00am EST, the ATCB will end the retiring of credentials. Any credential holder wishing to use an ATCB credential to practice art therapy must have a credential that is not retired.

Current “Annual Retired” and “Lifetime Retired” credential holders will be affected by this change.

Any “Annual Retired” or “Lifetime Retired” credential can be taken out of retirement no later than June 30, 2025, at 11:59pm EST. Credential holders seeking to end the retirement status of their credentials must alert ATCB Executive Director LeeAnn Mandrillo at leeann@atcb.org.

The ATCB will allow credentials in the annual retired status to be converted to lifetime status. This request must be made to the ATCB Executive Director, LeeAnn Mandrillo, leeann@atcb.org, by 11:59am EST on June 30, 2024.

Once taken out of retirement, the credential must be renewed following the standard renewal process. If the credential carries board certification distinction (ATR-BC) and requires recertification, this, too, will need to be completed following the standard recertification process.

Any annually retired credential not taken out of retirement by 12:00am EST on July 1, 2025, will become inactive.

Any credential (and credential number) “lifetime retired” after 7/1/2025 will remain retired. As of 12:00am EST on July 1, 2025, anyone wishing to practice art therapy with an ATCB credential that is permanently retired will need to apply for a new credential with a new credential number under current ATCB standards.

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Changes to the reinstatement of inactive credentials

 

Effective 12:00am EST on July 1, 2024, all inactive credentials have one year (July 1 to June 30) to use reinstatement to restore the credential to active.

Effective 12:00am EST on July 1, 2024, the reinstatement fee is $250.00.

If a credential is not reinstated within one year after becoming inactive, the credential (and assigned credential number) is permanently inactive.

Anyone wishing to practice art therapy with an ATCB credential that is permanently inactive will need to reapply following the credential standards in place at the time of application.

All reinstatement applications are valid for six months from the date of submission.

Each credential can be reinstated up to three times.

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Updates

Appeals Policy

The appeals policy of the ATCB requires all appellants to provide written narratives and supporting documentation to the Board of Appeals via the appeals@atcb.org email within 30 days of receiving notice of inactive status, denial of credential, recertification application, or status change request.

In response to the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ATCB allowed the Board of Appeals to consider appeals past the 30-day submission period. With the May 11, 2023, expiration of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, the final opportunity to submit an appeal for any credential or certification impacts due to the COVID-19 pandemic is March 16, 2024, by 11:59pm EST.

Appeals will be considered at the first quarterly meeting of 2024.

READ APPEALS POLICY

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Reminders

Verifications

The ATCB will send the following items to third parties, per request of a credential holder or exam candidate:

1. Exam scores;

2. Credential standing; and

3. Supervision hours.

An official verification request and a $25 fee are required. All verification requests must include the first and last name used on the original application submission or examination. Only official Verification requests completed and submitted via the MyATCB portal will be completed.

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ATCB Examination

The ATCB Examination Administration policy allows testing candidates:

  • A six-month testing window in which to schedule the exam.
  • Testing at an approved center or via remote proctoring.
  • Up to three testing opportunities per calendar year. *

*A 90-day waiting period between exam administrations is required to maintain the exam rigor and integrity practices.

Anyone planning to take the exam for state licensure should not use the Board Certification application; use the State Licensure application in the MyATCB portal. Before applying for the exam, all state licensure candidates must have an authorization to test letter from the state board. This letter must be uploaded with the exam application.

The following states utilize the ATCBE for art therapy state licensure: Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, and New York. The state licensure application is required for candidates taking the exam for these states.

All exam applications are non-refundable and non-transferable.

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Updating Changes to the ATCB

As outlined in the Code of Ethics, Standards, and Conduct (section 3.2. 2), an applicant, registrant, or certificant must provide written notification to the ATCB at the time of submission of an initial application and that within 60 days of the occurrence of:

  • Change in name, address, and telephone number.
  • Any other facts bearing on eligibility for credentials, including but not limited to:

– filing of an indictment, charge, or complaint, not including traffic offenses, with any court, regulatory authority, professional association, credentialing body, or governmental or private payer of benefits.

– any litigation involving allegations of professional negligence or misconduct and the final disposition of such charges, complaints, or cases, including but not limited to entry of a judgment, order of dismissal or deferred adjudication, conviction, plea of guilty, plea of nolo contendere, and imposition of disciplinary sanctions.

  1. Any credential holder whose contact information has changed must update it in their MyATCB portal. Essential communications and reminders are sent to the email in MyATCB portals. The ATCB is not responsible for any impact on credential standing due to incorrect contact information.
  2. Credential holders should not wait for annual renewal to report an ethics issue; this information must be submitted to ethics@atcb.org.

FAQs for ATCB portal processes can be found on the ATCB website.

 

How to Achieve a Seamless Renewal & Recertification Season

How to Achieve a Seamless Renewal & Recertification Season

The ATCB credential year is July-June, every April credential holders can expect to receive notifications from the ATCB regarding both annual renewal and five-year recertification. While it’s easy to confuse the meaning of the two terms, they are two distinct processes that require attention in different ways. Depending upon the credential(s) you hold, you may be responsible for meeting the requirements of one or both.

Annual Renewal is required of all ATCB credential holders, if you have just received your credential you will need to complete your annual renewal. Once awarded the credential is valid for the remainder of the credential year of which you are approved

All credential holders must complete their annual renewal application(s) and pay their maintenance fee(s) (see chart below) each year by June 30 in order to maintain the credential(s) you’ve worked so hard to obtain. The most critical aspect of annual renewals is the completion of the ethics attestation, documenting credential holders’ adherence to the ATCB Code of Ethics, Conduct, and Disciplinary Procedures.

Five-year Recertification is required of only ATR-BCs.These ATR’s with board certification must meet continuing education (CE) requirements as outlined in the ATR-BC Recertification Standards. Over the course of each five-year recertification period, ATR-BCs must complete a minimum of 100 CE credits, including at least six (6) in ethics. In the recertification application, a CE tracker must be completed outlining these CEs. Each year, out of all the ATR-BCs/ATCSs who are due to recertify, ten (10) percent are selected at random for audit. If you are selected for audit, you must provide verifications of all the CE activities listed on your recertification tracker.

The ATCB offers the option of a 90-day recertification extension for completing CE requirements. You must apply online, and the fee for an extension is $50.

 

Amy Huxtable, Art Therapy Graduate Student, Emporia State University
8.5×11 digital
“Bridge”

In lieu of completing the CE requirements, ATR-BCs may opt to take and pass the ATCB Examination (ATCBE). The ATCBE fee is $275.

If you are an ATR-BC and it is your year to recertify your board certification, please be sure that you complete both the renewal of your ATR and the recertification of your BC. Please note that these are separate and distinct processes, and both must be completed on an annual (for renewal) or quinquennial (every five years for recertification) basis. If you have any questions about the procedure for either, please contact the ATCB National Office at atcbinfo@atcb.org.

Final Notes to Consider:

  • We hope you’ve heard by now that the ATCB moved away from paper renewals and recertifications in 2019. This means we will not mail you a paper renewal or recertification application. All ID cards are located in MYATCB portals. Annual renewal and five-year recertification application may be completed online via MyATCB. The process is easy so don’t delay!
  • While the National Office is working remotely, we are unable to mail certificates. We are working to digitalize certificates. If you need additional verifications please contact the National Office. Also, take advantage of the national registry found here. 
  • Email notifications regarding annual renewals will be sent by May each year, so please be sure to check your email often and update your MYATCB if your contact information has changed.
  • The ATCB’s annual renewal and five-year recertification processes are separate from the American Art Therapy Association’s (AATA’s) annual membership fees. The ATCB and AATA are not affiliated.

If you have any questions regarding annual renewal or five-year recertification, please contact the ATCB National Office at atcbinfo@atcb.org  or visit the ATCB website.

Written by:

Art Therapy Credential Board National Office