By: Isabella Goodman
Washington, DC — The Potomac Art Therapy Association hosted a scholarship event on Saturday to recognize members of the organization while also providing updates on key legislature for the profession.
The Potomac Art Therapy Association, or PATA, is a regional branch of the American Art Therapy Association, an organization that aims to promote education about art therapy to the public, as well as serve as a community for those in the field of art therapy.PATA is volunteer-based, with most members working as full-time clinicians, or someone who works directly with patients, in some capacity.
The event was held on Saturday, Feb. 29, at Silver Branch Brewing Company in Silver Spring, Maryland, the only of the three states in the DMV that currently has licensure for art therapists. While several awards were given out, the event was also a space for members of the organization to connect and get updates on the status of art therapy licensure.
President Jane Woo thanked members of the community and provided updates on the PATA chapter while handing out awards.
“It’s a way for art therapists within the community to be connected with one another, whether that be through workshops, professional development, or networking,” Woo said in an interview. “Because art therapy is such a small field, it’s nice to be able to connect with other art therapists and try to advance the field.”
Woo has a master’s in art therapy from George Washington University. She currently works at the Children’s National Hospital as a part of Tracy’s Kids, an art-therapy organization that funds positions at different hospitals around the country. Woo specializes in art therapy for children undergoing treatment for cancer and blood disorders, so she works to help them process their emotions through art.
The first award, the Nancy Schoebel Scholarship Award, is given to a graduate student seeking an art therapy master’s degree.
This year’s winner was Claire Kalala, a graduate student at George Washington University. She’s currently an art therapist intern at the Kennedy Kreeger School, providing art therapy for individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities.
“As a new member, PATA has been super welcoming,” Kalala said in an interview. “They’re also very productive and doing a lot in terms of licensure for the community.”
The second award, the Distinguished Service Award, was given to Elizabeth Kim for exceptional service to the organization.
Kim currently works with DC public schools as a counselor and art therapist. She is a board-certified art therapist and licensed counselor and has received a master’s in art therapy from George Washington University. She currently serves as the vice president and does communicationsat PATA.
“I’m happy to spend time putting up postings and developing marketing materials, just so the community and newer students are able to have opportunities,” Kim said in an interview. “After long days at work and then needing to do things for PATA, it’s nice to be thanked by the community.”
Jordan Potash is a registered board-certified and licensed art therapist and a registered expressive-arts therapist. Potash was the recipient of the Distinguished Educator Award for service towards the education of art therapy students at George Washington University. Potash teaches a range of classes relating to art therapy and psychology.
Potash has had several roles within PATA and the American Art Therapy Association, but he currently serves as the licensure committee chair.
Potash oversees the legislative process of creating licensure for art therapists for the DMV area. Currently, Maryland has regulated art therapy licensing, but Washington and Virginia do not.
“We started this process five years ago, but it really took off this past April,” Potash said.
Before becoming licensure committee chair, Potash didn’t have any experience with the government, so he said getting the bill off the ground was challenging at first.
Washington Council Chairman Phil Mendelson introduced B23-0250, the Professional Art Therapist Licensure Amendment Act of 2019 last spring. Most recently, a committee report was filed.
“In the past 20 years, [art therapy] has become a lot more recognized and the evidence of that is in the number of states that are enacting licensure,” Potash said in an interview. “It means that art therapists get to work purely as art therapists and are recognized for the skills that we offer in mental health services.”
One member, Gioia Chilton, is a licensed art therapist in Maryland and has been with PATA for over 20 years.
“It’s important that people aren’t wandering around getting therapy from people that aren’t qualified,” Chilton said. “We go through a whole masters program, we study, we do internships, so that we don’t end up harming people. That’s why we need licensure.”
Advanced Reporting Times, Spring 2020 