Mission Statement
The American Art Therapy Association, Inc. (AATA) is an organization of professionals dedicated to the belief that making art is healing and life enhancing. Its mission is to serve its members and the general public by providing standards of professional competence, and developing and promoting knowledge in, and of, the field of art therapy. Values Statement - American Art Therapy Association is committed to:

• Public service, social justice, and advocacy for the dignity, self-worth, and creative potential of all people.
• Diversity and cross-cultural inclusiveness in its membership and in the development and provision of art therapy to the public.
• Excellent service, efficient stewardship of assets, and high quality programs for members. 
• High ethical standards, and self evaluation of the organization, leadership, and the profession of art therapy. 
• To provide leadership and financial and educational support to attract a growing and diverse membership of licensed professional art therapists whose services are valued, appropriately compensated, and considered essential to the public in mental health, healthcare, education, arts, and community programs.

American Art Therapy Association STRATEGIC PLAN MATRIX COMMITTEE RESPONSIBILITIES

All Committee Chairs

• Identify Committee leadership development needs and communicate to Board liaison
• Encourage participation on committees, the board, and in AATA initiatives
• Mentor service in AATA through committee understudies

AATA/ATCB Task Force

• Convene the AATA/ATCB task force to explore the ATR as an entry level credential
• Convene AATA/ATCB Task Force to evaluate economic value of the BC and how to promote its value to members
• Identify the specific needs of AATA as the member of the ATCB and develop inter-organizational policies to ensure those needs are met by the ATCB
• Determine the reason for the high number of graduates choosing not to get their certification.
• Ensure that AATA Education Standards are enforced, maintain regular, open communication between AATA and ATCB, and revise standards as necessary to maintain equivalency with standards in counseling and other licensure

Continuing Education Committee (and subcommittees)

• Implement distance education as member benefit and revenue source
• Establish venues for distance learning
• Implement distance learning plan
• Develop print-on-demand publications as supplement to distance learning courses.
• Identify and create a venue that effectively meets the professional development needs of local and regional chapters
• In concert with the ED, Develop public relations, advertising, and marketing tools for specific target groups. (e.g. continue to develop media list of national, regional, and local journalists, organizations, and special interest groups); target specific markets, organizations, and special interest groups through press releases highlighting member or Association achievements (such as conferences, symposia, etc)
• Explore joint conferences with related professionals, both regionally and nationally
  With the Conference Committee, address the need for CECs/CEUs for related professionals at the annual conference
• Enhance collaboration between multicultural, distance learning, regional symposia, and CE committees.
• Evaluate further development of regional symposia as educational meetings for members
• Recruit new presenters

Archives Committee

• Continue development of AATA Archives as an appropriately stored and maintained hard copy and electronically accessible education/research resource.
• Identify purposes and key constituents that would be served via an electronic archive of publicly disseminated AATA historical and other records

Art Committee

• With the ED develop the Association's brand organizational wide engagement plan (with attention to diversity and AATA mission, values, and vision) for print and other media, as well as the conference

CACREP Ad Hoc Committee

• Explore possibility of CACREP approval process for art therapy graduate programs

Chapters
In conjunction with GAC, update and continue to implement 2003 Governmental Affairs Committee Plan to include:

• Promoting use of model legislation
• Support for state efforts in legislative process (title bills, licensure attempts, etc) Annually review and revise the AATA chapter manual
• With Director Development, Director Public Policy and GAC, develop a press packet for use by members and chapters to promote art therapy to the public, legislators, decision-makers, and workplace
• Define and further develop chapter benefits – make printout available to Chapter presidents
• Identify the top five needs of the chapters that AATA can support through financial resources
• With Advanced Practice Committee, identify and create a venue that effectively meets the professional development needs of local and regional chapters
• Encourage participation on committees, the board, and in AATA initiatives
• Recognize Chapter Distinguished Service awards (when given) through AATA Chapter Meeting and Honors ceremony
• Explore dual membership in AATA and chapters as mandatory
• Encourage each state chapter to complete one high profile service event in their state. 
• With the Conference Committee, set up at least one community service opportunity at each conference
• Assist Research Committee in developing a human data base of art therapists who have networking abilities and are currently in interdisciplinary research facilities, and/or are located in key states and congressional districts
• Promote sharing best practices and models for increasing state chapter capacity
• Develop a strategic plan to guide AATA/chapter relations, identifying individual and joint responsibilities

CLI Committee

• Support strategies to secure funding for PTSD efficacy study
• Evaluate the Congressional Line Item initiative as a mechanism for securing Federal funding and as a strategy to attract research grants
• Identify alternative funding sources for
• CLI initiative to fund initiative or supplement Federal funding (VA, DOD, NIH, NIMH, etc).

Conference Manager, Conference Committee

• Continue to manage the annual AATA conference as a member benefit and as a source of revenue
• Identify new sources for advertising with a target goal of increasing sales
• Develop public relations, advertising, marketing tools for specific target groups. (e.g. continue to develop media list of national, regional, and local journalists, organizations, and special interest groups; target specific markets, organizations, and special interest groups through press releases highlighting member or Association achievements (such as conferences, symposia, etc)
• Explore joint conferences with related professionals, both regionally and nationally
• Develop AATA branding/image (with attention to diversity and AATA mission, values, and vision) for print and other media, as well as the conference
• With ED and Director Development develop AATA branding/image (with attention to diversity and AATA mission, values, and vision) for print and other media, as well as the conference
• Address the need for CECs/CEUs for related professionals at the annual conference
• Set up at least one community service opportunity at each conference

Education Committee

• Participation in planning meetings with ACA, AASCB, NBCC, and other national stakeholders to enhance the relationship between the art therapy profession and the counseling profession
• Explore CACREP accreditation as avenue for counseling licensure
• Determine if CACREP will undertake the development of art therapy standards
• Determine if these standards can be met by art therapy education programs
• Ensure that AATA Education Standards are enforced, maintain regular, open communication between AATA and ATCB, and revise standards as necessary to maintain equivalency with standards in counseling and other licensure
• With Advanced Practice Committee, evaluate further development of regional symposia as educational meetings for members

EPAB

• Update/revise EPAB P&P, Handbook, and Annual Report
• Create formal orientation to EPAB process for new Board members
• Ensure that AATA Education Standards are enforced, maintain regular, open communication between AATA and ATCB, and revise standards as necessary to maintain equivalency with standards in counseling and other licensure
• Develop approval process for new post-master’s programs

Ethics Committee Executive Director Finance Committee GAC

• Update and continue to implement 2003 Governmental Affairs Committee Plan to include:
• Promoting use of model legislation
• Support for state efforts in legislative process (title bills, licensure attempts, etc
• Development of documents and materials to support legislative efforts, influence public policy, and recognition of the profession
• With Director, Public Policy, develop a press packet for use by members and chapters to promote art therapy to the public, legislators, decision-makers, and workplace
  Foster relationships and collaboration with state and national counseling organizations

Honors Committee

• Recognize service and professional achievement by provision of honors and awards
• Journal
• Develop online sales of journal articles as member benefit and revenue source
• Identify new sources for advertising with a target goal of increasing in sales
• Identify effective strategies for improving the quality of research submitted to and published in the Journal.
• Reinforce the Association's Brand (with attention to diversity and AATA mission, values, and vision) for print and other media, as well as the conference
  Establish Journal on-line capabilities, indexing, and research database initiatives
• Reinforce the service commitments of art therapists to diversity, social justice, and service learning in AATA printed materials and on its website

Multicultural Committee

• Identify diversity in stakeholders and collaborate on strategies to attract interest of public, potential members, and media
• Multicultural information on the AATA website (bibliography, research, video clips, members)
• Add multicultural material to the AATA Archives
• Pearlie Roberson Award
• Identify a group interested in doing organizational research on what in the AATA culture is not conducive to diversity
  Increase diversity in the AATA through active acknowledgment in mission and values statements and promotional materials
• Brochure
• Pioneers Video
• Encourage participation on committees, the board, and in AATA initiatives

Newsletter

• Identify new sources for advertising with a target goal of increasing sales
• With Executive team manager, provide and improve formal communications about Association news to membership, such as e-newsletters, press releases, website, AATA Newsletter, and other mechanisms
• Evaluate, revise, and improve professional content of Quarterly Newsletter through member survey and provide resources to accomplish this
• Implement the Association's brand (with attention to diversity and AATA mission, values, and vision) for print and other media, as well as the conference
• Reinforce the service commitments of art therapists to diversity, social justice, and service learning in AATA printed materials and on its website

Professional Practice Committee
Executive team:

• Create print-on-demand publications and on-demand products as both member benefit and revenue source
• Identification and pursuit of 3 national occupational database systems that should include art therapy as a profession (such as National Plan & Provider Enumeration System’s (NPPES)
• Pursuit of inclusion of art therapy as a separate profession in state job directories and career databases
• Development of documents and materials to support legislative efforts, influence public policy, and recognition of the profession
• Develop communications materials for strategic communication with potential sources of research dollars
• Provide and improve formal communications about Association news to membership, such as e-newsletters, press releases, website, AATA Newsletter, and other mechanisms (e.g. print-on-demand (POD) publications based on identified member needs, practice specialties, and distance learning supplements; monographs to more efficiently address members’ professional practice queries; creation of AATA “sourcebook” of professional information for new professional members)
• Increase the presence of AATA through effective communication and partnerships with other professional organizations
• Develop public relations, advertising, marketing tools for specific target groups. (e.g. continue to develop media list of national, regional, and local journalists, organizations, and special interest groups; target specific markets, organizations, and special interest groups through press releases highlighting member or Association achievements (such as conferences, symposia, etc)
• Increase diversity in the AATA through active acknowledgment in mission and values statements and promotional materials
• Develop a press packet for use by members and chapters to promote art therapy to the public, legislators, decision-makers, and workplace
• Promote the Association's brand (with attention to diversity and AATA mission, values, and vision) for print and other media, as well as the conference
• With Advanced Practice Committee, develop print-on-demand publications as supplement to distance learning courses.
• Reinforce the service commitments of art therapists to diversity, social justice, and service learning in AATA printed materials and on its website

Research Committee

• Develop a long-term art therapy research plan
• Define a research plan to support licensure and title protection
• Develop a human data base of art therapists who have networking abilities and are currently in interdisciplinary research facilities, and/or are located in key states and congressional districts
• Annually encourage art therapy research by calling for submissions for the research awards.
  With Multicultural Committee, identify a group interested in doing organizational research on what in the AATA culture is not conducive to diversity

Scholarship Committee

• Facilitate art therapy education by supporting students in need with financial awards
• Promote fund-raising and encourage donations to existing endowments 

Strategic Planning Committee

• Maintain a detailed project matrix to carry out strategic objectives (activity, responsibility, timeline, evaluation process) and monitor monthly progress against objectives 
• Develop a strategic plan to guide AATA/chapter relations, identifying individual and joint responsibilities
• Create venues such as town meetings to engage membership in AATA strategic planning process, effective communication, leadership accountability, and increased involvement of stakeholders
• Information Programs Management
• With Executive Team, provide and improve formal communications about Association news to membership, such as e-newsletters, press releases, website, Quarterly Newsletter, and other mechanisms
• Evaluate, revise, and improve professional content of AATA Website
• In collaboration with the Executive Team, develop and implement the Associations brand/image for print and other media, as well as the conference
• Re-align the Art Therapist Locator
• Reinforce the service commitments of art therapists to diversity, social justice, and service learning in AATA printed materials and on its website.