Addressing the needs of our CAT community

[Guest guest]

Hello to all,

I sent a similar email to the NYATA e-group as we are in the midst of

discussing LCAT issues that are also coming up in this e-group. Because my

brain went to sleep an hour or so ago please forgive my lack of originality

and use of the cut and paste feature (only NYATA items were deleted).

I have been keeping up with the recent conversations about aspects of the

LCAT, including the limited permit issue. What we seem to be experiencing

are some LCAT reverberations. There is a laundry list of issues that we

all, as a united profession of Creative Arts Therapists, need to address

with the State. In the past we have relied upon our lobbyist Jim Carr

however at this time we do not have a contract with him to provide services,

mainly due to lack of funds to pay him. I and many others believe we need

to establish an active status with Jim and that this is truly the first goal

that needs to be accomplished in order to then address our laundry list with

the State. The NYCCAT Board will be meeting this Wednesday and I will be

happy to report back to you via the e-group after the meeting. I will give

Jim Carr a call and see if he has any feedback as to where we go from here.

Also, the SED Board met yesterday in Albany and an update will be provided

on this e-group as well.

As for affording the much needed services of Jim Carr, the NYCCAT Board is

working towards a solution to raise the monies needed including NYCCAT

becoming a due paying membership. Whether we do this as a private entity or

as a not-for-profit seems to be the decision at hand and the topic will be

discussed at the meeting on Wednesday. It is my hope we will put forth the

vote necessary to begin the process of becoming a dues paying membership so

that we can clear the money hurdle and focus on addressing the short and

long term needs of our CAT community.

Please know that the LCAT issues are to be expected and I am sure that we

will find a way to resolve what needs resolving, it just may take some time,

group effort and patience. Whether the laundry list of issues directly

affects you or not, ALL issues pertaining to the LCAT affect us ALL. We have

been and are even more so now a collective body of professionals and so we

need EVERYONE's help in moving forward. Surely a great bunch of 'artsy

people' can unite and come up with some creative solutions!

Last but certainly not least, I urge you to consider joining the NYCCAT

Board as there is no time like the present where more human power is needed

to empower our profession.

Take Care,

Chriss Berk, MA, ATR-BC, LPC, LCAT

NYCCAT President

NYATA President-Elect

Re: Important info re: limited permit/illegal CAT practice

>

This is really disturbing to me, esp. as an art therapit who just moved from

out of state. I

have just sent in all my paperwork to begin the process of applying for my

LCAT, and have

also been working in a school setting (though just doing art programming,

not art therapy).

Is the state also going to tell me I'm practicing illegally, even though I

already have my ATR

and was licensed in Colorado. I have to say as I've begun to apply for my

LCAT, I cannot

believe how much bureaucracy is involved in NY than in CO. It really sounds

like they make it

really hard for people who are in the process of apply for this

license-needing to apply for a

temporary license and the like-which by the way, I had no idea you even

needed to do. How

are you supposed to know all this stuff? I certainly didn't see any

information about

temporary licenses on the Office of Profession's website. Sorry-this has

turned into a bit of a

rant, but it's really frustrating!!!