Art Therapist, ATR-BC

Yale New Haven Health • New Haven, CT

20h

About The Position

The Art Therapist develops, implements, modifies, and evaluates art therapy services for children, teens, young adults, and their families in assigned Pediatrics units through the Child Life Department. The role assesses patient needs and communicates individualized interventions and programs. It facilitates group and individual activities intended to restore, maintain, or improve cognitive, physical, emotional, and social functioning among pediatric patients.

The Art Therapist engages diverse patients and families in selecting, discussing, observing, or creating art activities. Treatment is adapted to developmental and chronological age, physical limitations or disabilities, psychosocial needs, and patient progress. The role collaborates with artists, child life specialists, and other members of the patient care team, documents treatment and responses, maintains program supplies and equipment, and participates in quality initiatives.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Art Therapy or Expressive Arts Therapy as required for registration by the Art Therapy Credentials Board.
• Currently holds Registered or Board Certified designation (ATR, ATR-BC) by the American Art Therapy Association and the Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB), or is eligible for registration.
• Considerable knowledge of expressive art and art therapy principles, techniques, and methods.
• Knowledge of the psychosocial needs and behaviors of hospitalized children and families, and of facilitating art therapy in a medical environment.
• Professional-level knowledge and skill in growth and development, particularly as it relates to creative expression.
• Understanding of how the creative process supports psychological preparation, coping strategies, and support during medical events.
• Knowledge of visual arts media, forms, design principles, and techniques and their relationship to other expressive modalities.
• Competence in art skills and comfort facilitating expression through varied media and art forms, including drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, and mixed media.
• Ability to apply and adapt art principles and techniques for therapeutic outcomes within the art therapy or expressive arts therapy scope of practice.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, time-management, and organizational skills; ability to establish effective professional relationships with staff, patients, families, artists, and media.
• Effective skills in program development, project coordination, and program planning.
• Able to lift at least 25 pounds.
• Must comply with applicable OSHA, HIPAA, and JCAHO standards relevant to the position.

Nice To Haves

• One to two years of experience as an art therapist working with children in a healthcare environment preferred; alternatively, two years of full-time art therapist experience with children in a school or other community setting, with specific expertise working with children with special needs.
• Embraces a multimodal, collaborative approach and is open to combining art with other expressive modalities, including movement, written word, or music.

Responsibilities

• Develop, plan, implement, modify, and evaluate art therapy services to address assessed patient and family needs and support social, emotional, physical, and cognitive functioning.
• Facilitate individual and group art therapy activities for pediatric patients and their families, adapting interventions to age, abilities, psychosocial needs, and progress.
• Engage diverse patients and families in art activities, including observing, discussing, selecting, or creating art.
• Collaborate with artists, child life specialists, and other patient care team members.
• Document individualized treatment plans and patient and family responses in accordance with treatment goals and department and hospital guidelines.
• Maintain art therapy supplies and equipment and assess material needs.
• Participate in quality assurance and quality initiatives, including collecting, maintaining, and analyzing art therapy quality and productivity data.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time