Political Advocacy Within the United States

Advocacy in any form is a grass roots and collaborative effort. It requires the involvement of our members, and it asks us to build coalitions with other fields in order to be successful. Through member involvement and coalition building, NADTA has made progress on advocating for laws that include drama therapy. Examples are the New York State LCAT license and the inclusion funding for creative arts therapies in the Older Americans Act.

The North American Drama Therapy Association (NADTA) is part of the annual National Arts Advocacy Day sponsored by Americans for the Arts. All NADTA members, including students, are encouraged to attend. This is an amazing opportunity to learn to navigate the political process and build the relationships needed to obtain goals. Contact the NADTA Government Affairs Chair to join the NADTA delegation.

Many States also have State Arts Advocacy Day. Drama therapists are encouraged to attend arts advocacy day in their states, as this is an opportunity to make connections in your state legislature and to start building the coalitions that are needed to gain licensure and to be included in state and local funding. More information can be found through a google search for "your state" "arts advocacy."

LCAT Fact Sheet

Are you interested in obtaining licensure in New York State? The LCAT Fact Sheet is a guide prepared to assist you in the process. The information contained in the guide includes tips from people who have applied for the LCAT as well as information from the NYS Office of the Professions.

New Jersey Taskforce

The Drama and Dance/Movement Therapists in New Jersey have become the New Jersey Taskforce and have been diligently working towards seeking licensure (LCDT- Licensed Clinical Drama and Dance/Movement Therapists). Currently, they are gathering legislative sponsors in both the Assembly and the Senate. To find out more about New Jersey efforts, please contact the Government Affairs Chair at governmentaffairs@nadta.org.