Call for action over unqualified arts therapists

The Government should protect vulnerable people from the services of unqualified and untrained practitioners who claim to be providing a creative arts therapy, according to a professional therapy group.

Children and adults with mental health problems are being provided with services from unqualified professionals, according to the Irish Association of Creative Arts Therapists (IACAT).

Qualifications
"The HSE, other service providers, clients or their families are paying for unqualified people to provide services thinking they are receiving evidence-based intervention from someone with advanced qualifications in creative arts therapy who may have no relevant qualifications at all," said Triona McCaffrey at the annual general meeting of the association at the weekend.

The Irish Association of Creative Arts Therapists is the umbrella group for art, drama, dance-movement and music therapists. It requires its members to have a full-time, two-year masters in an approved university. Members must also follow an ethical code.

Up to 50 per cent of association members said in a recent survey that they knew of people operating as creative arts therapists without appropriate qualifications.

Statutory recognition
The group is also calling for statutory recognition for these professions as part of the Allied Health and Social Care Professionals Act (2005). "Without statutory recognition of the professions, anyone can call themselves an art, drama, dance-movement or music therapist and take referrals," said Bill Ahessy, senior music therapist and member of IACAT. Statutory recognition would mean that creative arts therapist becomes a protected title for those appropriately qualified and anyone operating as a therapist without qualifications could be legally challenged.