How to Achieve a Seamless Renewal & Recertification Season

The ATCB credential year is July-June, every April credential holders can expect to receive notifications from the ATCB regarding both annual renewal and five-year recertification. While it’s easy to confuse the meaning of the two terms, they are two distinct processes that require attention in different ways. Depending upon the credential(s) you hold, you may be responsible for meeting the requirements of one or both.

Annual Renewal is required of all ATCB credential holders, if you have just received your credential you will need to complete your annual renewal. Once awarded the credential is valid for the remainder of the credential year of which you are approved

All credential holders must complete their annual renewal application(s) and pay their maintenance fee(s) (see chart below) each year by June 30 in order to maintain the credential(s) you’ve worked so hard to obtain. The most critical aspect of annual renewals is the completion of the ethics attestation, documenting credential holders’ adherence to the ATCB Code of Ethics, Conduct, and Disciplinary Procedures.

Five-year Recertification is required of only ATR-BCs.These ATR’s with board certification must meet continuing education (CE) requirements as outlined in the ATR-BC Recertification Standards. Over the course of each five-year recertification period, ATR-BCs must complete a minimum of 100 CE credits, including at least six (6) in ethics. In the recertification application, a CE tracker must be completed outlining these CEs. Each year, out of all the ATR-BCs/ATCSs who are due to recertify, ten (10) percent are selected at random for audit. If you are selected for audit, you must provide verifications of all the CE activities listed on your recertification tracker.

The ATCB offers the option of a 90-day recertification extension for completing CE requirements. You must apply online, and the fee for an extension is $50.

 

In lieu of completing the CE requirements, ATR-BCs may opt to take and pass the ATCB Examination (ATCBE). The ATCBE fee is $275.

If you are an ATR-BC and it is your year to recertify your board certification, please be sure that you complete both the renewal of your ATR and the recertification of your BC. Please note that these are separate and distinct processes, and both must be completed on an annual (for renewal) or quinquennial (every five years for recertification) basis. If you have any questions about the procedure for either, please contact the ATCB National Office at atcbinfo@atcb.org.

Final Notes to Consider:

• We hope you’ve heard by now that the ATCB moved away from paper renewals and recertifications in 2019. This means we will not mail you a paper renewal or recertification application. All ID cards are located in MYATCB portals. Annual renewal and five-year recertification application may be completed online via MyATCB. The process is easy so don’t delay!
• While the National Office is working remotely, we are unable to mail certificates. We are working to digitalize certificates. If you need additional verifications please contact the National Office. Also, take advantage of the national registry found here. 
• Email notifications regarding annual renewals will be sent by May each year, so please be sure to check your email often and update your MYATCB if your contact information has changed.
• The ATCB’s annual renewal and five-year recertification processes are separate from the American Art Therapy Association’s (AATA’s) annual membership fees. The ATCB and AATA are not affiliated.

If you have any questions regarding annual renewal or five-year recertification, please contact the ATCB National Office at atcbinfo@atcb.org  or visit the ATCB website.