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Creative Arts Therapist (Art Therapist Preferred) – CPEP (Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program)

NewYork-Presbyterian / Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Psychiatry Emergency Department

Shift: Days (8:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Monday-Friday)

At NewYork-Presbyterian, our Rehabilitation teams play a vital role in supporting patients across the continuum of care. Join us as a Creative Arts Therapist and provide clinically and developmentally appropriate creative arts therapy interventions that help patients build coping skills, reduce anxiety, support emotional expression, and enhance overall well-being during critical moments in their behavioral health journey.

Under the guidance of the Manager, performs all Creative Arts Therapy duties. This is a professional position with no supervisory responsibilities.

About This Role

This position will primarily be focused on the Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP) on the main campus of NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

In this role, the Creative Arts Therapist will provide individualized and group-based therapeutic interventions designed to support patients' emotional, psychosocial, cognitive, communicative, and behavioral functioning. Utilizing creative arts therapy techniques, the therapist will help patients develop adaptive coping strategies, manage anxiety and emotional distress, enhance self-expression, and promote recovery.

The Creative Arts Therapist is an integral member of the multidisciplinary CPEP team, collaborating closely with Psychiatrists, Registered Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Social Workers, and other healthcare professionals. The therapist will participate in daily interdisciplinary rounds, advocate for patients' psychosocial and emotional needs, and contribute to creating a safe, therapeutic environment for patients throughout their care experience.

Given the nature of the CPEP environment, candidates with a background in Art Therapy and experience utilizing visual arts interventions in psychiatric, crisis, or emergency behavioral health settings are strongly preferred.

This is a full-time position for the day shift (8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.), Monday through Friday, with coverage on weekends and holidays.

Key Responsibilities

• Assess patients' psychosocial, emotional, developmental, and therapeutic needs utilizing creative arts therapy principles and interventions.
• Develop and implement individualized and group creative arts therapy treatment plans in collaboration with patients and the interdisciplinary healthcare team.
• Utilize creative arts therapy interventions to assist patients in coping with hospitalization, anxiety, emotional distress, and other behavioral health challenges.
• Facilitate therapeutic programming that promotes adaptive coping, emotional expression, socialization, sensory awareness, and overall well-being.
• Communicate patient observations, assessments, and treatment progress to the interdisciplinary healthcare team and advocate for patients' psychosocial and emotional needs.
• Provide education to patients, families, staff, and the community regarding the therapeutic benefits of creative arts interventions.
• Maintain accurate and timely documentation in the medical record and departmental reporting systems.
• Participate in program development, educational initiatives, quality improvement activities, and ongoing enhancement of creative arts therapy services.
• Maintain professional licensure and remain current with evidence-based practices through continuing education and professional development.

Required Criteria

• Master's Degree in Creative Arts Therapy or a related field.
• Licensed Creative Arts Therapist (LCAT) through the New York State Office of Professions.
• Current professional credential in a Creative Arts Therapy specialty area (ATR, MT-BC, Dance/Movement Therapy, or Drama Therapy). Art Therapy credentials and experience are strongly preferred.
• Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) certification.
• Completion of a clinical internship in a Creative Arts Therapy discipline.
• Demonstrated proficiency in the modalities associated with the candidate's Creative Arts Therapy specialty.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Advanced interpersonal skills with the ability to effectively engage patients, families, and interdisciplinary staff.

Preferred Criteria

• One to three years of Creative Arts Therapy experience.
• Art Therapy experience in an inpatient psychiatric, behavioral health, psychiatric emergency, or crisis intervention setting strongly preferred.
• Experience utilizing visual arts interventions to support emotional regulation, coping, self-expression, and recovery in patients experiencing acute psychiatric symptoms.
• Experience facilitating therapeutic art groups and individual art-based interventions in a fast-paced clinical environment.
• Experience providing therapeutic interventions in inpatient psychiatry, behavioral health, psychiatric emergency services, crisis stabilization, or other acute mental health settings.
• Experience utilizing trauma-informed care principles when supporting individuals experiencing mental health crises, emotional distress, or hospitalization.
• Demonstrated crisis intervention skills and the ability to effectively engage and support patients in acute psychiatric or emergency care environments.
• Experience working as part of a multidisciplinary team in a fast-paced healthcare environment.
• Advanced knowledge of human growth and development.
• Doctoral degree (PhD) in a related field.

Why Join NewYork-Presbyterian?

• Be part of a highly collaborative, multidisciplinary behavioral health team.
• Make a direct impact on patients during critical points in care.
• Work in a dynamic, mission-driven academic medical center.
• Opportunities for professional growth and continued learning.