NJ Chapter of the ADTA

The NJ ADTA Board is proud to serve a spirited community of creative arts therapists.

A Message from the Executive Committee

Position Statement Regarding Practices Separating and Detaining Families and Restricting Travel

In accordance with the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) Code of Ethics, the Executive Committee of the ADTA Board of Directors denounces recent policies and practices that separate children from their families, detain families and/or deny basic human rights. Per our Code of Ethics:

• 6.0: Dance/movement therapists promote social justice with a recognition that a just society contributes to individual, family, and community health.
• 6.0.a: Dance/movement therapists cultivate awareness of and address oppression and disparities in power and privilege, resulting in barriers to wellness, at individual, institutional, and societal levels. Dance/movement therapists advocate for equitable access to services and culturally competent care.

As dance/movement therapists, we are aware of the trauma and likely long-term consequences associated with these recent practices. Thus, we categorically oppose any legislation or practice that:

• separates families
• holds families in detention
• bans travel based on country of origin or religion

While the current administration has announced an end to their policy of separating children from their families at the border, families fleeing violence are still being criminalized for their attempts to survive. Further, the majority of the 2,000 children separated from their families have yet to be re-united.

The ADTA is non-partisan. We are, however, pro-children, pro-families and pro-basic human rights and dignity. Our Code of Ethics requires us to speak out in the face of practices we know are damaging to the fundamental well-being of individuals, regardless of their country of origin. We urge this administration to educate themselves on the generational impact of their policies and to remediate their course of action immediately before further damage is inflicted.

American Dance Therapy Association