Standards & Ethics

Standards & Ethics

Professional and Ethical Standards

IACAET Professional Credentials are grounded in a shared commitment to ethical, responsible, culturally responsive, and professionally accountable practice.

All holders of the CCAE, CCAT, and CAHP credentials are required to practise in accordance with the IACAET Code of Ethics and the professional and ethical standards applicable to their credential and scope of practice.

Credential holders are expected to maintain these standards throughout the period in which they hold an active IACAET credential.

[Read the IACAET Code of Ethics]

Shared Professional Responsibilities

Across all three credentials, credential holders are expected to:

• practise within the boundaries of their education, training, experience, competence, and professional role;
• respect the dignity, rights, diversity, cultural contexts, and wellbeing of the people and communities with whom they work;
• maintain appropriate professional relationships and boundaries;
• safeguard participants, students, clients, and communities where applicable;
• represent their qualifications, credentials, and professional role accurately;
• respect confidentiality, privacy, authorship, creative work, and documentation as applicable to their professional setting;
• comply with applicable laws, regulations, safeguarding requirements, and professional standards in the jurisdiction in which they practise;
• engage in appropriate reflection, supervision, mentorship, consultation, and continuing professional development; and
• take responsibility for their own professional conduct and practice.

Ethical Emphasis by Credential

While all IACAET credential holders share a common ethical framework, each credential has ethical responsibilities related to its particular scope of practice.

CCAE — Certified Creative Arts Educator

CCAE credential holders have particular responsibilities in relation to:

• safe and supportive learning environments;
• educational responsibility and appropriate educator–learner boundaries;
• safeguarding and pedagogies of care;
• culturally responsive and inclusive educational practice;
• responsible use of documentation, information, and media; and
• respect for and protection of learners’ and participants’ creative work.

[Explore CCAE Standards]

CCAT — Certified Creative Arts Therapist

CCAT credential holders have particular responsibilities in relation to:

• therapeutic and clinical boundaries;
• client dignity, rights, privacy, and confidentiality;
• appropriate professional competence and scope of practice;
• culturally responsive therapeutic practice;
• reflective practice and appropriate supervision; and
• professional accountability, including applicable professional liability insurance requirements.

[Explore CCAT Standards]

CAHP — Certified Arts in Health Practitioner

CAHP credential holders have particular responsibilities in relation to:

• maintaining appropriate non-clinical boundaries;
• safeguarding and participant wellbeing;
• distinguishing arts in health practice from clinical therapy unless independently qualified to provide such services;
• respectful collaboration with healthcare, community, and allied professionals;
• culturally responsive practice and respect for diverse traditions and ways of knowing; and
• protection of participants’ rights in relation to authorship, documentation, and use of creative work.

[Explore CAHP Standards]

Scope of Practice and Professional Boundaries

Credential holders are responsible for working within the scope of their education, training, professional competence, credential, and applicable legal requirements.

An IACAET credential does not authorize a credential holder to undertake professional activities that are restricted by law or regulation to another profession for which the individual is not appropriately qualified, registered, or licensed.

Credential holders should clearly and accurately represent their professional role and qualifications and should refer, collaborate, seek supervision, or consult with other appropriately qualified professionals when the needs of a client, participant, learner, or community fall outside their professional scope.

Continuing Professional Responsibility

Professional recognition carries an ongoing responsibility to maintain professional knowledge, ethical awareness, and appropriate standards of practice.

IACAET credentials are renewed annually. Credential holders are required to complete the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements applicable to their credential and to continue meeting IACAET’s professional and ethical requirements.

Nature of the IACAET Credential

An IACAET credential represents IACAET’s determination, based on the information and evidence available at the time of assessment, that an individual has met the applicable credentialing requirements.

An IACAET credential does not constitute:

• a governmental licence;
• statutory or professional registration;
• authorization to practise contrary to applicable laws or regulations; or
• a guarantee of professional performance or of any particular professional service or outcome.

Credential holders remain individually responsible for their professional practice and conduct, including compliance with applicable laws and regulations, professional and ethical standards, scope of practice, and any licensing, registration, safeguarding, or insurance requirements applicable in the jurisdiction in which they work.

Ethical Concerns and Professional Conduct

Concerns regarding a potential breach of the IACAET Code of Ethics, professional conduct requirements, credentialing standards, or misuse of an IACAET credential may be submitted to IACAET.

Such matters are considered in accordance with the applicable IACAET ethics, professional conduct, complaints, and credentialing procedures.

IACAET Ethics and Professional Conduct Procedures 2026

Key Documents

IACAET Code of Ethics
The ethical framework applicable to IACAET credential holders.

IACAET Ethics and Professional Conduct Procedures 2026
Procedures for addressing ethical and professional conduct concerns.

IACAET Credentials Guideline
The professional requirements, competencies, scope of practice, and standards applicable to CCAE, CCAT, and CAHP.

IACAET Credential Application Review Workflow and Procedures
The procedures governing application review, decisions, appeals, credential issuance, renewal, and related credentialing processes.

Questions?

For questions concerning credentialing standards and professional requirements, please contact:

credentials@iacaet.org