School-based Creative Arts Therapists’ Understanding of Their Perceived Professional Roles and Pathways to Systems Integration

School-based creative arts therapies are practiced across the United States (U.S.) and supported by an emerging literature base demonstrating their utility as youth mental health interventions. Yet limited research has examined creative arts therapists’ (CATs) experiences of professional integration, role clarity, or systems navigation in school settings, particularly within a U.S. context. This qualitative study explored how school-based CATs understand the ways their work is perceived by professional peers, integrated into school systems, and sustained over time. Nine credentialed CATs, recently or currently working in U.S. schools, participated in two semi-structured focus groups via videoconference. Transcribed data were derived from focus group discussions and analyzed across Braun and Clark’s six phases of thematic analysis within a contextualist epistemological framework. Findings suggested that participants perceived their work as having contributed meaningfully to students’ socio-emotional functioning, provided inclusive support, and reduced systemic stress. Participants also described challenges with professional recognition, misconceptions of their work, and structural constraints. Participants further reported active advocacy via stakeholder education and relying on mixed peer support networks. Implications suggest the need for collaborative efforts on multidisciplinary school teams as well as greater clarity in professional role and institutional functioning.