Membership

The National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP) was created in 1999 to serve as a national resource for programs and professionals assisting young people with emotional or behavioral difficulties. Since its inception we have grown from the 7 founding members to our current membership of more than 150 residential treatment centers, therapeutic boarding schools, wilderness programs, outdoor therapeutic programs, and young adult programs. Additionally, we number several hundred individual members encompassing allied professionals, educational consultants, and program staff members.

NATSAP was founded to provide opportunities for private therapeutic programs and schools to collaborate, share information, exchange ideas and develop collegial relationships. NATSAP is an organization comprised of professionals striving to uphold ethical and best practice standards.

NATSAP is not a referral or placement agency. We are a volunteer membership organization supporting professionals and programs in their efforts to help troubled young people. NATSAP does not provide oversight of our member programs, believing that responsibility lies with the licensing and accrediting agencies.

As we continue to lead our association with effective and innovative membership services, we are excited to announce that NATSAP’s Membership Committee and Board of Directors have widened our scope by creating new membership categories and redefining our current levels of membership. These new categories will broaden our NATSAP family and expand the exchange of ideas and information. Moving forward, we ask you to spread the word of all NATSAP membership categories throughout your professional community. To view member services provided by NATSAP, please click here.

(Membership runs from July 1 thru June 30 annually. Membership dues may be prorated):

REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERSHIP IN NATSAP (Effective May 17, 2016) 

Program/School Membership Criteria         2017-2018 Program/School Membership Application - Online Application

Click here to download a pdf. version of the application

Full Membership: (only programs with Full Membership have voting rights).  Programs applying for Full Membership must be in operation beginning with the first client admission for 2 years or more and must:

  • be licensed by the appropriate state agency authorized to set and oversee standards of therapeutic and/or behavioral healthcare for youth, adolescents, and young adults or accredited by one or more of the following: JCAHO, COA, CARF, NIPSA – Therapeutic. This category includes non-residential treatment programs. (Educational accreditation is not accepted as licensure.)
  • have therapeutic services with oversight by a qualified clinician
  • aspire to the NATSAP Ethical Principles and Principles of Good Practice

*A young adult program is defined as a program that is exclusively designed to work with young adults aged 18 and older.


Provisional Membership: Programs applying for Provisional Membership must:

  • be licensed by the appropriate state agency authorized to set and oversee standards of therapeutic and/or behavioral healthcare for youth, adolescents or young adults,  or accredited by one or more of the following: JCAHO, COA, CARF, NIPSA – Therapeutic
  • have therapeutic services with oversight by a qualified clinician
  • aspire to the NATSAP Ethical Principles and Principles of Good Practice

*The Provisional Member is approved for a period of 2 years.  At that time the program is subject for review by the membership committee for an extension of the provisional membership.


Associate Program Membership: This category includes unlicensed or non-accredited residential, non-residential programs, or Young Adult Programs.

  • Membership must be in operation beginning with the first client admission for at least one year prior to applying for membership
  • unlicensed/non-accredited programs serving an adult population of 18 and older
  • therapeutic services implemented by a state-licensed mental health provider
  • must aspire to the NATSAP Ethical Principles and Principles of Good Practice


Associate Individual Membership Criteria         2017-2018 Associate Individual Membership Application - Online Application

Please click here to download a pdf. version of the application
Formerly known as "Individual Professional Membership"
Associate Individual Membership: is offered to people who, alongside NATSAP member programs, participate in the common mission of promoting healthy growth and personal well-being of NATSAP program participants. Examples: educational consultants, psychologists, psychiatrists, attorneys, teachers, etc.
  • An application for a NATSAP Associate Individual Membership is voluntary on the part of the applicant and is designed to provide individuals the opportunity to show their commitment to the ethics and standards upheld by the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs and its members.
  • Acceptance as an Associate Individual Member is based upon completion of the application in full, receipt of the Annual Fee and is accepted with the acknowledgement of the applicant that the application is complete.
  • Employees of programs may not join as an Associate Individual Member unless they are employed by a NATSAP member.


Affiliate Membership Criteria         2017-2018 Affiliate Membership Application - Online Application

Please click here to download a pdf. version of the application

Formerly listed as Business Partners and Affiliate Members

 

Affiliate Membership is offered to organizations that provide services and products expressly designed to supplement services rendered by regular NATSAP member programs. These organizations must serve the program clients. Examples: transportation companies, educational facilities, insurance agencies, food service companies wilderness equipment companies, etc.

  • An application for a NATSAP Affiliate Membership is voluntary on the part of the applicant and is designed to provide organizations the opportunity to show their commitment to the ethics and standards upheld by the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs and its members.
  • Acceptance as an Affiliate Member is based upon completion of the application in full and receipt of the Annual Dues and is accepted with the acknowledgement of the applicant that the application is complete.

Clarification:

Licensure: The NATSAP Board of Directors reserves the right to determine if the licensure meets the NATSAP membership requirements.

Therapeutic services with oversight by a qualified clinician: NATSAP members must have an independently state licensed mental health professional that is openly accessible to the students and has oversight responsibility for individual treatment/service plans.

NOTE: Current members of NATSAP will be listed under the new categories beginning with the 2016-2017 Membership Year..