Instructions for Submitting a Proposal for the 2016 ADTA Conference
“ReGeneration: Moving Pathways to Integration.”
Thank you for your interest in submitting a proposal for the 2016 ADTA Annual Conference. This year’s conference is an
exciting one as it celebrates the ADTA’s 50th anniversary as a membership organization. 50 years ago, 73 visionary men
and women signed a charter to create the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA). Through their foresight and
steadfastness, the ADTA was launched and in 50 short years has grown into an organization with over 1,600 members
from 36 countries! Join the celebration by submitting a proposal to present at the conference.
We highly encourage you to read through the following instructions and tips before starting the online submission
process to ensure your proposal meets conference requirements and that you are prepared to complete the application.
We are excited to mark the 50th anniversary of the ADTA at the 2016 conference and look forward to your proposal.
Kind regards.
Gloria Farrow
Conference Manager
Margaret Migliorati
Chair, Annual Conference Committee
Conference Theme
“ReGeneration: Moving Pathways to Integration.”
This years’ conference theme is meant to be contemplated on multiple levels. To begin, consider the following
definitions from the Merriam-Webster online dictionary:
Regenerate:
1. To be formed or created again
2. To be spiritually reborn
3. To be restored to a better, higher or more worthy state
Integrate:
1. To combine two or more things to form or create something
2. To make something a part of another larger thing
3. To make a person or group part of a larger group or organization.
With these definitions in mind, the annual conference committee invites proposals that explore the ways in which
dance/movement therapists move along diverse pathways towards ever deepening levels of regeneration and
integration for our field, the clients we serve and the world as a whole. Some specific question to consider when
responding to this call include:
 What are the many different pathways DMT has taken over the past 50 years?
 What exciting pathways lie before us in the next 50 years?
 How does this diversity of pathways serve to regenerate our field and to create something larger than the
individual path?
 What opportunities exist to join colleagues and experts from other disciplines to create new, currently
undefined pathways?
 How does the ADTA continue to regenerate itself to create new opportunities for DMT into the next 50 years?
 How do we “ReGenerate” our field? That is, what is needed to continue to attract and mentor future
generation of DMT’s who will lead us into the next 50 years and beyond?
On a different level, the conference theme speaks to an additional definition of regeneration from Merriam-Webster:
“the renewal or restoration of a body, bodily part, or biological system after injury or as a normal process.” This
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definition speaks to the ways in which DMTs have been on the forefront of the deepest levels of healing the mind/body
for the past 50 or more years. In an era where other practitioners and researchers are just beginning to identify the
potential of regeneration in the brain (neuroplasticity) and the role of the body in this process, dance/movement
therapists have much to offer the conversation. As such, we also invite proposals that speak to the unique expertise
DMT brings to the burgeoning fields of neuroplasticity, neurobiology, attachment biology among others.
Note that all workshops are two hours long and all workshops must include a current ADTA member as a presenter,
with exceptions to this made only by a vote of the Board of Directors’ Executive Committee. Finally, please keep in mind
that all proposals should speak to the multicultural and diverse world in which DMTs practice.
New This Year
If you have submitted an application to the ADTA in the past, you may notice some new questions in this year’s
submission process as outlined below:
1. Credentials of Presenter(s):
The ADTA provides two different types of continuing education for the annual conference. ADTA continuing
education credit (CEC) is provided for all conference presentations and requires at least one main presenter of each
workshop/event to be an ADTA member (exceptions are made only by a vote of the ADTA Board of Director’s
Executive Committee).
Workshops and conference events may also qualify for the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) CEC. The
NBCC has specific requirements for the credentials of presenters as well as the content areas a presenter with
specific credentials may cover. In order to determine whether or not your workshop will qualify for NBCC CEC for
participants who attend, you will be asked questions about you and your co-presenter(s)’ credentials as well as the
content area you plan to present under. If you do not meet the NBCC criteria, your workshop will not qualify for
NBCC CEC, however as long as a main presenter of your workshop is an ADTA member, the workshop will qualify for
ADTA CEC.
For more information on the NBCC CEC requirements, please contact the ADTA office.
2. New Presenters and New Content: To address past conference feedback requesting greater diversity in both
presenters and workshop content, we will be considering the following in proposal evaluations:
a. New Presenters: Is at least one of the presenters for the workshop new to presenting at the ADTA conference?
While it is not required that all workshops include a new presenter, it is encouraged. After the proposals are
rated blindly, the conference committee will assure that at least 25% of all conference workshops will include a
presenter new to the ADTA conference.
b. New Content: If a presenter of a proposal has presented on the topic at the ADTA conference in the last 3 years,
we will request further information on how the current proposal includes new or innovative information not
before presented. This information will be included in the evaluation of the proposal under the category
“Innovation”.
3. % Movement: To address past conference feedback requesting more information about the amount of movement in
each workshop, you will be asked to estimate the percent of movement included in your workshop. This
information will not be rated by the National Review Panel but will instead be included in the conference program to
assist attendees in making their conference selections.
Proposal Timeline
December 2016
February 15, 2016
Feb-March, 2016
Call for Proposals announced
All proposal submissions due
National Review Panel (NRP) reviews and rates proposals in a blind review process
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By end of March 2016 Proposal submitters will be notified whether or not your proposal has been accepted into the
conference
Selection Process and Criteria
All proposals received by the deadline and that meet the minimum proposal requirements will be reviewed by the
National Review Panel. The NRP consists of the member-at-large from the conference region, two (2) members (BCDMTs) from the region and one (1) member from each of the other two areas of the country
All identifying information is removed from proposals before sending them to the NRP, thus ensuring a blind process. If
a reviewer is able to identify a specific proposal presenter by the information provided, the reviewer is asked to decline
from reviewing and scoring the proposal.
Proposals are reviewed and scored in 5 categories:
 Suitability:
o How well does the proposal relate to the conference theme?
o Is the seminar relevant to the theory, research or practice of DMT?
 Professionalism:
o Is the proposal well written? (grammar, clarity of thought and language, etc.)
o Does it adhere to APA style conventions?
 Content:
o Is there internal consistency between the title, learning objectives and description of the seminar?
o Are the learning objectives clear and realistic given a two hour seminar time frame and the seminar
description?
o Does the description reflect content that is appropriate for attendees working at the master’s level or
above?
 Innovation:
o To what extent is the seminar contributing new knowledge or perspectives to the field?
o Have the presenter(s) presented this topic at an ADTA conference in the past 3 years?
o If “yes”, how well did they articulate how this proposal will offer new knowledge or unique perspectives?
 Diversity:
o Does the proposal suggest the inclusion of attention to diversity issues, as they would relate to the stated
topic of the particular seminar/workshop?
Overall scores are calculated and the proposals are ranked and accepted according to the rank order and the number of
workshop slots available for the conference. Additionally, we will be confirming that a minimum of 25% of the chosen
workshops have at least one presenter new to presenting at an ADTA conference. Please contact the ADTA office if you
have further questions about the selection process and criteria.
Online Proposal Form Instructions
The following are the fields you will need to complete in the online proposal submission process. Please be prepared to
include all of the information before you begin your online application.
Lead Presenter First Name: *
Hint: An * indicates a required field.
Lead Presenter Last Name: *
Email: *
Street Address: *
Address Line 2:
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City: *
State/Province: *
Zip/Postal Code: *
Country: *
Preferred Telephone Number: *
1. Are you an ADTA member? *
 Yes
 No
2. If yes, Membership Type?
 Professional
 Associate
 Student
 Retired
3. Earned Degree(s): (e.g. MA, PhD) (please do not list honorary degrees): *
4. Degree Name: (e.g. Dance/Movement Therapy, Counseling, etc): *
5. Do you hold an earned graduate degree from a regionally accredited institution in the United States in a mental health
field (e.g. Dance/Movement Therapy, Counseling, Psychology)? *
 Yes
 No
6. If not, do you hold an earned graduate degree from a regionally accredited institution in the United States in a field
directly related to the subject matter of your proposed presentation?
 Yes
 No
7. Do you have the education, experience and/or training to prepare you to present on the content area(s) of your
proposed presentation? *
 Yes
 No
8. Have you or your co-presenter(s) presented on this topic or a similar topic at an ADTA Conference in the past 3
years?*
 Yes
 No
8.a. If yes, please explain what new information or fresh perspective you will be bringing to the topic?
9. Are you or any of your co-presenters a first-time presenter at the ADTA Conference? *
 Yes
 No
10. Please indicate the percentage of movement you estimate including in your workshop. *
 Minimal or no movement
 Up to 25%
 26-50%
 51-75%
 76% or more
Lead Presenter Bio: * (Max 125 words)
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Title of Presentation: *(Max 15 words)
Description of Presentation: * (Max 300 words)
Abstract: * (Max 100 words)
Three (3) Learning Objectives: *
____________________________________________________________________________________
Please review content areas 1-10 below as well as the sub-categories under each content area. Please choose up to 3
total sub-categories that best describe the content of your proposed presentation. You may choose sub-categories
that all fit under the same main content area or they may fit under different main content areas, but please choose a
total of no more than three.
Content Area 1: Counseling Theory/Practice and the Counseling Relationship: workshops in this content area provide
advanced understanding of the counseling process.
 Foundational and well-established counseling theories, principles, and techniques of counseling and their
application in mental health settings
 Diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders
 Wellness and prevention within counseling and treatment
 Crisis intervention techniques for counselors
 Psychophysiological awareness and mindfulness in the counseling process
 Distance counseling
 Biofeedback used in a mental health setting
 Other topics in Counseling Theory/Practice and the Counseling Relationship. Please Specify:
Content Area 2: Human Growth and Development: workshops in this content area provide an advanced
understanding of the nature of individuals at developmental levels, as relevant to professional counselors and the
counseling profession.
 Foundational and well-established theories including, but not limited to, personality theory, life span theory,
learning theory and human development theory.
 End-of-life issues within the scope of practice of mental health professionals
 Information related to development crises; disabilities; and situational, transitional and environmental factors
that affect behavior.
 Other topics in Human Growth and Development. Please Specify:
Content Area 3: Social and Cultural Foundations: workshops in this content area provide an understanding of the
issues and trends in a multicultural and diverse society that impact professional counselors and the counseling
profession.
 Multicultural competency as a professional counselor.
 Societal subgroups.
 Societal changes and trends.
 Mores and interaction patterns.
 Major societal concerns.
 Social justice
 Cross-cultural effects, such as acculturation, assimilation and multicultural and pluralistic trends.
 Other topics in Social and Cultural Foundations. Please Specify:
Content Area 4: Group Dynamics and Counseling: workshops in this content area provide an advanced understanding
of therapeutic group development, dynamics and counseling theories; and, group counseling methods and skills.
 Group counseling theories and group counseling leadership styles.
 Developmental stages in group counseling and related principles of group dynamics.
 Group counseling methods and skills.
 Group members' roles and behaviors within a mental health setting.
 Other topics in Group Dynamics and Counseling. Please Specify:
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Content Area 5: Career Development and Counseling: workshops in this content area provide an advanced
understanding of career counseling development and related life factors.
 Theories, principles, and techniques of counseling as applied to work and career.
 Career counseling processes and resources including, but not limited to, those applicable to specific
communities and populations.
 Career/life planning and decision-making models.
 Life-work role transitions, including, but not limited to, outplacement and retirement counseling.
 Career development program planning, resources, and program evaluation.
 Assessment of work place environment for purposes of job placement.
 Trends in job search.
 Career avocational, educational, occupational and labor market information, resources and career information
systems.
 Other topics in Career Development and Counseling. Please Specify:
Content Area 6: Assessment: workshops in this content area provide an advanced understanding of approaches to
assessment and evaluation in counseling practice.
 Diagnostic interviewing.
 Clinical assessment and interpretation for use in treatment planning.
 Ethical strategies for selecting, administering, and interpreting assessment and evaluation instruments.
 Information on the DSM-V.
 Implementation and interpretation of standardized assessment instrument protocols.
 New and existing assessments.
 Issues related to assessment development.
 Legal issues related to counselor authority to administer and interpret tests and inventories that assess
psychopathology, abilities, interests and career options.
 Information on basic classification, indication and contraindications of commonly prescribed
psychopharmacological medications, in order to make appropriate referrals for medication evaluation, and to
identify the side effects of medications.
 Other topics in Assessment. Please Specify:
Content Area 7: Research and Program Evaluation: workshops in this content area provide an advanced
understanding of research methods, statistical analysis, needs assessment and evaluation, and ethical and legal
considerations in research.
 Critical evaluation of research findings and its clinical implications.
 Development of measurable outcomes for counseling interventions.
 Foundation and well-established research design and methods.
 Statistics in research.
 Research report development and information on disseminating research findings.
 Critical evaluation of research findings.
 Other topics in Research and Program Evaluation. Please Specify:
Content Area 8: Counseling Professional Identity and Practice Issues: workshops in this content area provide an
understanding of various aspects of professional functioning of graduate-level counselors.
 NBCC and/or ACA ethical codes and conduct standards in professional counseling and/or counseling research.
 Ethical decision-making models directly related to counseling practice.
 NBCC certification, state licensure and related mental health policy.
 Professional counseling organizations and associations limited to NBCC, CACREP, ACA and its branches and
divisions.
 Roles and processes related to counselor advocacy on behalf of the profession and the client.
 The counselor's role and function as a member of an interdisciplinary team.
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 Starting and maintaining a counseling practice to include business-planning, quality control, service delivery,
billing and reimbursement, free-setting, capacity building, referrals, and ethical marketing.
 Effective and ethical utilization of social media.
 Counselor self-assessment to address areas for ongoing professional growth.
 Critical analysis of emerging issues in the counseling profession.
 Clinical supervision models, practices and processes for professional counselors.
 The counselor's role and function as a professional consultant.
 The counselor's role and function as a forensic interviewer.
 Legal issues in professional counseling and/or counseling research.
 Self-care strategies and burnout prevention appropriate to the counselor role.
 Grant writing for counselors and counseling programs.
 Other topics in Counselor Professional Identity and Practice Issues. Please Specify:
Content Area 9: Wellness and Prevention: workshops in this content area provide psycho-educational information for
counselors to enhance their ability to promote optimal wellness related to client mental health.
 Complementary Alternative Medicine (CAM).
 Community-based wellness initiatives
 Conflict resolution
 Sex education
 Sleep hygiene
 Nutrition
 Anger Management
 Other topics in Wellness and Prevention. Please Specify:
Content Area 10: None of the above
 Please Specify:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Maximum Group Size *(Check 1)
 75
 50
 35
Space Requirements * (Check 1)
 Theatre style seating with head table
 Empty Room Chairs in a circle
 Movement space with perimeter seating
Target Audience * (Check 1)
 Entry Level/Student
 Mid Level
 Advanced Level
Type of Presentation (check all that apply - all presentations are 2 hours) *
 Experiential
 Lecture
 Discussion
 Panel
Audio/Visual (AV) Equipment (check all that apply) *
 CD Player
 Flipchart
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 LCD Projector and Screen (bring your own laptop and your own speakers, if needed. ADTA will not provide
laptop, speakers or pay for in house sound system.)
 No AV requirements
I understand that if I would like to play a DVD I must order a projector and screen and will need to supply my own
computer, speakers and will need to pay the hotel directly for in house sound system. *
 Yes
I understand that if I am using a Mac laptop that I must supply the appropriate converter pieces in order to attach my
computer to the LCD projector *
 Yes
Do you have a Co-Presenter? *
 Yes
 No
Number of co-presenters:
 1
 2
 3
 4
1. Is Co-Presenter #1 an ADTA member? *
 Yes
 No
2. If yes, Membership Type?
 Professional
 Associate
 Student
 Retired
Hint: you will need to fill this information
out for each additional co-presenter you
have, up to 4 people.
3. Earned Degree(s): (e.g. MA, PhD) (please do not list honorary degrees): *
4. Degree Name: (e.g. Dance/Movement Therapy, Counseling, etc): *
Email: *
Street Address: *
Address Line 2:
City: *
State/Province: *
Zip/Postal Code: *
Country: *
Preferred Telephone Number: *
Co-Presenter #1 Bio: * (Max 125 words).
DISCLAIMERS
If my proposal is accepted, I will agree to communicate my presentation as stated in my proposal.
 Yes
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If my proposal is accepted, I will adhere to the August 1 deadline of submitting my 1500 word description for the
Conference Proceedings.
 Yes
If my proposal is accepted, I will reiterate my three (3) learning objectives in my presentation.
 Yes
If my proposal is accepted, I will refrain from commercialism in my presentation.
 Yes
If my proposal is accepted, I will submit a $50 presentation reservation deposit no later than April 30, 2016 and this
deposit will be credited towards conference fee upon registration. Co-presenter(s) will submit the $50 deposit also. No
refunds (no exceptions) are given if the presenter(s) cancels the presentation. All presenter(s) are required to register
for the conference at least the day(s) of their presentation(s). Individual presenters who are neither dance/movement
therapists nor members of the ADTA, whose work has been accepted through the peer review process, shall be required
to register for the conference at least for the day on which their presentation is scheduled.
 Yes
How to Prepare a Great Conference Proposal Tip Sheet
1. Plan ahead. Don’t wait until the last week to work on your proposal. It takes time to write a strong
proposal.
2. Make sure you submit all materials by midnight (Eastern Time) February 15th.
3. Follow all the directions carefully and make sure you include all the required elements.
4. Seminars at the ADTA conference are professional continuing education. Prepare a proposal that makes it clear you
are offering high quality CE at the master’s level or above.
5. Proposals to the ADTA conference are evaluated on:
a) Suitability to the theory, research and/or practice of DMT and to the theme of the conference; quality of
writing, use of APA style conventions. See http://www.apastyle.org/ for the basics on using APA style.
b) Clear educational objectives and internal consistency between title, objectives, and the description of the
content.
c) Attention to multiculturalism as it relates to the topic of the proposed seminar. The ADTA MDC committee
has provided the following definition of multiculturalism:
A multicultural worldview embodies respect for the differences of race, sexual/affectional and gender identity,
national origin, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, religion, age, and physical ability. A multicultural perspective
acknowledges the presence of social hierarchies and oppression/privilege statuses, promotes social justice, and
critiques dominant/minority relations in support of mutual and respectful relationships.
d) Great proposals (and the seminars they propose) will offer new knowledge and/or perspectives to the field.
e) How to write good learning objectives: The Call for Proposals asks you to include “three (3) learning objectives”.
o Objectives should be realistic given the proposed duration of the seminar
o Learning objectives for continuing education presentations, programs and courses should include at
least one identifiable objective of the content that is focused on how mental health professionals may
use the knowledge presented in a professional context.
o The language in learning objectives should focus not on what the presenter will do, but on what the
participants will learn. These are “learner oriented outcomes” and they should specify one outcome per
objective, and identify observable actions, imagine that each objective begins with the phrase “At the
end of this seminar the participant will... [or--will be able to]…...”
o Verbs that are often successful in the articulation of a learning objective include but are not limited to:
Describe
Discuss
Understand
Identify
Integrate
Create
Compare
Explain
Apply
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Formulate
Determine
Synthesize
Appreciate
Evaluate
Engage in
6. Specificity: Reviewers need to know what you plan to do and teach in the proposed seminar. Concepts and
theoretical perspectives should be mentioned, but balance these with clear information about the content and
activities of the seminar.
7. Format: Follow the instructions provided; use only one space after punctuation, especially the period at the end of
a sentence; do not use columns; italics should be reserved primarily for two purposes – the typing of foreign words
that have not become part of common English usage and titles of works; do not use the spacebar to align type – use
the tab key or the text alignment features of your software; and remember to proofread carefully.
8. Submitting online: it is suggested that you type your proposal out on your computer first. Creating an account
enables you to partially complete this form and return later to finish the form. The account you establish is only for
this form. Online word limitations: Title (15 words); Abstract (100 words); Description of Presentation (300 words);
Biography (125 words)
9. Proposals to the ADTA Conference are rated under a blind review process. Intensive seminar presenters are
invitation only.
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