5 More Years: My Recertification Journey

2016 marked my 10th year as a board-certified music therapist. In keeping with the requirements of the MT-BC credential, this means I had to renew my certification this year. Every five years, music therapists must complete at least 100 hours of continuing education. I ended up having FAR beyond that during this five-year cycle. I know music therapists are often trying to get ideas for continuing education credits, so I thought I would share my continuing education activities from the past five years and how they contributed to my recertification requirement.

Graduate Courseworkcbmt-certificate
I completed my master’s degree in Special Education from January 2013-December 2015.  Consequently, I had enough credits to renew my certification with my graduate courses alone.  Ultimately, I had 614 credit hours of graduate coursework, 100 hours of which could be used towards my certification.

Music Therapy Conferences
Music therapists earn 5 CMTE – Continuing Music Therapy Education – credits for attending a national or regional conference.  I earned 30 credits for my conference attendance during these five years; 15 of which could be counted towards my recertification.

Educational Courses
There are opportunities to earn additional CMTEs at conferences through participation in workshops of 3 hours or more.  Many state organizations (e.g. Michigan Music Therapists) offer workshops throughout the year and some music therapy practices and/or agencies offer courses, as well.  It is now also possible to take CMTE courses online and/or via self-study through a number of approved course providers, including courses available for AMTA members on the AMTA website, Music Therapy Ed, and Music Works Publications.  I earned a total of 112 credits in this category; a maximum of 100 could be counted towards my recertification.

Professional Development
Preparing and presenting professional experiences for others is included under the Professional Development category.  During this five-year cycle, I presented seven different sessions for conferences and/or workshops. (Note: Some presentations were repeated, but they can only be counted for credits the first time that topic is presented.)  I earned 80 credits for my professional presentation activities, which is also the maximum number that could be counted towards recertification.

Professional Service
Finally, I earned continuing education for my professional service. This included serving on the executive board of Michigan Music Therapists, serving on the Michigan Task Force, and serving on a committee when Michigan hosted the GLR conference in 2012.  Honestly, I have no idea how many hours I have dedicated to these endeavors, but it is far beyond the maximum 20 hours which are allowed towards recertification!

 

For additional information about music therapy certification/recertification, visit the CBMT website.  I highly recommend familiarizing yourself with the Recertification Manual early in your cycle, so you do not find yourself scrambling for credits during the last few months/weeks!

Music Therapy in Michigan Week 2014

MSU was the first school to offer a music therapy degree.  I am proud to be an alumna of this program.
MSU was the first school to offer a music therapy degree.
I am proud to be an alumna of this program.

Today I am wearing one of my favorite music therapy t-shirts: my MSU MT shirt.  I actually designed this shirt, which was sold by the MSU Music Therapy Club while I was a student.  Though it is not uncommon to see me in a music therapy shirt (especially on a Friday), this week it is particularly noteworthy because it is the final day of Music Therapy in Michigan Week!

The last full week in April is always Music Therapy in Michigan Week.  This is a time to celebrate, educate, and advocate for music therapy services within Michigan.  This is an especially exciting time for music therapy advocacy in Michigan, as the state task force (of which I am a co-chair) is in full swing.  The task force recently unveiled a fact sheet based on the results of a survey of music therapists we conducted last fall.  Also, there have recently been a number of new music therapy job listings within the state.

How are you celebrating #MTinMIweek2014?  Leave a comment below!

 

A bit more about the task force…

The purpose of the task force is to examine music therapy within Michigan, particularly in regards to our state government.  Board certified music therapists are credentialed by an independent national certification board (CBMT), but each state government considers the MT-BC credential differently.  Currently, the Michigan state government does not have a form of title protection for music therapists, so there is no repercussion if a non-credentialed individual calls him or herself a music therapist.  We want to be sure that individuals who are seeking music therapy treatment receive quality, evidence-based services from someone who is properly trained to provide them.  All CODA MTS music therapists are board certified and actively maintain their credential through continuing education experiences.  Wondering more about the process to become board certified?  The American Music Therapy Association website provides all those details here.

 

We Are…Educated!

#MTAdvocacy

The 2014 Social Media Music Therapy Advocacy Month (#MTAdvocacy) theme is “We are…”.  This theme is intended to “center on exploring and honoring the profession of music therapy as a distinct profession, unique from other professions and professionals with which we work” (American Music Therapy Association).  Though it has taken me ALL MONTH to get around to putting my thoughts into words (yes, it has been a whirlwind of a month!), I have spent a lot of time reflecting on this theme.  An advocacy aspect which is particularly relevant in my life right now is the amount of education music therapists have and how surprised many people are when they find out what is involved in becoming a board-certified music therapist.

There are three main steps to initially becoming a board-certified music therapist: 1) complete an approved music therapy training program (a 4-year undergraduate degree or a 2-year equivalency program for those who already have a degree in music); 2) complete a six-month music therapy internship; and 3) successfully pass the music therapy certification exam.  An individual may then use the credential: MT-BC, meaning Music Therapist Board Certified.  [Note: There are other credentials used in other countries, as well as fully trained individuals who obtained a Registered Music Therapist (RMT) credential prior to the establishment of the MT-BC.]

Once certified, the music therapy certification cycle is five years.  At the end of each cycle, the music therapist must either take a recertification exam or provide documentation that he/she has completed at least 100 hours worth of continuing music therapy education (CMTE) credits within the five-year cycle.  The CBMT Scope of Practice outlines the skills board-certified music therapists are trained to perform and we adhere to a Code of Professional Practice.

Music therapists are not only trained to be proficient musicians – taking courses in theory, aural training, music history, and performance classes – but we also take courses in biology, anatomy, medical terminology, special education, psychology and/or counseling.  Many music therapists pursue graduate and doctoral degrees in music therapy or a related field.  For example, I am currently completing my master’s in Special Education with an emphasis in Early Childhood Special Education, as these are populations with whom I extensively work.

Unfortunately, there are still many who do not understand the requirements for music therapy certification.  I recently heard about an individual who was employed as a “music therapist” for six years and had absolutely no music therapy training.  Both employers and consumers need to be aware of the qualifications of anyone providing their services.  Many states, including Michigan, are in the process of examining and/or actively pursuing state recognition of music therapy through licensure or title protection, to help ensure that quality services are being provided.

To learn more about music therapy training and schools offering music therapy programs, please visit the American Music Therapy Association or post your questions below.

Setting S.M.A.R.T. Music Therapy Goals

SMART goalsAs the new year begins, many people set about making resolutions.  On multiple instances, I’ve heard reference to setting S.M.A.R.T. goals.    That is, goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely.  Not only is this a great way of thinking about resolution goals, but this is an effective technique for setting music therapy goals.

Specific
When drafting music therapy goals, music therapists usually start with a general goal area, but have very specific objectives.  For example, a goal may be to improve communication and an objective for that goal is that the client will respond to yes or no questions.

Measurable
Music therapy is an evidence-based practice, meaning we use data to support effective techniques.  Therefore, it is important that we are able to collect objective data to determine whether or not a goal has been achieved.  To determine if a goal is measurable, we consider whether it answers the questions of “How many?”, “How much?”, “How long?”, and/or “How will I know it is accomplished?”  In regards to the previous example, the music therapist may choose to measure the number of times the client responds to a yes or no question, whether or not prompts are given in order for the client to complete the objective, how many prompts are needed, what types of prompts are given, etc.

Attainable & Realistic
I fully believe in maintaining high expectations for my clients and placing absolutely no limitations on what they may achieve.  Nothing makes me happier than seeing a client exceed my original goals for him or her!  At the same time, it is important to structure a treatment plan with which he or she can be successful.  Returning to my example of responding to yes or no questions, it is possible that this could be a goal for quite a few different clients with a wide variety of strengths and deficits.  However, while I may be looking for an unprompted verbal response from one client, that same objective may be successfully achieved by another client through a physically prompted response using an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device.

Timely
With every treatment plan, it is imperative that there is a specified date for achieving the goal and/or reviewing progress towards the goal.  By specifying a deadline, there is an added aspect of accountability and a determined point for evaluating whether the current treatment is acceptable or if treatment objectives need to be reconsidered.  Most of my clients are in special education and have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) in place; by law, IEPs must be reviewed annually.  However, it is possible that a music therapy goal may need to be reviewed semi-annually, quarterly, and occasionally even monthly if the client is quickly progressing or regressing.

 

Have you set any S.M.A.R.T. goals for yourself this year?  Leave a comment below to tell us about your plan for a successful 2013!

 

Keeping My Credentials

This weekend I tackled a very important item on my to-do list: I submitted my very first Application for Recertification to the Certification Board for Music Therapists.  Alas, it is not “once a music therapist, always a music therapist.”  Rather, various obligations need to be fulfilled in order to maintain status as a board-certified music therapist. 

There are three main steps to initially becoming a board-certified music therapist: 1) complete an approved music therapy training program; 2) complete a six-month music therapy internship; and 3) successfully pass the music therapy certification exam.  An individual may then use the credential: MT-BC, meaning Music Therapist Board Certified. 

The music therapy certification cycle is five years.  At the end of each cycle, the music therapist must either take a recertification exam or provide documentation that he/she has completed at least 100 hours worth of continuing education credits within the five-year cycle.  I opted for continuing education credits, including graduate coursework, attendance at national and regional music therapy conferences, and other Continuing Music Therapy Education (CMTE) credits from workshops.

It’s hard to believe I have been a certified music therapist for five years already.  Next up: renewing my teaching certificate!