Mission

The mission of the Certification Board for Music Therapists is to define the body of knowledge that represents competent practice in the profession of music therapy; to create and administer a program to evaluate initial and continuing competence of this knowledge; to issue the credential of MT-BC to individuals that demonstrate the required level of competence; and to promote music therapy certification.  The structure of CBMT includes:

CBMT Board of Directors
Establishes all policy regarding certification and recertification of music therapists under the credential, MT-BC, in accordance with NCCA accreditation standards. View Current Members of the Board of Directors.

CBMT Exam Committee
Develops the CBMT Certification Exam, including the construction of test items in relation to the CBMT Scope of Practice identified by the Practice Analysis Committee, and in conjunction with the testing firm, Applied Measurement Professionals.

CBMT Continuing Education Committee
Administers and monitors continuing education for MT-BC's, including advisement to Approved Providers, recognition for participation in CE activities, and quality assurance through audits of continuing education records of MT-BC's.

CBMT Legislative/Regulatory Affairs Committee
Provides guidance to the CBMT, in accordance with the CBMT Strategic Plan, when legislative/regulatory issues involving the CBMT and its programs are brought to attention.

CBMT Practice Analysis Committee
Convenes every five years to conduct a survey of practicing music therapists and to identify the tasks necessary for the practice of music therapy.  This committee, with the help of the testing firm, Applied Measurement Professionals, uses results of the survey to generate a new CBMT Scope of Practice for use in the construction of the CBMT Examination. The most recent Practice Analysis was completed in 2008. 

Volunteer for CBMT Service.

Vision

In response to the need to establish a credential intended to further enhance the music therapy profession's sense of accountability to those it served, leaders in the profession of music therapy discussed methods for developing national certification standards beginning in the 1970's. Established in 1983, CBMT continues to carry this vision of accountability through its membership and accreditation with NCCA/NOCA, regarded as the leading authority on certification with the only objective accreditation standards for national certification organizations. Likewise, the vision of accountability has also moved forward at the 'grassroots' level. For each year of CBMT's existence, the number of candidates sitting for the Music Therapy Board Certification Exam has steadily increased. The number of MT-BC's choosing to recertify has also increased for each of the five-year cycles to date.

Compliance

The vision of national certification as expressed by the profession of music therapy took shape as CBMT became fully accredited by the NCCA in 1986 (then known as the National Commission for Health Certifying Agencies) with the 2nd administration of the national examination. The Recertification Program was initiated in 1988 to maintain full accreditation. Today, by remaining in compliance with the accreditation standards established by the NCCA, CBMT demonstrates to MT-BC's, employers, government agencies, payers, courts and professional organizations that:

1. CBMT has been reviewed and meets certification standards set by an impartial, objective commission whose primary focus is competency assurance and protection of the consumer, and
2. CBMT programs meet or exceed the same standards licensing boards use in test development and administration.

Support

Today, over 5,000 music therapists hold the credential, Music Therapist-Board Certified (MT-BC) granted by the Certification Board for Music Therapists. This credential reflects the certificants' willingness to participate in an independently administered national certification program that undergoes a rigorous review every 5 years in order to maintain its accreditation. This accreditation review by NCCA serves as the means by which CBMT strives to maintain the highest standards possible in the construction and administration of its national examination and recertification programs, ultimately designed to reflect current music therapy practice for the benefit of the consumer. Also, because of its success, CBMT is regarded as a leader in the credentialing field, particularly for professions with less than 5,000 practitioners.

ICE

ICE, the Institute for Credentialing Excellence, formerly The National Organization for Competency Assurance, is a membership organization that provides a forum for all types of practitioners and organizations interested in competency assurance and certification. ICE represents nearly 100 member organizations and over 1.2 million certificants.

NCCA

The National Commission for Certifying Agencies, a subsidiary of ICE, formerly NOCA, accredits national certification programs, including the CBMT. Accredited programs have met NCCA standards associated with organizational structure, exam development and administration, test validity and reliability, recertification, and responsibilities to candidates, certificants, employers and the public.

AMTA

The American Music Therapy Association provides the standards for academic and clinical training of prospective music therapists, on which eligibility to sit for the CBMT Board Certification Examination is based.

Future Directions For CBMT

• CBMT is committed to maintaining the highest possible standards, as established by ICE/NCCA, for its national certification and recertification programs.
  
  
• CBMT is committed to maintaining the current standard for eligibility to sit for the National Examination: Candidates must have completed academic and clinical training requirements established by AMTA.
  
  
• CBMT is committed to gathering information on current practice .
  
  
• CBMT is committed to encouraging active involvement of board-certified music therapists in all phases of the construction of the examination and continuing education programs.
  
  
• CBMT is committed to maintaining certification and recertification requirements that reflect current practice in the profession of music therapy.