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Certification vs. Licensure: What are the differences? As music therapists broaden their scope of practice and diversify their means of administering services, they also continue to actively seek increased recognition and acknowledgment as skilled professionals. Amidst these pursuits, the question of credentialing inevitably surfaces. What does the BC mean? Should the music therapists in our state seek licensure? Why should I be Board Certified? Crucial to answering these questions is the knowledge of what national certification and licensure are, and what their impact to the consumer and profession will be. By understanding the financial, professional and consumer implications of each credential, one may then make educated decisions as to what is best for themselves and the profession at large. In this article, both state licensure and national certification for music therapists are examined, as well as the impact each credential may have on the music therapist, the profession, and most importantly, the consumer. Licensure refers to the laws which regulate a given occupation. Its purpose is essentially twofold: (1) title protection, i.e. the prevention of unqualified individuals utilizing the given title, and (2) scope of practice, i.e. defining the specific tasks that constitute the practice of the given occupation. Certification, on the other hand, is a nonstatutory process whereby an accrediting body grants recognition to an individual for having met predetermined professional qualifications. The financial and professional differences between the two credentials are many. Licensure occurs at the state level, and therefore, scope of practice descriptions may vary from state to state. Thus, professionals licensed to practice in one state who receives a job offer in another state will not only have to pay for a new license in that state; they may not even meet the legal qualifications to be licensed under that title. In addition, they may not be able to perform certain aspects of their practice based on the differences of the scope of practice descriptions from one state to another. National certification, however, insures that a professional's credentials will be recognized in all states and that the practice content or scope is the same. Professions which have rapidly grown, and whose uses continue to diversify, have found themselves limited by licensing statutes in some states due to outdated scope of practice descriptions which legislators have been hesitant to change once in place. In addition, the development of sunset legislation has provided state legislative bodies with opportunities for lapsing licensure statutes that then have left some professions without any form of credentialing within the given state. Because of the continued tightening of budgets across the country, the passing of state licensure bills in general is becoming more and more difficult. For music therapists specifically, widespread state licensure is unrealistic for several reasons. The initial costs of lobbying for a licensure bill are prohibitive to the music therapy organizations that currently exist. The cost of maintaining a state licensing board once a bill is passed is again unrealistic because of the low numbers of therapists residing in each state. Even those areas with what would be considered high population of music therapists would present as low numbers to legislators in relation to maintaining a licensing board. For the music therapist, national certification is currently in place and is becoming the general trend in credentialing for many professions across the country. Where licensure statutes have often become outdated and are difficult to change, CBMT's certification program as approved by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies requires that a job analysis study be completed every five years. (NCCA is an accrediting agency for private certification programs.) The scope of practice content is then revised accordingly. This insures continued competency of current practice as the field continues to grow and new clinical applications develop. The impact of national certification on the consumer is vast. Where licensure regulates the use of a title and defines the tasks performed by that title, national certification insures the consumer of the ongoing competency of professionals, i.e. meeting at least current criteria for the profession throughout the length of their career. By participating in the continuing education portion of the certification program, the professionals demonstrate to the consumer that they are committed to the quality and integrity of the field. For the music therapist, a national certification program accredited by NCCA also indicates outside accountability, i.e.an accrediting body other than one comprised solely of professionals in the field has set the certification standards. The long-term benefits of music therapists national certification (MT-BC) to the consumer as well as to the profession as a whole cannot be overstated. By educating the public about a national certification credential, one may not only prevent the practice of unqualified persons outside of the field; one will also increase the proof of continued competency by professionals within the field. In this time of budget emphasis on cost efficacy, and the ongoing need for increased demonstration of professional competency; the understanding of the certification credential is vital to the music therapist, the profession, and ultimately, the people who receive music therapy service. Reprinted from BC Status Newsletter |
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