When you step back and take a look at the big picture, there is good news to report.  Morgan Harper Nichols famously said: “One day you will look back and see that all along you were blooming,” and nothing could be more true in this profession. For decades, music therapy has shown steady growth, and while the pandemic temporarily slowed progress, everything picked back up in 2021 and has continued since.

“When testing centers shut down and candidates were not able to finish their internships or educational requirements, everyone was isolated, and we definitely felt what was happening, but growth continued even then,” said Joy Schneck, CBMT Executive Director. “A few months ago, we announced we hit the 10,000+ milestone, and now we’ve already well surpassed it. These are active MT-BC practicing music therapists, and their numbers continue to exceed expectations. This is a very strong profession.”

The level of excellence in the profession is even more a source of pride than its growth, and maintaining the industry’s standards always comes first.

One area where excellence and growth seem to work in tandem has been the state recognition plan. It has been a primary focus of CBMT and AMTA since 2005 when the two national organizations started the project jointly. This year, four new states – Washington, Illinois, Ohio, and most recently, Connecticut – now require state licensure to practice in the profession of music therapy.

Official state recognition is the first step toward successful inclusion within health and education regulations. This possibly allows for improved employment opportunities and increased access to reimbursement and state funding streams, such as private insurance, Medicaid waivers, and special education.

Learn more about state licensure requirements and the importance of state recognition.

It’s a national voluntary certification program, with different states having different requirements. With states that mandate licensing, the MT-BC credential is required. CBMT provides digital badging for verification, as well as paper certificates, to the new music therapists being certified every day in their states.

Even in states where no registration or licensure is required, employers require proper education and training, as well as CBMT’s MT-BC certificate.

“This current state of affairs in music therapy is something we’ve all worked together to bring about,” Joy added. “We should all be proud of what has been accomplished by our profession. It only confirms how important it is for all of us to support one another – and shows what we can do when we work together. This is a vibrant profession in large part because we each have an important role to play, and we are all committed to the practice of music therapy.”

The healthy state of the music therapy profession has indeed been a joint effort – from the schools to the students to the music therapy employers to the national organizations that shepherd the growth of the profession – all focused on expanding the depth and breadth of the profession in order to reach the people whose lives can be changed by music therapy.

To learn more about the music therapy profession and CBMT’s role in this profession, visit cbmt.org.

 

CBMT is committed to providing you with the tools necessary to achieve your professional goals and we understand that communicating your credentials in an ever-expanding online marketplace can be challenging. That is why we have partnered with Credly to provide you with a digital version of your credentials. Digital badges can be used in email signatures or digital resumes, and on social media sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. This digital image contains verified metadata that describes your qualifications and the process required to earn them.

CBMT badges are

• shareable on any digital platform: social media, email signature, embedded in your resume, or the web
• authenticated by CBMT and trusted by employers, colleagues and industry peers
• a single source that combines your credentials and provides a complete overview of your skills
• the new way to access labor market insights to find out who’s looking for qualified music therapists

Accept yours now!

 

It was Julia Child who said: “You’ll never know everything about anything, especially something you love.” That’s how most of us in the music therapy field feel about what we do. That’s also why continuing education is required in almost every field where ongoing expertise is required to ensure professional excellence.

Every five years, as part of their recertification process, practicing music therapists across the country must complete 100 CMTEs to maintain certification. Continuing education in music therapy is essential for ensuring that methodologies in practice align with the latest evidence-based guidelines.

CMTE – or Continuing Music Therapy Education – credits are earned by board-certified music therapists to maintain certification. One way to earn CMTEs is through Approved Provider opportunities offered by individuals or organizations who are approved by CBMT to offer them. There are other options that can count toward recertification credits, including giving presentations and supervising interns, but CMTE opportunities are a widely-utilized method.

Approved Providers are an essential component of CBMT’s recertification process, and they are held to high standards. While not just anyone can be an Approved Provider, the actual process for becoming one is actually very simple – although navigating through the various steps on the website application can appear to be a complicated process if you are not familiar with it. That’s why CBMT recently created two step-by-step videos to clarify the process.

Understanding the Approved Provider Process

The first video – How to Apply to Become an Approved Provider – is designed to work in tandem with CBMT’s website and basically escort new potential Approved Providers through the various steps that will ensure a successful application.

While the video will walk applicants through each stage of the application process in a little over five minutes, there are four lengthier first steps recommended to make the process easier:

• Familiarize yourself with CBMT’s website, particularly the Approved Provider main page
• Read the Approved Provider Manual accessible on the CBMT website
• Download and fill out the required forms so they are ready to submit when you reach that point in the application process
• Familiarize yourself with the checklist provided for the Approved Provider application process

Applicants will need to set up a CBMT account to begin the application, and the video explains that as well. If you wish to create an account now, complete the form here.

The process for approval takes six to eight weeks from start to finish. If you still have questions about the Approved Provider process, most can be answered by our FAQs. To become an Approved Provider, watch our video below:

How to Submit Your Continuing Music Therapy Education Opportunity for Approval

Each new continuing ed opportunity must be approved by CBMT. The new video – How to Submit Additional Opportunities as an Approved Provider – can take you through the process in less than five minutes.

It’s as simple as logging into your CBMT Approved Provider account and submitting the course promotional materials in the “Additional Opportunity” section.

The video leads you through each section and offers helpful hints. One of the most helpful is how you can avoid delays by being sure to click “Submit for Staff Review.” Many Approved Providers have waited for a length of time with no response before finally calling CBMT to inquire on the progress of their new opportunity approval, only to find it was never submitted because they accidentally overlooked that final step in the online application process. The devil, as they say, is in the details.

For detailed guidance on how Approved Providers should submit continuing music therapy education opportunities for approval, watch this video:

The Importance of Examining Ourselves

Socrates is famous for having said: “The unexamined life is not worth living.” On the other hand, Robert Fulghum – the author of “All I Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten” – jokingly commented that “the examined life is no picnic.”

While it’s true that self-examination is never an easy process, we all agree excellence cannot be achieved without it.

At CBMT, our mission is rooted in self-examination. Awarding board certification through our credentialing process – based on proven, up-to-date knowledge and competence in clinical practice – is our very reason for existing.

Understanding the MT-BC Credentialling Process

CBMT is the only certifying board for music therapy in the United States. Since 1986, our Music Therapist-Board Certification (MT-BC) program has been formally accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). Board certification in music therapy provides an objective standard through comprehensive testing that ensures all certificants are prepared to practice music therapy with competence. We are committed to unconditional compliance with stringent testing and measurement standards.

CBMT looks to The Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE) for best practices in credentialing and latest trends in certification, test development and delivery. We work with PSI, a testing vendor, to ensure a quality program for NCCA Accreditation, as well as legal defensibility, exam development, psychometric services and exam administration.

It is CBMT that forms Board Certification Domains (BCDs), which are the areas that reflect the current job tasks of a music therapist – and that define what makes up a current, competent music therapy practice. These BCDs are data-driven from the Practice Analysis Survey CBMT conducts every five years. A 10-member committee of diverse Subject Matter Experts appointed by CBMT makes up the Practice Analysis Committee, working together with PSI to create the survey questions sent to all currently credentialled MT-BCs.

The survey data is used to regularly update and revise the BCDs that shape our exam content. CBMT’s Exam Committee is responsible for writing the exam content. New exam questions are presented as pretest exam questions for a full year and the psychometric data reflecting validity and reliability for each of the questions are reviewed by the committee. Based on the psychometric outcome, they either become official scored exam items, get revised and pretested again for another year, or don’t make the cut.

It is a meticulous, rigorous process – and like Robert Fulghum said, it’s no picnic – but all certified practitioners of music therapy must fulfill the required training and education and successfully complete the CBMT Board Certification exam before being certified and receiving their MT-BC credential.

On a Mission

CBMT is on a mission to increase understanding of our examination and credentialling process. Learn more about the CBMT Board Certification exam in the examination section of our website.

Board certification begins with the academic and clinical training requirements as established by the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) and the Canadian Association for Music Therapy (CAMT) in the United States and Canada respectively, and internationally, when comparable training is documented. When preparing for the exam, be sure to familiarize yourself with the CBMT Candidate Handbook and BCDs, use the Self-Assessment Exams as practice, and access the Self-Assessment Bibliography as a helpful resource. The exam itself consists of 150 multiple-choice questions, 130 of which are scored, and 20 questions are being pre-tested to obtain validity and reliability statistics before being approved for use on the scored portion of the exam. Once you are ready to take it, simply find a PSI testing center and make an appointment to lock in your exam date. Visit our website to learn more about state licensure and the steps you can take after completing the exam.

For a helpful recap on the CBMT Board Certification exam, check out the video below created to demystify the examination process. We wish you the best of luck in securing your credential and joining our incredible community of MT-BCs everywhere!

The effects of the pandemic accentuated the importance of managing stress, improving communication, and taking steps toward positive mental health – all issues that music therapy helps address. When the restrictions of COVID-19 made clear that music therapy clients needed an alternative to in-person office visits, many therapists joined the widespread shift to virtual care to provide services safely.

Now, as the health crisis shows signs of waning, many people have found they prefer to stick with the new normal in health services delivery. Telepractice has become a well-established option to meet the needs of clients who do not have easy access to music therapy services, who have issues with transportation, or who simply prefer the convenience and comfort of appointments in a home environment.

In a national survey of board-certified music therapists – designed to uncover their solutions for engaging clients and keeping the standard of care high throughout COVID-19 – the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT) and the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) found that adopting telepractice was key. The following five survey categories highlight how telepractice has helped reshape the delivery of music therapy and diversify service options, during the pandemic and beyond:

Collaboration

Despite the need for distancing and working remotely, music therapists reported increased collaboration with colleagues and administrators, often coordinating with them to determine the safest and most effective ways to provide services. Although music therapists did not commonly work virtually with clients before the pandemic began, the industry moved quickly to facilitate a shift to telepractice when in-person visits became limited.

One survey respondent commented: “When I reached out to the special education department for permission to provide teletherapy services, I was encouraged to hear that I had their full support to serve students in whatever capacity necessary.”

• Some clinicians providing clinical music therapy services before the pandemic (60-100%) have taken on more administrative and non-music therapy clinical work.
• Many clinicians (10-50%) are providing more clinical music therapy services.
• Many are doing more administrative and non-music therapy clinical services (60-100%) than prior to the pandemic.
• Clinical supervision (supervising students and professionals) has dropped since the start of the pandemic.

Connection

The increased use of telepractice allowed family members to become more involved and engaged as they saw firsthand what is involved in music therapy and how their loved one was responding. As a result, the entire family could benefit from the enhanced opportunities to connect among themselves, further develop their understanding of music therapy, and work together on goals.

Even families who initially declined to participate in telepractice reconsidered for the following reasons:

• The lockdown/social distancing lasted longer than they expected
• They sought more social interaction
• They felt they had acquired the necessary skills, equipment or technology to participate virtually

Some clients showed a higher comfort level and found they could be more open in the virtual setting. As one survey respondent said: “I saw students engage with me, their peers, and parents/caregivers in new ways that I had not seen in the classroom.”

Communication

Telepractice provided additional flexibility for clients to communicate with music therapists and receive access to services and education when and where it was most convenient. Some sessions involved one-on-one communication for immediate feedback, while others included pre-recorded material that was available at the client’s discretion.

Survey respondents indicated they provided services in the following ways during the pandemic:

• Pre-recorded material: 19%
• Live tele-sessions: 18%
• Live, in-person services in an open space: 25%
• Live, in-person services in enclosed spaces (with precautions): 37%
• Audio only: 4%

As one respondent commented: “Telepractice sessions have been extremely effective, and I really hope I can continue offering music therapy services in this fashion.”

Coping

Although they acknowledged the difficulties of offering clinical services during a pandemic, many music therapists appreciated the opportunities provided by telepractice to enhance their skills, work with more clients, and establish new relationships. Often, they felt more gratified personally and professionally.

According to one respondent: “I have grown tremendously in a lot of areas, not to mention flexibility. I am more confident in my skills of teletherapy, and I am able to reach people across the country … I have good relationships with many new colleagues.”

Music therapists also pointed out the resiliency of clients and families who made the transition to telepractice services, commenting on the new capabilities they saw in their clients as they worked together in a virtual space.

Creativity

The pandemic forced music therapists to think more innovatively about the safe delivery of clinical services. Almost two-thirds of respondents (61.9%) said telepractice helped them meet this need and adapt their treatment to make progress more attainable for their clients.

Many music therapists also cited the changes they made in their service delivery as a catalyst for added creativity in other areas of their lives, opening them up to new ways of thinking and seeing everything through a new lens. In the words of one survey participant, “Change forces me to see things differently, which has generated increased creativity as well. I play more for myself now. I wrote a song … I am so very grateful for my work and the ability to keep going during the pandemic!”