Advocating for Music Therapy

This has been quite an exciting week for music therapy advocacy, thanks to the field’s awesome rockstar cheerleader, Ben Folds!
This is our dedication to #FollowMTWeek that Ben started on Twitter.
Also check out posts from many of our other music therapy friends, by clicking on Social Media Advocacy Month!

Here is CJ and one of her students, demonstrating how FUN song writing can be! You can also find a cool photo of this duo making music with their iPad, featured in Imagine Volume 3 (The Early Childhood Online Magazine of American Music Therapy Association) on p.44, in Dr. Anita Gadberry’s article, Utilizing Augmentative and Alternative Communication in Music Therapy Sessions.
And, if you’re interested in learning more on the topic of AAC devices in music therapy, check out Dr. Gadberry’s online course, at Music Therapy Ed.com!

We also want to give a great big shout out to this little guy and his super mom, for the awesome social stories they write. Check out Spec Tales! A great visual resource for daily life skills!

 Music Therapy Advocacy –> Recognition –> Access

Since 2005, the American Music Therapy Association and the Certification Board for Music Therapists have collaborated on a State Recognition Operational Plan. The primary purpose of this plan is to get music therapy and our MT-BC credential recognized by individual states so that citizens can more easily access our services. The AMTA Government Relations staff and CBMT Regulatory Affairs staff provide guidance and technical support to state task forces throughout the country as they work towards state recognition. To date, their work has resulted in over 35 active state task forces, 2 licensure bills passed in 2011, 1 licensure bill passed in 2012, and an estimated 7 bills being filed in 2013 that seek to create either title protection or a licensure for music therapy. This month, our focus is on YOU and on getting you excited about advocacy.