Calling all current MT-BCs! The Practice Analysis Survey will be in your email inbox in late September. Please ensure that the email address in your CBMT account is up to date so that your feedback is included!

The Practice Analysis Committee (PAC) members, as well as members of the Continuing Education Committee and the Executive Board of Directors, reiterate the fact that the process belongs to “all of us.” Our CBMT volunteers share the importance of universal participation below. Read more about the process.

“My experience on this committee was pleasant and informative. I feel that all the participating members, as board-certified music therapists, had a wealth of knowledge and experience; to be able to work together and collaborate on ways to keep the profession moving forward and recognized was crucial. It was an honor to contribute my expertise and experience as a clinician amongst other clinicians and educators to ensure that a music therapist’s tasks within the scope of practice were valid and relevant.

I initially decided to volunteer to gain a better perspective of music therapists as a whole within the field. What I didn’t know is that I gained a lot more about our role as music therapists in the community, schools, organizations, and clinical settings. The excitement of those I collaborated with contributed to my own willingness to volunteer and help any way I could.

The music therapy community is small but mighty. One music therapist’s experience does not summarize or replace another’s experience. In order to keep the profession moving forward requires the input of every music therapist possible.

Because we work with a multitude of populations, the experience and input from the surveys are so important to make sure the services we provide are clinical.

The more people participate, the more diverse the input, thus having a stronger representative of the communities we serve as music therapists. The more input provided will help serve other music therapists as well.” – Gloria Blankenship, MM, MT-BC, LPMT, NICU-MT, Music Therapist, Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health, Kennesaw GA

“The Practice Analysis Committee work has been the ultimate collaborative experience. We are all music therapists, but we have various roles as practitioners, educators, and scholars, endeavoring to take a thoughtful inventory of the music therapy knowledge needed to practice in the past, the present, and the future.

It’s exciting to focus on music therapy’s uniqueness and the knowledge music therapists need to be successful in their practice and accountable to their clients.

Our profession is not one size fits all, and identifying the core responsibilities of an entry-level music therapist presents many challenges. The Practice Analysis committee has worked thoughtfully to hone in on what is essential to music therapy practice for certification exam candidates. Your survey responses will bring to light the most crucial knowledge required to be a credentialed music therapist.

Our music therapy community is inquisitive, and we frequently receive survey invitations from our peers. Your responses to this survey will shape the target areas tested in future music therapy certification exams. Your response directly impacts what new music therapists will be asked to show knowledge on in future music therapy certification exams.

The committee cannot do this work in isolation. Your responses will give the committee a clear focus to align the exam with current music therapy practice.” – Beth Collier, MBA, LPMT, MT-BC, Music Specialist, A.G. Rhodes, Atlanta, GA

“This is the second time I have served on this CBMT committee, and both experiences have been highly positive, and the process has evolved since I last served in 2008. This committee has worked well together, having productive and respectful discussions when perspectives differed in how practices differed among the group.

I believe it is necessary to give back to the profession and the community at large through service. I have been active in service to the music therapy profession for over 20 years and value the broader perspective I gain about the profession and the professional relationships that are built. I am excited about the work we have done that builds upon the previous PAC committee’s work for the profession to continue moving forward and to provide future candidates with materials that support their preparation for the exam.

Please complete the PAC Survey as we need/want the larger community perspective on the knowledge needed for entry-level practice. The committee has worked hard to keep the user demographic (entry-level professional) in mind as we worked and need your feedback to further refine the content outline. I recognize that everyone gets a lot of survey requests. This particular request only happens once every five years. Please support the profession and our future colleagues by completing it.

It takes all of us working together to promote the profession and the MT-BC credential.” – Jennifer Fiore, PhD, MT-BC, NMT, Associate Professor and Director of Music Therapy, Western Michigan University, Irving S. Gilmore School of Music, Kalamazoo, MI

“My experience as a volunteer on the CBMT Practice Analysis committee allowed me to meet and interact with Music Therapists working in different areas as well as professors of music therapy. These interactions were encouraging as well as enlightening as we discussed the actual tasks of music therapists.

I decided to volunteer for the Practice Analysis committee as many of the issues facing the profession of music therapy have been addressed for many years, some with resolution and others continuing to evolve. I have worked as a music therapist for 40 years, so I want to contribute my knowledge and experience for the process of board certification.

I am encouraging all Board-Certified Music Therapists to complete the survey to ensure the high standards and reality of our practice in the health care field are verified.

Our MT-BC credential requires a high level of standards of practice and needs to be distinguishable. We need to continue to elevate our profession to a higher level where reimbursement is not even questioned.” – Amy Post Formella, MS, MT-BC, Music Therapist, King, WI

“I volunteered for CBMT service because this organization represents music therapists – all of us, in every area of clinical practice. I am excited to learn more about CBMT in this important year when the Scope of Practice is updated by surveying the community.

We get a lot of surveys these days! But this is no run-of-the-mill survey. The Practice Analysis Survey is an essential tool for music therapists to continue to define our professional practice. Please, stop, click, and complete the survey.

We are making strides in our state recognition efforts. Advocacy is a marathon, and we are still running. The MT-BC credential is the foundation of our professional recognition. Your support of the MT-BC credential ensures safe, effective music therapy for the public.” – Jennifer D. Jones, PhD, MT-BC, Professor of Music and Director of Music Therapy, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL

“Giving back to the profession that I care about so deeply has been an honor that I haven’t taken lightly. Over the past 5½ years and through two committees, I have worked with music therapists who come from different regions, theoretical orientations, and educational backgrounds. We all share the same desire to be of service to our profession and this has truly led to incredibly impactful and meaningful changes.

Several friends/colleagues had mentioned to me, over many years, that they felt I could truly be of service to CBMT, especially given my longtime and varied clinical experience, as well as my love of helping new music therapists. Simultaneously, as my interns completed their time with me, they would reach out with their board certification exam experiences; both good and not so good. Throughout those conversations, they also encouraged me to think about joining a committee at CBMT so that I could be an advocate for keeping the exam updated and relevant.

When I was offered a position on the exam committee 5½ years ago, I was honored to give back to my profession in this unique way. My experience at CBMT has been remarkably gratifying; both in the changes we’ve made over the years and in working so closely with the other committee members.

It is imperative that each music therapist give their feedback in this survey. Much like voting, one can only impact change by taking an active role in the process. The only way we can make the changes that are truly desired by our professionals, is by knowing exactly what is needed, and we can’t do that without everyone’s input.

The value of having a board-certified music therapist lies in the assurance that this person, the person you are entrusting with the wellbeing of your loved one, is an educated professional, practicing with the highest regard for safety, excellence, and accountability.

The only way to ensure this is that the profession of music therapy maintains credentialing standards that reflect current, evidenced based research, (in a multitude of areas and practices) as well as establishing the highest accountability for excellence in clinical practice as possible. We need the help of every board-certified music therapist out there to maintain these standards of excellence! – Laura Lenz, LPMT, MT-BC, Community Therapeutic Programming Manager, Third Ladder, Alpharetta, GA

“Serving on the Practice Analysis Committee has been an amazing experience in so many ways. It’s truly an honor to be working alongside a dedicated group of colleagues from across the country who care deeply about the music therapy profession, led by a skilled psychometrician from PSI Services! Everyone is given an opportunity to contribute. All opinions are valued, and group consensus is achieved admirably, as a result!

I have long been interested in serving on the Practice Analysis Committee. This work is certainly among the most important and impactful tasks that the Certification Board for Music Therapists is charged with. The entire process is fascinating!

Please know that completing the Practice Analysis Survey when it reaches your email box will make a difference. The findings, which YOU will have contributed to, will be reflective of the changes and developments in our field over the past five years. From this information, our Board Certification Domains will be re-developed. CBMT must have a full and complete picture of the job of a music therapist at this point in time. We need your voice!” – Lori Lundeen-Smith, MS, CCC-SLP, LPMT, MT-BC, Associate Professor of Practice, Director of Clinical Education, Department of Music Therapy, College of Health, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH

“Be empowered to advance the music therapy profession and ensure your experience is reflected in the Practice Analysis. In this grassroots effort, your voice influences the evolution of the Board Certification Domains and has a ripple effect on the design of continuing education opportunities and state of the profession for years to come. That is survey time well-spent.” – Alaine E. Reschke-Hernández, PhD, MT-BC, Assistant Professor of Music Therapy, Affiliate Faculty Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, IMPACT-AD Fellow Alumna, Interdisciplinary Music Affect and coGNition (IMAGN) Lab Director, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

“Through the Practice Analysis, each and every one of us may have an opportunity to contribute to the certification/continuing education for music  therapists. This is the time for us to take responsibility to move our profession forward.” – Hong-Yu (Joseph) Chang, MME, MT-BC, Continuing Education Committee Member

“We need every board-certified music therapist to participate in this very important process by taking the time to thoroughly and conscientiously complete the survey. The collective information gathered from all music therapists best represents current practices across regions, clinical areas, and philosophical backgrounds.” – Andrea Crimmins, PhD, MT-BC, Chair, CBMT Board of Directors, Associate Professor of Music Therapy, Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts, Illinois State University, Normal, IL

“As the field of music therapy continues to morph, it is essential that these competencies are accurately reflected in the Board Certification Domains. As practitioners, YOU are the voice of your profession. The Practice Analysis Committee, in conjunction with PSI, has developed a new Practice Analysis Survey where each of you have the opportunity to identify your actual on-the-job requirements. These domains, in turn, drive the Examination content.

I started volunteering with CBMT in 2007 after I realized the extent to which CBMT protected the patrons, and profession, of music therapy. Staff actively supported me in educating the community about what music therapy REALLY is, and the competencies required to administer such a service, when compared to those professionals without the MT-BC accreditation.

By completing the survey, you are a contributing factor in determining the proficiency of Board-Certified Music Therapists, thereby promoting a better understanding of our craft. Your voice will ensure MT-BC accreditation holds the highest standard of practice thereby protecting the consumer.” – Sarah Laing MMEd, MT-BC, Practice Analysis Committee Chair, Music Therapist, Clinician, Educator and Independent Contractor, Tucson, AZ

Click here for the complete list of Practice Analysis Committee Members.

Continuing education plays an important role in the ever-evolving field of music therapy. CBMT is responsible for certifying all music therapists – both granting MT-BC at the outset of their careers and requiring ongoing education and recertification every five years. To be recertified, music therapists are required to complete 100 recertification credits to ensure continued competency in the field.

After years of development, this past fall, CBMT unveiled a new database designed to better connect certified music therapists (certificants) with opportunities for ongoing education. On the database, CBMT has a list of over 125 Approved Providers offering more than 300 courses, referred to as “opportunities,” for music therapists preparing for recertification.

“We wanted to develop a database that our certificants could easily search – something a little more interactive – on a platform that would allow Approved Providers to be able to display their courses with links directly to their websites and promotional pages for the courses,” said Hindi Burkett CBMT Continuing Education Coordinator, who has spearheaded the development of the new database.

Previously, it existed as a spreadsheet and was updated manually via email communication. Now, it’s a streamlined experience. The database is basically an interactive search tool – a jumping off point – that leads certificants to additional information about Approved Providers and the opportunities they have available.

Certificants can search by keyword or by opportunity type – recorded vs. not recorded, or asynchronous vs. synchronous. Each column is filterable, so certificants can easily refine their search based on their specific criteria. They can use the dropdown arrows at the top, free type in the search bar, or filter each column within the search results for more narrow results.

Opportunities are only approved for a one-year period. If you see an opportunity in the database that is expired, you can reach out to the Approved Provider to see if they are offering the opportunity again.

Since 1983, CBMT has been certifying music therapists and working to ensure the lifelong learning that is so important in the practice of music therapy. CBMT’s formal Recertification Program began in 1988 to ensure continuing competence and meet accreditation requirements for its certificants.

The recertification process for music therapists is designed to enhance each certificant’s knowledge through continuing education, professional development, and professional service opportunities. These three recertification categories reflect the outcomes of CBMT’s Practice Analysis Study and are relevant to the skills, abilities, and practical understanding required of the MT-BC certification.

Simplifying that process and providing CBMT certificants with opportunities provided by CBMT Approved Providers has been a long time goal.

Alaine Reschke-Hernandez, PhD, MT-BC and Chair, CBMT Continuing Education Committee, said the Committee’s work specifically addresses how to support and challenge music therapists to continually learn and grow. “Lifelong learning is crucial to ensure that board-certified music therapists provide quality services,” she said. The Continuing Education Committee is the official body that reviews all applications to approve an individual or organization to become an Approved Provider. CBMT offers a step-by-step video that explains the process in detail.

Prior to our new interactive database, it was just an Excel spreadsheet. We wanted something more interactive that would better link our certificants with Approved Provider opportunities.

                                                      – Hindi Burkett

CBMT Executive Director Joy Schneck, MM, MT-BC, is proud that CBMT offers such a robust array of continuing education opportunities – together with this new online database that makes the choices so much easier to access.

It was Einstein who said, “Everything must be made as simple as possible,” and there’s a benefit to doing so. While there’s nothing simple about the science of music therapy, simplifying the processes for recertification has made a notable difference over the years.

“More than 50% of the certificant body did not renew after CBMT’s very first recertification cycle,” Joy recalls. “But now CBMT is witnessing an average of 80% renewing today – completely online! Our goal has always been to underscore how essential the lifecycle of music therapy certification has been – and to ensure it is increasingly accessible to CBMT’s MT-BC certificants across the globe.”

The Approved Provider Opportunity Search Database is now available on the CBMT website. Visit cbmt.org to learn more about CBMT’s role in the field of music therapy.

CBMT Executive Director Position Profile

The CBMT Executive Board of Directors is partnering with the Washington, DC-based search firm Vetted Solutions to conduct a search for its next Executive Director.  The Executive Director Position Profile is now available:

CBMT ED Position Profile

All applicants and inquiries are to be directed to Vetted Solutions and those listed in the position profile.

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

As CBMT celebrates 40 years of changing lives through music therapy, its board members, executive leadership and certificants have been weighing in on the organization’s impact over the decades and the value of certification in the field.

Alaine Reschke-Hernandez, PhD, MT-BC and Chair, CBMT Continuing Education Committee, elected to volunteer for the Continuing Education Committee because the Committee’s work specifically addresses how to support and challenge music therapists to continually learn and grow.

“Lifelong learning is crucial to ensure that board-certified music therapists provide quality services…particularly as the evidence base (clinical wisdom, research, and client situations) that informs our practice evolves.”

On May 9, 1983, CBMT was initially formed with funding provided by the two predecessor organizations, the National Association for Music Therapy (NAMT) and the American Association for Music Therapy (AAMT), that eventually merged and became the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA). Since then, CBMT has been performing the important work of certifying music therapists and being intricately involved in ensuring the lifelong learning that is so important.

In the beginning, CBMT was testing for both NAMT and AAMT. Today, CBMT tests not only for all music therapists who fall under the umbrella of AMTA, but for music therapists across the globe.

CBMT’s commitment has helped to create a healthy, vibrant community of music therapists – over 10,000 strong – who are impacting clients worldwide, and that community of certificants is active and vocal. When CBMT conducted its Certificant Perception Survey a few years ago, the message was clear that music therapists are passionate about what they do – almost 90% are happy to be music therapists – and they appreciate the value certification brings. In fact, over 97% of respondents believe CBMT successfully sets standards of excellence for safe and effective music therapy to enhance clients’ lives.

Why is certification so essential to the success the field of music therapy has experienced?

Here’s what the nearly 96% of certificants who planned to recertify stated as the top two reasons they value CBMT certification:

1. Certification provides evidence of professional commitment
2. Certification provides an indication of a higher level of clinical competence

One survey respondent said: “Board certification is a standardized recognition and requirement for this profession…it is absolutely important as a benchmark for other professions to recognize.”

Another survey respondent commented: “If it’s not MT-BC, it’s not music therapy.”

Laura Lenz, LPMT, MT-BC, a long-time Exam Committee Member, agrees: “The value of having a board-certified music therapist lies in the assurance that this person, the person you are entrusting with the wellbeing of your loved one, is an educated professional, practicing with the highest regard for safety, excellence, and accountability,” she said.

“The only way to ensure this is to maintain credentialing standards that reflect current, evidence-based research in a multitude of areas and practices, as well as establishing the highest accountability for excellence in clinical practice as possible.”

Laura Lenz has served on the CBMT Exam Committee for five years, and she is proud of the impact the committee has had on the field: “Having committee members who come from different regions, theoretical orientations, educational backgrounds, all of whom share the same desire to be of service to our profession, has truly led to incredibly impactful and meaningful changes.”

In considering some of the changes CBMT has made possible over the last 40 years, Joy Schneck, MM, MT-BC, Executive Director, provided just a few memorable examples:

“Forty years has seen so much change! CBMT transitionally certified 2,626 certificants in 1985 and administered its first exam in November of 1985 for 120 candidates. Today, we offer over 1,400 administrations a year. Some additional milestones since our founding:

• CBMT received its first NCCA accreditation approval in 1986, and accreditation has been ongoing ever since, with the next renewal in 2026.
• The Recertification Program began in 1988 to ensure continuing competence and meet accreditation requirements.
• Webinars outlining the processes for testing, practice analysis, and recertification were developed and offered at no cost for certificants.
• Testing moved from one administration a year, with results mailed a month later, to twice a year, and eventually to computer-based testing, which is offered daily, seven days a week and provides instant scoring.
• Two Self-Assessment Exams were developed to assist with exam preparedness and are revised every five years as part of the Practice Analysis process, as is the Board Certification Domains.
• Working collaboratively with AMTA, the State Recognition Plan began in 2005, and we now have music therapy recognition in seventeen states, with more to come!

CBMT has grown at a constant rate of 5-7% annually, from 1,972 certificants in 1993 – after 52% of the certificant body did not renew after the very first recertification cycle – to an average of 80% renewing today completely online. There are currently 10,211 certified today! We have come a long way, and excitedly look forward to the future of more growth, provision of quality services, unlimited continuing education opportunities, and a greater number of states with recognition!”

It was all made possible by the music therapists who make up CBMT – people who volunteer on the board and committees, and those who work in the field and live out every single day the value of what music therapy can accomplish in the lives of the people who are impacted.

“With more than 10,000 certificants, I think we are going to experience a snowball effect of new ideas and change, and probably even more interest in joining the profession. With all of this growth and change in mind, our Approved Provider program is an exciting aspect of CBMT that will help meet demands for learning opportunities related to emerging areas of practice, such as telehealth.” – Alaine Reschke-Hernández

“Without volunteers and certificants promoting the field and offering their service, I’m not sure that CBMT and music therapy as a profession would have grown as much in the last forty years,” said Ellary Draper, PhD, MT-BC and CBMT Board Chair. “My work at CBMT has impacted me in how I strategically think about the issues facing our profession, as well as possible solutions.”

What does CBMT’s Board Chair think lies ahead for the organization?

“I see CBMT continuing to grow and music therapy continuing to grow as a profession. I also have appreciated the hard work by CBMT’s staff and volunteers as we seek title protection and state recognition. I want to see continued progress across the nation, and I’m confident we will meet the goal of having title protection and/or state recognition in all 50 states.”

Visit cbmt.org to learn more about CBMT’s role in the field of music therapy.