The CBMT Recertification Program provides guidelines to assist you with maintaining competence and enhancing knowledge through continuing music therapy education credits. To assist you with recertification, CBMT has created a helpful video tutorial. Check out our newest release and sign into your CBMT Login to begin your recertification process.
The Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT) wants you to know that during this unprecedented time we are concerned with your health and safety as we work together to battle the COVID-19 virus. Below are listings of resources and provisions being made for helping to assure candidates, certificants, and staff remain healthy during this difficult time. This information will be monitored and updated as needed.
Resources
The American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) has a page of dedicated information for all music therapists regarding current websites and policies to assist in gaining information and accessing available services during this time of need. Access their resources here: AMTA COVID-19 Updates and Resources.
Candidates and Examinations
We are in constant contact with our testing firm, PSI Services, to monitor the current state of testing centers around the world. PSI has opened its owned and operated testing centers as states and localities allow. Nearly all of PSI owned and operated sites are open in the US. Many third-party sites have remained open through this period of time and continue to offer testing administrations. The PSI website identifies the sites which are open, the address and the capacity of that site, and the most recent policies for scheduling and rescheduling exams. Reschedule online at the Schedule My Test link from the PSI COVID-19 Update below, or if you have special testing accommodations, you must call PSI to reschedule. Please note that you should expect hold times to be very long. The call centers are open 24 hours, so try to call during off-hours, if possible. If you are having difficulty connecting with PSI, email Karen Howat at kh@cbmt.org for assistance. Also, many sites are testing at 50% capacity so the opportunity for appointments is more limited during this time. If your eligibility end date falls within the dates of closure, email Karen Howat at kh@cbmt.org for the eligibility end date to be extended. All reschedule rules and no show policies are relaxed. Access the PSI notice here: PSI COVID-19 Update
You may continue to apply for the exam through the CBMT website, request that transcripts be sent to kh@cbmt.org or the CBMT office, and complete all application procedures. Directions will be provided for scheduling your appointment when your eligibility has been approved.
CBMT Office
Pennsylvania businesses are required to continue with teleworking unless that is impossible. CBMT is mindful of the situation and staff will continue to telecommute from home until further notice. There may be delays in response time, in receiving mailings and certificates, and in processing times for the near future. We thank you for your patience with this situation. Recertification and certification information is updated on the CBMT website as quickly as possible and employers can verify current certification status at the Find a Therapist search.
Current information on health care procedures and navigating through practice-related issues can be found at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). They provide published resources and guidance for navigating through the challenges being faced as a health care professional at this time. They can be found at CDC and WHO.
CDC – Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Information for Healthcare Professionals
WHO – Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pandemic
Our thoughts are with all those who are affected by the COVID-19. We are truly hoping for the wellness and safety of all. Please reach out to CBMT with questions or further concerns, and watch for further updates as this is an evolving fluid situation.
As work environments are changing, the framed credential on your office wall may not be getting the visibility it used to. To assist board-certified music therapists in spotlighting their qualifications and certification status, CBMT has partnered with Credly to offer a digital credential that is easily verified by employers and professional networks. Because we understand the importance of finding new ways to promote your expertise and skills, this option is being offered to all certificants at no cost.
Credly is an end-to-end solution for issuing and managing digital badges on its Acclaim platform. Digital badges are web-enabled versions of a credential, certification or learning outcome that can be verified in real time and uniquely linked to you. Featured in email signatures, in digital resumes and on social media sites, they contain verified metadata that describe your qualifications and the process you completed to attain them.
Credly’s Acclaim platform also offers labor market insights pulled from live job requisitions. Board-certified music therapists with digital credentials can search and apply for jobs right through the platform. See which employers are hiring for positions that fit your unique qualifications, along with salary ranges of your peers, and more. Research shows that professionals who share digital credentials to networking sites are discovered by employers at a rate of six times higher than those who do not.
If you are currently a board-certified music therapist – or, upon achieving your board certification – you will receive an email from the Acclaim platform inviting you to set up a profile and claim the digital badge. You can access and utilize your credentials as you wish. The badge’s link to verified data makes it more reliable and secure than a paper-based certificate. It also eliminates the possibility of anyone else claiming your credential or associated identity.
Because board certification exemplifies a significant achievement in clinical competence and expertise, it’s important for you to be able to easily share your credentials with clients, employers and peers. It’s equally important for us to recognize your accomplishments and foster your continued success.
We are proud to offer this benefit and service to our certificants. For answers to frequently asked questions about digital badges, visit the CBMT Digital Badge website or support.youracclaim.com.
As your partner and advocate in music therapy, CBMT promotes excellence by awarding board certification based on proven, up-to-date knowledge and competence in clinical practice. Our vision is to ensure access to safe, effective music therapy services for all. We’ve created a video to highlight the benefits and value of your board certification. Share this video on social media, with your clients, employers, legislators, fellow certificants and music therapy students to inform them about your board certification in music therapy!
CBMT is excited to announce that the CBMT Board Certification Domains 2020 are now available. This new document was developed from the results of the 2019 Practice Analysis Study. The CBMT Board Certification Domains define the body of knowledge that represents competent practice in the profession of music therapy and identifies what a credentialed therapist may do in practice. Continuing education credits must relate to an area identified in the Board Certification Domains. This new document will be utilized as the source of reference for exam content, certification, and recertification requirements beginning on August 1, 2020.
To ensure that music therapy is provided by individuals who meet established qualifications for education, clinical training and credentialing, each state must officially recognize the music therapy profession and the MT-BC credential required for competent practice. Official state recognition is the first step toward successful inclusion within health and education regulations, which allows for improved employment opportunities and increased access to reimbursement and state funding streams, such as private insurance, Medicaid waivers and special education.
Since 2005, the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) and CBMT have been collaborating on a State Recognition Operational Plan, a proactive effort to address the changing climate of the profession and the role of state regulation in the field. We provide guidance to state task force groups as they seek various forms of professional recognition in their states. Each state task force works in close cooperation with its own government agencies, the CBMT Regulatory Affairs staff and the AMTA Government Relations staff.
This national initiative is designed to support state task forces to advocate for music therapy services and obtain formal recognition for the profession and the MT-BC credential by:
Interested in helping?
CBMT has two Self-Assessment Exams (SAE) to assist exam candidates in preparing for the CBMT Exam. Both SAEs contain questions that relate to the Board Certification Domains and can be used for continued review. The Self-Assessment Examinations are available for purchase using the following link: Purchase Self Assessment Examination. The regular cost of $75 per exam has been reduced to $49.95 through December of 2020. Revised SAEs will be released, one on August 1 and one on October 1, that will relate to the new 2020 Board Certification Domains which will be used for exam content and exam specifications beginning on August 1, 2020.
The CBMT Board of Directors maintains a Use of Credential Trademark Policy. This policy outlines how and when a Board-Certified Music Therapist may use the “MT-BC” credential and “Music Therapist – Board Certified” designation while currently certified. Click here to read this policy: Use of Credential Trademark Policy