scholarly journals A Survey of Music Therapists Working in Pediatric Medical Settings in the United States

2020 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Knott ◽  
Marial Biard ◽  
Kirsten E Nelson ◽  
Stephanie Epstein ◽  
Sheri L Robb ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Music Therapy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Medical Settings ◽  
Music Therapist

Abstract Music therapy is becoming a standard supportive care service in many pediatric hospitals across the United States. However, more detailed information is needed to advance our understanding about current clinical practice and increase availability of pediatric music therapy services. The purpose of this cross-sectional survey study was to collect and summarize data about music therapists working in pediatric medical settings. Specifically, we collected information about (1) therapist demographics, (2) organizational structure, (3) service delivery and clinical practice, and (4) administrative/supervisory responsibilities. Board-certified music therapists working in pediatric medical settings (n = 118) completed a 37-item online questionnaire. We analyzed survey data using descriptive statistics and content analysis. Findings indicated that there is a ratio of approximately one music therapist for every 100 patient beds, that one-third of respondents are the only music therapist in their setting, and that half of the surveyed positions are philanthropically funded. Prioritizing patient referrals based on acuity was common (95.7%, n = 110), with palliative care and pain as the most highly prioritized needs. More than half of respondents reported serving in high acuity areas such as the pediatric intensive care, hematology/oncology, or neonatal intensive care units. We recommend replication of this survey in five years to examine growth and change in service delivery among pediatric music therapists over time, with additional studies to (a) explore how therapist-to-patient ratios influence quality of care, (b) identify factors that contribute to sustainability of programs, and (c) determine how expansion of services support a broader population of patients and families.

Telehealth Music Therapy Services in the United States With Older Adults: A Descriptive Study

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsey Wilhelm ◽  
Kyle Wilhelm
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Music Therapy ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Descriptive Study ◽  
The United States ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Therapy Services ◽  
Therapy Sessions

Abstract In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many music therapists in the United States turned to telehealth music therapy sessions as a strategy to continue services with older adults. However, the nature and perception of telehealth music therapy services for this age group are unknown. The purpose of this study was to describe music therapy telehealth practices with older adults in the United States including information related to session implementation, strengths and challenges, and adaptations to clinical practice. Of the 110 participants in the United States who responded to the survey (25.2% response rate), 69 reported implementing telehealth music therapy services with older adults and responded to a 32-item survey. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted. Results indicated that while all participants had provided telehealth music therapy for no more than 6 months, their experiences with telehealth varied. Based on participant responses, telehealth session structure, strengths, challenges, and implemented changes are presented. Overall, 48% of music therapists reported that they planned to continue telehealth music therapy with older adults once pandemic restrictions are lifted. Further study on the quality, suitability, and acceptability of telehealth services with older adults is recommended.

scholarly journals COVID-19 and Music Therapists’ Employment, Service Delivery, Perceived Stress, and Hope: A Descriptive Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-166
Author(s):  
Sarah Gaddy ◽  
Ressa Gallardo ◽  
Shelley McCluskey ◽  
Leanna Moore ◽  
Alex Peuser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
The United States ◽  
Income Loss ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Employment Service ◽  
Contact Hours ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Impact

Abstract In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic was declared, which impacted music therapists in terms of employment, service delivery, and mental health. However, the extent of changes within the profession was unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the pandemic on the employment, service delivery, stress, and hope of music therapy professionals in the United States. Music therapists (N = 1,196) responded to a 51-item survey including questions related to employment and service delivery. The study also included the Adult Hope Scale and the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10). Results indicated that many music therapists experienced changes in their positions, including a decrease in client contact hours and an increase in using alternative services, such as telehealth. Changes in service hours and delivery were higher for individuals who worked in private practice than for other settings. Primary respondent concerns included being a carrier of COVID-19, being isolated from loved ones, and income loss. Compared with prior general population samples from the United States, respondents reported higher levels of hope, with a majority of respondents also reporting a high level of hope for the profession. Respondents also indicated a moderate level of perceived stress on the PSS-10. Open response comments provided additional insights into the situational stressors and feelings of hope at this time in the pandemic. The results of this study indicate that music therapists adapted to service delivery changes and continued to provide services to clients, despite the many difficulties faced during the pandemic.

scholarly journals Virtual Music Therapy: Developing New Approaches to Service Delivery

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-156
Author(s):  
David Knott ◽  
Seneca Block
Keyword(s):  
Service Delivery ◽  
Music Therapy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Service Delivery Models ◽  
Initial Wave ◽  
Traditional Service ◽  
Virtual Services ◽  
Delivery Models

Abstract As the global Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic transforms our society, music therapists must adapt service delivery models that ensure client safety. Given the prevalence of COVID-19 in our communities and lack of personal protective equipment in many settings, music therapists are faced with the need to shift delivery models in order to provide safe and relevant services. Telehealth is one solution to these current service delivery challenges. Music therapists possess a depth of practice-based knowledge and understanding of client populations, which enables them to develop virtual services, matching both the clinicians’ and clients’ technical capabilities. Developed during the initial wave of COVID-19 infections in the United States, this article describes the coauthors’ three-tiered scaffold model intended to support the program development and deployment of virtual music therapy (VMT) services. The model describes an approach to developing VMT services that directs the clinician’s goals of care in formats that are accessible, appropriate, and best meet the patient/client’s needs and abilities. The severity and lasting nature of this worldwide health crisis and its disruption of traditional service delivery models require clinicians and researchers to develop the most effective uses of VMT while considering its limits with regard to clinical populations and need areas.

scholarly journals A Systematic Review of Unpublished and Non-Refereed Music Therapy Mental Health Papers Found via Google Scholar

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melody R Peterson ◽  
Michael J Silverman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Music Therapy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Google Scholar ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Mental Health Literature ◽  
Doctoral Dissertations

As Google Scholar searches yield unpublished papers, it may inadvertently impact the perception of the music therapy literature for clinicians, researchers, and service users. Therefore, the purpose of this systematic review was to identify and analyze the current literature comprised of unpublished and non-refereed papers regarding music therapy and mental health from January 2000 to September 2017 located via Google Scholar. After establishing inclusion and exclusion criteria, papers were identified using a variety of combinations of music therapy and mental health keywords. Twenty-one papers met inclusion criteria. Sixteen papers were master’s theses and five were doctoral dissertations. Almost half of the papers (n = 8) involved adolescents with mental health diagnoses. Although not all papers contained data, more papers contained qualitative data (n = 10) than quantitative data (n = 3). The unpublished music therapy and mental health literature may represent a valuable resource for guiding clinical practice and research. As the majority of authors were affiliated with universities outside the United States, perhaps there is greater interest in mental health outside the United States. It is concerning that many identified papers required additional login credentials. Implications for clinical practice, limitations, and suggestions for future research are provided.

scholarly journals Feminist Music Therapists in North America: Their Lives and Their Practices

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra L. Curtis
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Music Therapy ◽  
Sex Discrimination ◽  
The United States ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Final Report ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Community Music ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
The Impact

This survey study investigated the lives and practices of those in North America who self-identify as feminist music therapists. Earlier reports from this survey studied: 1) the experiences of music therapists, with a comparison of men, women, and their 1990 counterparts (Curtis, 2013d); 2) the experiences of music therapists who self-identify as community music therapists (Curtis, 2015); and 3) the experiences of music therapists in Canada as they compare with their U.S. counterparts (Curtis, in press, a). This current and final report explored the experiences of those in Canada and the United States who self-identify as feminist music therapists (50 from the 682 respondents). Areas of similarities and differences were noted between feminist music therapy respondents, Community Music Therapy respondents, and survey respondents as a whole. Similarities existed in terms of: age; gender (predominantly female) and ethnicity makeup (predominantly Caucasian); career satisfaction; and degree and nature of concerns in their lives. Differences existed in that: 1) greater numbers of feminist music therapy respondents worked in academic settings and had higher levels of education; 2) more feminist music therapists felt there was an impact of sex discrimination in peoples’ lives than did the community music therapists, or survey respondents as a whole (98%, 68.5%, and 67% respectively); 3) more feminist music therapy respondents held concerns about discrimination across many other intersections such as race/ethnicity and sexual orientation (98%, 74%, and 76% respectively); and 4) significantly more in Canada self-identified as feminist music therapists than did their U.S. counterparts. Qualitative analysis of respondents’ thoughts on feminist music therapy identified the following themes: being a feminist, belief and orientation, and working for empowerment and equality. The potential contribution that feminist music therapy offers the music therapy profession as a whole was highlighted in terms of its understanding of the impact of multiple sources of marginalization and privilege. This potential contribution could be enhanced through future research into the profiles of feminist music therapists living in other parts of the world.

Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Distribution, Service Delivery, and Staffing in the United States in 2018*

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (9) ◽  
pp. 797-803
Author(s):  
Robin V. Horak ◽  
Peta M. Alexander ◽  
Rambod Amirnovin ◽  
Margaret J. Klein ◽  
Ronald A. Bronicki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cardiac Intensive Care

A Preliminary Overview of Music Therapy Reimbursement Practice in the United States

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly Sena Moore ◽  
Laurie Peebles
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Music Therapy ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Private Insurance ◽  
International Classification Of Diseases ◽  
The United States ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Baseline Information ◽  
Therapy Services

Abstract Music therapy services are currently being reimbursed through state and private insurance funding streams, yet to date, there is no known systematic exploration on music therapy reimbursement practices. Such information would be helpful to include when communicating with third-party payers and can assist in tracking reimbursement trends. Thus, we sought to provide baseline information on how music therapy services are currently being reimbursed in the United States, with a focus on approved treatment parameters, referral sources, Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes used, and types of music interventions and music therapy experiences implemented. Board-certified music therapists in private practice who had successfully obtained reimbursement for music therapy services between 2012 and 2018 completed a 28-item online survey. In total, 7 respondents provided information on 55 unique reimbursement cases from 5 different states, most of which were based on Medicaid waiver programs. We conducted descriptive analyses to summarize music therapy reimbursement practices. Most of the clients were referred by doctors or physician’s assistants. The most common CPT code utilized was 97530 (Therapeutic Activities, one-on-one, each 15 minutes), and most of the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) diagnostic codes were based on specific diagnoses rather than general clinical needs. In most of the cases, reimbursement of music therapy was ongoing, and services incorporated a variety of music therapy methods, with few specific music interventions identified. Most notably, reimbursement practice varied by state; thus, we recommend the creation and dissemination of state-specific surveys.

scholarly journals Clinical Training in Music Therapy

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward A. Roth ◽  
Xueyan Hua ◽  
Wang Lu ◽  
Jordan Blitz Novak ◽  
Fei Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Music Therapy ◽  
Great Lakes ◽  
Clinical Training ◽  
The United States ◽  
Great Lakes Region ◽  
Training Method ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
General Satisfaction ◽  
The Third

Objective: This paper examines the experiences of music therapy students throughout their clinical training. Three surveys inquired about: 1) the perception from both interns and supervisors as to interns’ needs, 2) interns’ preparedness, their skills, their priorities when choosing an internship, and whether their expectations for training were met (with comparisons between American and International respondents), and 3) satisfaction with clinical training. Method: Three separate surveys were distributed. The first survey’s respondents included pre-interns ( n = 19) and internship supervisors (n = 14) who had completed their training in the Great Lakes Region of the United States. The second survey’s respondents included American interns (n = 50), American professionals (n = 353), International interns (n = 12), and International professionals (n = 50). Respondents for the third survey included professional music therapists who completed their curriculum in the United States and held the MT-BC professional credential (N = 777). Results: Some differences between interns’ and supervisors’ perceptions of the interns’ needs were found in Survey 1; significant differences were found between the preparedness and strengths/weaknesses between groups in Survey 2; and Survey 3 found general satisfaction with training with some areas respondents felt needed improvement. Conclusions: While there is overall satisfaction with training for music therapists, there are inconsistencies in students’ experiences in, and perceptions of, their training.

scholarly journals Needs of Children Experiencing Homelessness who are Living in Shelters: A Qualitative Investigation of Perceptions of Care Workers to Inform Music Therapy Clinical Practice

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Greta Jean Yates ◽  
Michael Joseph Silverman
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Music Therapy ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Single Mother ◽  
The United States ◽  
Living Environment ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Positive Role ◽  
Care Workers

On a single night in January in 2014 there were 194,000 children living with their families in shelters in the United States (National Center on Family Homelessness, 2015). A typical family experiencing homelessness consists of a single mother with two to three children. Children experiencing homelessness are more likely to face academic, social, and emotional problems compared to children in poverty. As there is currently a dearth of peer reviewed publications related to music therapy with children experiencing homelessness, the purpose of this study was to explore the perceived needs of children living in a homeless shelter through interviews with care workers and apply results to the music therapy clinical practice. Participants were seven staff members employed at a shelter for women and children experiencing homelessness in the Midwestern part of the United States. Data analysis was based upon Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six phases of thematic analysis. Emerging themes included: (a) staff need to be positive role models and provide trusting and affectionate relationships, (b) older children require programming and opportunities for communication and emotional support, (c) wellbeing must be screened and monitored, and (d) routine and expectations are needed to promote a calm living environment. Implications for music therapy clinical practice, limitations, and suggestions for future research concerning music therapy with children experiencing homelessness are provided.

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