Winter 2010 issue
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS REPORT
Carol Ann Blank, LCAT, LPC, MMT, MT-BC
It has been my pleasure to work closely with the MARAMTS Government Relations Chair, Elaine Vuong (Nazareth College). In the course of our collaborative efforts to identify students for the three state task forces in PA, NY, and NJ, and preparing a presentation for the MAR-AMTA conference in Pittsburgh (Advocacy: You Can Do It!), we have had the chance to share our own personal experiences with advocacy with each other. We thought we'd share our conversation with you because, chances are, you might have had the similar ones.
Elaine's Story
When I started my academic career as a music therapy student, I knew that I would need to advocate for my future career. Not many people know much about the profession, or have ever heard of it. As passionate as I am about it now, even I did not know about music therapy until a friend introduced me to it. This was the beginning of my personal advocacy for music therapy.
Nearly every time I mention that I am a music therapy major outside of the music therapy network, I come across questioning looks and statements, such as “What is music therapy?,” or “So you play a CD to help people relax?” Reacting to these were my first steps in advocacy for my major. However, advocating for music therapy continues throughout my entire education and career. I have been involved in many class discussions that point out the importance of advocacy in the workplace, as music therapists run the risk of losing their jobs because facilities and agencies do not understand what our work entitles, or there may be financially cheaper routes.
These situations have made it evident that it is important to learn about advocacy and start advocating, even as a student. As a music therapy student, I define “advocacy” as “the act of supporting music therapy, and fostering public awareness on the issue of music therapy.” Advocacy for music therapy needs to start now. Students, early in their academic lives, are faced with crucial questions regarding the purpose and benefit of their future career. These situations will continue throughout our professional life and until we retire.
As a student Government Relations Officer, I am learning that music therapists need to advocate outside of their schools, facilities, and agencies. It needs to extend to our state and federal governments. These lawmakers will help fight for the issues that we care about if we make them aware of our purpose. Issues may include mental health, education for children with special needs, or financial; issues that are discussed at the government level pertain to who or where we will work. If we start advocating about these issues and the debates that come with them now, we can begin working with lawmakers that will stand for issues we care about.
Carol Ann's Story
I entered the workforce excited and empowered and feeling pretty great about my profession. I looked at being in a newer health care profession as a chance to help shape and define it, and I talked about what I did with anyone who would listen. I suspect I was a bit annoying to seasoned professionals at the first facility where I worked.
As I began to suffer that all-too-familiar bout of burn-out, and feeling the lack of a supportive community, I joined NJAMT. I had been a member of AMTA since college, but the state organization was the local community I needed in order to thrive professionally. MAR conferences were much-anticipated boosts to my creativity.
Fast forward several years and a master's degree later, I found my efforts in advocacy taking different shapes. State house events in Trenton progressed to more consistent awareness in the local legislation and eventually to my interest in federal legislation that impacts the practice of and access to music therapy.
Take Home Message
As I continue to teach music therapists and music therapy students, I find that the purpose of advocacy has not changed: we need to tell the story of our work, and we need to be educated about the processes and proposals that affect our work. What is different is how we advocate. In private ways, such as participating in the political process through voting; in public ways, such as writing letters or sending emails to our elected officials on topics that matter to us and to our clients' access of music therapy services; and even in more social ways, such as sharing our excitement and delight in our work in posts on our social networking pages.
None of these advocacy moments take an extraordinary amount of effort or time. Awareness and mindfulness are the key ingredients here. Contact any of the Task Forces on Occupational Regulation to get on their email lists. Keep your "ear to the ground" about efforts in your area to regulate the practice of music therapy. Contact me or the AMTA office if you are concerned about something you hear. And if you find yourself getting frustrated with budget cuts, rules or regulations, get curious about the process. There is a lot we can contribute. Elaine and I are looking forward to continuing this conversation in Pittsburgh.
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