Nov 25 2008
Committee Report PDF Print E-mail
Written by Stephanie Clark   
Tuesday, 25 November 2008
Submitted as of 9/20/08
For the past several months, NER-GR has been working in conjunction with Judy Simpson, Director of Government Relations for AMTA, to raise awareness and interest among the New England Region’s Membership in regards to Government Relations matters. With the pressures felt by Music Therapists at the Massachusetts Hospital School in Canton, the need for increased activity, specifically in the state of Massachusetts, was highlighted. Judy recommended the region focus on forming a state task force in MA. This plan is based on several factors including restrictions on the GR budget, events that have come to pass at MHS, and also the volume of MT-BCs in the state of MA. If legislation were to change in such a way that it could negatively impact Music Therapist’s ability to practice, MA is the state in our region that would be most effected. As a means of attempting to increase the NER Membership’s awareness of how State/Federal government agencies can impact music therapy practice, Marcia Lajoie, MT-BC, volunteered to write an editorial for the NER website on her experience at Mass Hospital School. Once that editorial is finished, it will be posted online. In an effort to build a Massachusetts State Task Force, Judy Simpson and Dena Register sent out a letter of intent. The letter was aimed specifically at Massachusetts MT-BCs. Tomoka Sakai, President of MMTA (Massachusetts Music Therapy Alliance), was also contacted to both explore the possibility of having the letter posted on the MMTA website and to try and identify Music Therapists who are active in MMTA with interest in participating in the State Task Force. Suggestions for further advocacy in Government Relations include the collection of letters of support from allied professions including but not limited to: Educators, Occupational/Physical Therapists, Speech Therapists and Registered Nurses. Also, letters of support from parents/guardian’s of those in receipt of Music Therapy services would be useful. The letters would then be sent along to legislators to increase their awareness of the benefits of Music Therapy services.
Respectfully Submitted, Stephanie L. Clark, MT-BC, CCLS NER Government Relations Representative
 
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