Support HB 2473 & SB 1452 for Music Therapy Licensure

I'm writing today to ask for your support of HB 2473 and SB 1452 to establish licensure for music therapists in Texas. Many of your constituents currently benefit from music therapy services with over 600 music therapists serving an estimated 180,000 Texans each year. Music therapists work in facilities such as nursing homes, schools, hospitals, hospices, group homes, pre-schools, and adult day programs, to address goals including decreasing anxiety prior to surgery, improving social skills in a group home, or engaging in life review in a hospice setting. As an allied health profession, recognized by the National Institutes of Health, music therapists must earn a bachelor’s degree or higher in music therapy from one of over 80 American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) approved colleges and universities which includes 1,200 hours of clinical training. At the completion of academic and clinical training, students are eligible to take the national examination administered by the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT), an independent, non-profit certifying agency fully accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. After successful completion of the CBMT examination, graduates are issued the credential necessary for professional practice, Music Therapist-Board Certified (MT-BC). Thank you for your attention to this matter that will not only protect music therapists and students, but will protect vulnerable Texans who seek out music therapy services and will ensure that they are receiving high-quality services from skilled and credentialed professionals.