Highlights of Mid-Year Board of Directors Meeting

Highlights of the Mid-Year Meeting of the AMTA Board of Directors, June 2017

The AMTA Board of Directors met at the Maritime Institute outside of Baltimore, MD for approximately 23 hours during the 2017 Mid-Year meeting, from May 31 through June 5. The meeting time was extended to accommodate the one-of-a-kind event, “Sound Health: Music and the Mind” on June 2nd and 3rd at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, in partnership with the National Institutes of Health and the National Endowment for the Arts. In addition to conducting the business of the association and providing a supportive presence at the “Sound Health” event, we also celebrated our dedicated National Office staff, specifically highlighting Tawna Grasty’s 10 years with AMTA. The additional meeting hours allowed discussion on the topics of Sustainability Planning (which includes looking at the Mission, Vision, Strategic Plan and Succession Plan), Master’s Level Entry and Cultural Responsiveness, in addition to the regular business of the association.

Sustainability Planning

The Board reviewed the Mission Statement and the Strategic Plan as part of the Sustainability Planning process. The Board also spent time “visioning” to start the process of creating a vision statement for AMTA. A work group was formed with Jennifer Geiger, Deb Benkovitz Williams and Tracy Richardson to draft a vision statement for consideration by national conference.

Substantial time was spent on succession planning and included a presentation by Karen Schuler, Managing Director of Search, Transition and Planning with Raffa, P.C. Her presentation entitled “Ensuring Success in Succession Planning: an Overview of Best Practices for Nonprofit Leaders” was extremely informative and recommended directions to consider for the future. A Succession Plan Work Group was formed with Amber Weldon-Stephens as Chair, including Bryan Hunter, Angie Snell, Amy Furman and Kristin O’Grady.  They will report back to the Board in November.

Promoting Cultural Responsiveness

In December, Annette Whitehead-Pleaux submitted a report of suggested next steps compiled from interviews with 22 music therapists of color and allies.  Since receiving this report, the Board of Directors asked a small group to prioritize and assign next steps to committees, conference planners, and Board members.  At the Mid-Year meeting, the Board of Directors dedicated several hours to both forwarding these next steps and exploring our own intersectionality.  We remain committed to enhancing the cultural responsiveness of the organization.

Electronic Ballot for November Election

In November 2016, the membership approved a bylaw change to allow the option of electronic voting (see AMTA Bylaws Article XI, Section 2). Past President, Amy Furman spent time researching electronic ballot companies and made a recommendation to use Balloteer Management Company. Currently six out of seven regions use electronic ballots; the Board agreed to move forward with this company for the November election which will use an all-electronic ballot.

Finances

The Board of Directors reviewed organizational finances, budgets, and financial responsibilities. FY 2017 income and expenditures reported thus far indicate the budgeted deficit ($66,500) will be minimized, due in part to higher than expected conference net revenue and a generous donation from the Remo Belli family. Treasurer Dr. Alicia Clair presented the proposed draft budget for FY 2018 approved by the Financial Advisory Committee (FAC) and subsequently approved by the Board (see motions below). The Board updated the Financial Action Plan (FAP) by working in small groups on targeted areas of the plan. For further details about FY 2017, FY 2018, and the FAP, please see the extensive Treasurer’s report in the 2017 Mid-Year Board Book.

MLE Update

Mary Ellen Wiley joined us to give an update of the MLE activities since national conference.  She provided a detailed report of the findings of the Pro Bono work group, on which discussion centered. In addition, she presented the status of the “Not yet Investigated” items and discussed the plans for the MLE retreat at the end of June.  Finally, Mary Ellen was joined by the MLE members on the AMTA Board (Bryan Hunter, Angie Snell, Amy Furman, Ed Kahler) and Jane Creagan (National Office staff) for questions and answers.  The plan is to have a final MLE report to President Geiger and the Board by early October.

Council on Association Services

The Council on Association Services is comprised of seven standing committees.  The Affiliate Relations Committee is revising the Fact Sheets.  The Clinical Practice Networking Committee continues to explore new ways to host the networking session.  The Diversity and Multicultural Committee are focusing on identified primary tasks as well as presenting regionally and nationally.  The International Relations Committee is working with regions to expand international music therapy connections.  The Membership Committee continues to innovate ways to increase membership. The Professional Advocacy Committee continues to advocate upon the behalf of our field.  Finally, the Workforce Development and Retention Committee have conducted outreach to high schools and junior colleges. 

Council on Education and Clinical Training

The Academic Program Approval Committee continues to review and approve academic programs throughout the year.  Since November 2016, they have approved 1 new undergraduate program and 1 new graduate program and currently have under review one new undergraduate program.  There are now 81 academic programs offering a mix of undergraduate and graduate programs.  The Association Internship Approval Committee reviewed and made decisions on 6 applications and have 12 other applications under review or revision.  The Continuing Education Committee continues to provide numerous CMTE opportunities: forty CMTEs were offered during the 2016 national conference. 

Council on Professional Practices

The Government Relations (GR) Committee continues to collaborate with state task forces, participate in Hill Days and Arts Advocacy Days, as well as advocate for music therapy through continued communication with agencies such as The Joint Commission. They are currently charged with developing a document to delineate levels of training for music in healthcare. The Reimbursement Committee continues to answer members’ questions regarding third party reimbursement and is developing webinars to help music therapists better understand the reimbursement process. The Standards Committee is currently reviewing AMTA and CBMT documents to ensure that these documents reflect current music therapy practice and was recently charged with reviewing AMTA’s definition for music therapy. The Research Committee is finalizing their nomination for a Clinician-Researcher member of their committee for review by the AMTA Board and ensuring that poster session submissions are in alignment with MTR 2025. Finally, the Technology Committee has been collaborating with the Ethics Committee to review the Social Media Advisory that will be reviewed by The Assembly of Delegates at national conference and is planning a joint conference presentation to review these recommendations with the membership.

Oxford University Press Update

The collaboration between the AMTA and Oxford University Press (OUP) continues to be a positive one in terms of increasing the dissemination of research on music therapy to a broad audience. Last year, online usage for both JMT and MTP increased by 23% and circulation increased for Consortia customers by 6.5%. In terms of Impact Factor, JMT is ranked 47/51 with an Impact Factor of .789 and OUP has submitted MTP to the Emerging Sources Circulation Index (ESCI) to increase the journal’s discoverability as there is a backlog of applicants for Impact Factors for newly submitted journals. Marketing of both journals continues through OUP’s blog, website, and virtual issues customized for specific audiences, such as Arts Advocacy Day.

Regional Update

The past few months have seen the turnover of Regional Presidents. Many thanks to the new Past Presidents for their leadership the last two years. They had a large role in increasing membership and moving State Recognition forward for many areas. Welcome to the new Presidents! The AMTA Regional Presidents Representative is appreciative of the communication from Regional Presidents regarding music therapists who have experienced emergencies related to disasters, weather, and other situations in which music therapists need assistance. This information helps the AMTA know where help is needed. This year we have disseminated information regarding PTSD, self-care, flood and fire clean-up, and clean water safety.

“Sound Health: Music and the Mind”

On June 2 & 3 the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the AMTA, presented a landmark “Sound Health: Music and the Mind” concert and symposium regarding neuroscience, music therapy, and music. Dr. Francis Collins, Renée Fleming, Ben Folds and the National Symphony Orchestra, along with numerous musicians and music therapists, joined neuroscientists Daniel Levitin, Nina Kraus, Charles Limb, and Ani Patel, and music therapy researchers Sheri Robb, Deforia Lane, Wendy Magee, and Blythe Lagasse to discuss and demonstrate the efficacy of music therapy in studying the brain and furthering scientific research. Each session combined lecture, brain images, live music by highly regarded musicians and audience participation to demonstrate the impact of music therapy in healing, wellness and research. A special thanks to Tom Sweitzer for sharing the work of his clients. Sessions were recorded and can be found on the Kennedy Center website or directly through YouTube.

Assembly of Delegates

The number of Assembly Delegate seats per region for the 2018-2019 term has been determined based upon the December 31, 2016 regional membership totals of the voting membership categories. Note that the current 2015-17 Assembly Delegates serve their term through Saturday, Nov. 14 of the 2017 AMTA conference in St. Louis. The Assembly-Elect for the 2018-19 term will meet Sunday, Nov. 15 at the conference.  

The 2018-2019 Assembly of Delegates

Great Lakes Region (16)

Mid-Atlantic Region (15)

Midwestern Region (6)

New England Region (5)

Southeastern Region (8)

Southwestern Region (5)

Western Region (9)

Total Delegates for 2018-2019 = 64

The Assembly Bylaws Task Force began meeting this past spring to review Article VII of the AMTA Bylaws and make recommendations regarding the relationship between the Board of Directors and Assembly of Delegates as well as the roles and responsibilities of the Assembly of Delegates. Members of the Task Force include Angie Snell, Donna Polen, Gary Verhagen, Cindy Ropp, Piper Laird, Andrew Knight, Caryl Beth Thomas, Cathy McKinney, Ed Kahler, and Linda Bosse. Delegates and members are encouraged to contact any of these members with questions and thoughts.

For more details, please see the following listing of motions as well as reports in the 2017 Mid-Year Board Book.

Respectfully Submitted,

Jennifer Geiger, Nicole Hahna, Ed Kahler, Angie Snell, Amber Weldon-Stephens, Annette Whitehead-Pleaux, Debbie Benkovitz Williams 6/16/17

Board of Directors Board Book, 2017 Mid-Year Meeting

AMERICAN MUSIC THERAPY ASSOCIATION
Board of Directors’ Mid-Year Meeting
May 31 – June 5, 2017
Baltimore, Maryland
FINAL DRAFT ALL MOTIONS

MOTION: Resolve, to approve the agenda as amended.

Author, Amy Furman.  The motion carried.

MOTION:  Resolve, to approve the 2017 Minutes and Motions Packet from Nov. 14, 2016 –  May 3, 2017 with the incorporation of the motion from the email ballot #18, which approved the appointment of Lori Gooding as a substitute from the SER on the MLE Subcommittee for the duration of the MLE Retreat. 

Author, Amber Weldon-Stephens.  The motion carried.

MOTION:  Resolve, to temporarily restrict the $50,000 donation made in memory of Remo Belli with the parameters of the restriction to be determined at a later date.

Author, Alicia Clair.  The motion carried.

MOTION:  Resolve, to create a working group of 3-5 AMTA professional members, coordinated by the AMTA Director of Government Relations, to develop a position statement that outlines levels of training and involvement for using music in healthcare; to be completed by the 2017 annual meeting.

Author, Judy Simpson.  The motion carried.

MOTION:  Resolve, to move into Executive Session.

Author, Judy Simpson.  The motion carried.

MOTION:  Resolve, to move into Executive Session.

Author, Jennifer Geiger.  The motion carried.

MOTION:  Resolve, to move into Executive Session.

Author, Jane Creagan.  The motion carried.

MOTION:  Resolve, that the Board commends the work and personnel of the MLE Subcommittee for their dedication and perseverance in undertaking such an important task as examining Masters Level Entry.

Author, Jean Nemeth.  The motion carried.

MOTION:  Resolve, to approve the budget for FY 2018 as specified in the Board Book.

Author, Alicia Clair.  The motion carried.

MOTION:  Resolve, to form a small workgroup to draft a board evaluation comprised of Angie Snell, Debbie Benkovitz Williams, Tracy Richardson, Ed Kahler.

Author, Tracy Richardson.  The motion carried.

MOTION:  Resolve, to remove the references to the “Futures Council” in the current Strategic Plan and in a footnote document, the possibility of its development at a later date.

Author, Bryan Hunter.  The motion carried.

MOTION:  Resolve, to create a small workgroup to draft a vision statement with the group to be comprised of Debbie Benkovitz Williams, Tracy Richardson, and Jennifer Geiger.

Author, Kristen O’Grady.  The motion carried.

MOTION:  Resolve, to move into Executive Session.

Author, Jennifer Geiger.  The motion carried.

MOTION:  Resolve, to create a small workgroup in conjunction with the Diversity and Multiculturalism Committee comprised of Nicole Hahna and Kristen O’Grady on Social Responsibility to look at examples from other organizations and to report back in November with recommendations.

Author, Jennifer Geiger.  The motion carried.

MOTION:  Resolve, to charge the Government Relations staff in consultation with the Government Relations Committee, and CBMT Regulatory Affairs staff coordinated by the AMTA Government Relations staff, to develop guidelines for state task force participation.  These guidelines will include scope of work; roles, responsibilities, and qualifications of chair(s) and members; and communication requirements with regions.   To be completed by the 2017 annual meeting.

Author, Judy Simpson.  The motion carried.

MOTION:  Resolve, to respectfully decline the request from the North Carolina State Task Force for legislative consultant funding in the 2017 legislative session.

Rationale:  Although the AMTA Board acknowledges task force members’ efforts to seek state recognition, the Task Force request did not provide sufficient evidence to meet the four criteria required by the Board to justify funding at this time.

Author, Judy Simpson.  The motion carried.

MOTION:  Resolve, to create a work group to investigate levels of training and involvement of musicians in healthcare facilities comprised of Debbie Bates, Lori Gooding, Jennifer Townsend, and David Knott.

Author, Judy Simpson.  The motion was withdrawn.

MOTION:  Resolve, to convene a task force to facilitate a side-by-side review of the Professional Competencies and the Advanced Competencies.

Author, Jennifer Geiger.  The motion carried.

MOTION:  Resolve, to support the re-approval of the Master of Science in Music Therapy at SUNY- New Paltz.

Author, Ed Kahler.  The motion carried.

MOTION: Resolve, that the Board of Directors of the American Music Therapy Association commends Renée Fleming, Kennedy Center Artistic Advisor at Large, and Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health, for their vision and leadership in the creation of an outstanding presentation of the power of music at the “Sound Health: Music and the Mind” concert and lecture series. Additionally, we express our gratitude for their advocacy in advancing the understanding of the art and science of music therapy.

MOTION: Resolve, that the Board of Directors of the American Music Therapy Association commends Deborah Rutter and the staff of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for their leadership and support in the development and production of the “Sound Health: Music and the Mind” concert and lecture series.

MOTION: Resolve, that the Board of Directors of the American Music Therapy Association commends the National Endowment for the Arts, for its generous support of the groundbreaking “Sound Health: Music and the Mind” Concert and Lecture Series at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on June 2-3, 2017.

MOTION: Resolve, that the Board of Directors of the American Music Therapy Association commends Dr. Daniel Levitin, Maestro Edwin Outwater, Dr. Nina Kraus, Dr. Charles Limb, and Jussie Smollett, for their participation in “Sound Health in Concert: Music and the Mind” with the National Symphony Orchestra and their innovative work advancing the understanding of the neuroscience of music, which affirms the effectiveness of music therapy interventions. 

MOTION: Resolve, that the Board of Directors of the American Music Therapy Association commends Dr. Nina Kraus and the members of DC Youth Orchestra for their presentation “Sound Health: Music and the Mind: Music and Childhood Development” for advancing the understanding of the neuroscience of music and its impact on children’s learning.

MOTION: Resolve, that the Board of Directors of the American Music Therapy Association commends Dr. Sheri Robb for her outstanding leadership of “Breakthroughs with Music Therapy: Recovery, Resilience, and Quality of Life” at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on June 3, 2017. Under her direction and guidance, this cutting edge presentation informed the public about the integration of science and art underpinning music therapy.

MOTION: Resolve, that the Board of Directors of the American Music Therapy Association commends the speakers of the “Breakthroughs with Music Therapy: Recovery, Resilience & Quality of Life” panel: Dr. Blythe LaGasse, Dr. Deforia Lane, Dr. Sheri Robb, Dr. Wendy Magee, CJ Shiloh, Tom Sweitzer, Forrest Allen, and Jordon Cochran. The outstanding and heartfelt presentation informed the public about the integration of science and art underpinning music therapy.

MOTION: Resolve, that the Board of Directors of the American Music Therapy Association commends Ben Folds for lending his music and talent to the “Sound Health: Music and the Mind” concert and lecture series. Additionally, we express gratitude for his ongoing support as a spokesperson for the profession of music therapy.

MOTION: Resolve, that the Board of Directors of the American Music Therapy Association commends Susan Koch, Director of the movie “Music Got Me Here” for highlighting the effectiveness of music therapy for people who have experienced traumatic brain injury.

MOTION: Resolve, that the Board of Directors of the American Music Therapy Association commends 19^th United States Surgeon General Vice Admiral Vivek Murthy, MD, MBA for his outstanding support of music therapy at the “Sound Health: Music and the Mind—The Future of Music and the Mind” discussion.

MOTION: Resolve, that the Board of Directors of the American Music Therapy Association commends Dr. Aniruddh Patel, Mark G. Meadows & the Movement, Tom Sweitzer and the Different Strokes for Different Folks choir for highlighting the effectiveness of music therapy and advancing the understanding of the neuroscience of music during the “Sound Health: Music and the Mind: Creative Aging” presentation.  

MOTION: Resolve, that the Board of Directors of the American Music Therapy Association commends Dr. Charles Limb, Vijay Iyer, and Esperanza Spalding for their presentation “Sound Health: Music and the Mind: Jazz, Creativity and the Brain” for a fascinating, engaging musical exploration and dialogue about the possible neurologic underpinnings of creativity.  

MOTION: Resolve, that the Board of Directors of the American Music Therapy Association commends Jane Chu, Chairman and the staff of the National Endowment for the Arts for their initiative “Creative Forces” and contributions to the advancement of music therapy with post-combat military personnel.

MOTION: Resolve, that the Board of Directors of the American Music Therapy Association commends Renée Fleming for her eloquent and articulate public promotion and support of music therapy at the National Memorial Day Concert, May 28, 2017.

MOTION: Resolve, that the Board of Directors of the American Music Therapy Association commends music therapist Rebecca Vaudreuil for her dedicated work as part of the National Endowment for the Arts “Creative Forces” initiative and for highlighting music therapy with post-combat military personnel at the National Memorial Day Concert.

MOTION: Resolve, that the Board of Directors of the American Music Therapy Association commends Dr. Andrea Farbman and the entire AMTA office staff for their extensive, detailed efforts in the development, coordination, and representation of the music therapy profession at the groundbreaking and innovative “Sound Health: Music and the Mind” lecture series at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on June 2-3, 2017.

MOTION:  Resolve, to approve the commendations as a group.

Author, Jennifer Geiger.  The motion carried.

MOTION:  Resolve, to move into Executive Session.

Author, Jennifer Geiger.  The motion carried.

MOTION:  Resolve, that the Board appoint a task force to examine the training, practice and supervision of musicians (not trained as music therapists) in medical facilities and make recommendations for best practice; task force to be comprised of Debbie Bates, Lori Gooding, Jennifer Townsend, and David Knott.

Author, Kristen O’Grady.  The motion carried.

MOTION:  Resolve, to create a Succession Plan Workgroup chaired by Amber Weldon-Stephens with members Amy Furman, Angie Snell, Bryan Hunter, and Kristen O’Grady through the end of 2017.

Author, Amber Weldon-Stephens.  The motion carried.

MOTION:  Resolve, to approve the social media advisory as edited and forward it to the Assembly of Delegates for its consideration.

Author, Bryan Hunter. The motion carried.

MOTION:  Resolve, to commend President Geiger for conducting a most productive Mid-Year meeting and for adeptly guiding the AMTA Board of Directors through the extensive amount of work necessary to move the business of the association forward.

Author, Jean Nemeth.  The motion carried.

MOTION:  Resolve, to appoint a workgroup to formalize the initial steps for implementing the Strategic Plan and present these recommendations to the Board in November 2017.

Author, Nicole Hahna.  The motion was withdrawn.

MOTION:  Resolve, to appoint a workgroup to gather information regarding the implementation of AMTA’s Strategic Plan into a single document.  This Operational Plan would identify goals and progress to date of each person(s) responsible and identify a target date for implementation and/or accomplished.  Workgroup members to include Annette Whitehead-Pleaux, Nicole Hahna, and Tracy Richardson.

Author, Nicole Hahna.  The motion carried.

MOTION:  Resolve, that the Board of Directors charges the Standards of Clinical Practice Committee to review and consider refining the AMTA definition of music therapy.  The Standards of Clinical Practice Committee will consider the documents of AMTA, the documents of CBMT, the 3^rd edition of Defining Music Therapy, and other sources of definitions.  The committee will be in consultation with the Government Relations staff.  Finally, the committee will consider creating a streamlined definition.

Author, Annette Whitehead-Pleaux.  The motion carried.

MOTION:  Resolve, to commend the entire Board of Directors on a thoughtful, intense, and productive agenda.

Author, Annette Whitehead-Pleaux.  The motion carried.

MOTION:  Resolve, to adjourn the Board of Directors’ meeting at 11:15AM.

Author, Jennifer Geiger.  The motion carried.

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