Music Therapy Internships

Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana and/or Indianapolis, Indiana and its surrounding counties

Internship Dates: January–July; July–December; April–October. (2 interns per cycle)

Population Served: Developmental Disabilities, Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down syndrome, Dual Diagnosis, physical and cognitive impairments

Age Ranges: Children, Teens, Adults, and Seniors

Therapy Setting: Home and Community

Music Therapy Internship Description

You will work alongside a board-certified music therapist (MT-BC) providing individual and group music therapy services to clients with disabilities in their homes and in community settings. Pure Abilities is a certified Medicaid Waiver provider in Indiana, and your supervising MT-BC serves as the enrolled provider for every client on the caseload. Interns must have reliable transportation.

Interns gain hands-on experience bringing music therapy into the places where clients actually live their lives. Sessions may take place in the client’s home or in local community settings such as concerts and music venues, libraries, parks, community centers, and other locations that connect each client’s musical interests to their everyday goals. Under the supervision of your MT-BC, you will take on increasing independence in selecting and delivering interventions as you progress through the internship, with the goal of functioning at an entry-level professional standard by completion.

This internship is structured to meet AMTA’s clinical training standards and the requirements of your university’s music therapy program [as an AMTA National Roster site / as a University-Affiliated Internship]. Hours, documentation, evaluations, and competency reviews are coordinated with your academic internship supervisor so that the experience counts toward your degree and toward eligibility for the CBMT Board Certification Examination.

Responsibilities include:

• Learning to manage a full-time caseload with increasing independence under MT-BC supervision.

• Assessing each client’s needs using standardized music therapy assessments and developing individualized treatment plans with measurable goals and objectives.

• Planning and providing appropriate music therapy interventions, including receptive, re-creative, improvisational, and compositional methods, matched to each client’s goals.

• Tracking client goals and objectives to help prepare quarterly reports indicative of progress or regression, as required under the Medicaid Waiver.

• Completing progress notes, due by the end of each month, that meet both Medicaid Waiver documentation standards and your university’s requirements.

• Attending quarterly team meetings to report therapy progress with clients, families, and other team members.

• Participating in weekly individual supervision with your MT-BC and completing all hour logs, competency evaluations, and other documentation required by your university and AMTA.

• Building the clinical skills and documentation habits covered by the CBMT Board Certification Domains in preparation for the MT-BC exam.

Eligibility:

• Currently enrolled in an AMTA-approved music therapy degree program and cleared by your academic director to begin internship.

• Completed all required pre-internship coursework and practicum hours.

• Reliable transportation for travel to clients’ homes and community sites.

• CPR/First Aid certification and state and county background checks (required for Medicaid Waiver settings).