American Music Therapy Association

Department of Education Executive Order DESCRIPTION OF ISSUE: On March 20, 2025, the Administration issued an Executive Order directing the Education Secretary to close the federal Department of Education and return authority over education to the states. This GR Update provides information on AMTA Coalition work and action items to make your voice heard to save the Department of Education,

Efforts to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education and federal protections for students with disabilities Multiple White House Administration orders, along with federal and state actions currently underway are creating serious concerns about our nation’s ability to provide a free and appropriate public education to students with disabilities.

Veterans Administration’s Termination of Recreational and Creative Arts Therapists DESCRIPTION OF ISSUE: To comply with the administration’s executive order to reduce the federal workforce and increase efficiency, federal agencies have been terminating the employment of federal workers still in their probationary periods. This national initiative has now impacted a number of Recreational Therapists and Creative Arts Therapists within the VA healthcare

The American Music Therapy volunteer Board of Directors is pleased to welcome Nicole Bowen as the new Vice President-Elect. Ms. Bowen was appointed to the position in late February and announced at the Assembly of Delegates meeting. The AMTA officers, Board of Directors, parliamentarian and legal counsel worked closely together to ensure that the appointment process moved forward in compliance with AMTA bylaws. Ms. Bowen begins immediately working closely with current Vice President, Jennifer Sokira.

For our March Community Update, please check your email.

In the next 24 hours, the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on a budget bill designed to cut Medicaid by $880 Billion, benefiting the top 1% of American earners and causing great harm to the lower 40% of American earners. The House Budget Committee is proposing to cut $880 billion in budget cuts with Medicaid as the primary target. The US House of Representatives is preparing to vote in the next 24 hours, we need to send a clear message: Don’t cut Medicaid!

AMTA President Angie Snell and AMTA Director of Government Relations, Judy Simpson speak to the numerous changes at the Federal level, concerns of how that affects our clients and ourselves and suggestions on moving forward.

Save the date for an Assembly of Delegates community/public meeting on Tuesday, 2/25/25 at 6pm PT/ 8pm CT/ 9pm ET. This is a one hour meeting. Registration for Zoom link to follow.

The Australian Music Therapy Association (AMTA-AUS) urgently needs support from the worldwide music therapy community. Regional representative to WFMT - Australia and New Zealand, Alison Short’s blog post this week brought to worldwide attention a decision in Australia that would discontinue music therapy services for thousands of Australians.

Congratulations to Dr. Elizabeth L Stegemöller, PhD, MT-BC 2024 Arthur Flagler Fultz Research Award winning proposal “Virtual Group Therapeutic Singing for Persons with Parkinson’s Disease in Rural Areas” The Fultz Fund is an annual research grant awarded by AMTA and generously supported by David’s Fund for 24 years by Tom & Lucy Ott. Fultz Fund Chair, Dr. Michele Forinash, led the submission review process. We are grateful to the reviewers and those who submitted a research proposal.

The Music Man Foundation awards $326,700 to the American Music Therapy Association to enhance tools to boost music therapy as a cost-effective treatment LOS ANGELES, October 15, 2024 – The Music Man Foundation today announced a grant of $326,700 supporting the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) to help advance access to music therapy services for individuals and families.

We have received reports of emails, Facebook and text messages that are impersonating our president and requesting your cell number so that you can connect or text. The message states it is from Angela Snell and is from a number in her area code but not her number. This is a SCAM. Thanks to one of our member’s sleuthing abilities we know that engaging with the impersonator results in a request for the recipient to purchase gift cards to serve as incentives for members. The impersonator will ask you to get gift cards from a local pharmacy or other such entity. Do not engage with the sender. Report, delete and block the sender. We have reported as best we can and security precautions have been taken with the president’s accounts. However, expect that these may continue.

The AMTA Board of Directors, members and staff extend heartfelt concern for all those affected by the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. The AMTA BoD supports the fundraising and coordination efforts of the Southeast Region of AMTA to support music therapists, colleagues and students affected by the storm. SER is actively reaching out to music therapists and music therapy students to assess and evaluate how best to help.

As many know the AMTA Archives is housed at Colorado State University. A scrapbook with mold damage was donated to CSU as part of the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) special archive collection. The donor received the scrapbook from Florence Tyson (a music therapist in New York from 1958 and 1995).

Online Scam & Phishing Awareness Online scams and attempts at phishing continue to skyrocket. Be wary of online requests for money, gift cards, personal information, to open an attachment, or respond to a healthcare alert, etc. We have received reports of emails that impersonate leaders of AMTA, offers of free grand pianos and phishing attempts to initiate contacts for private music therapy services.