How to Host a MAR Co­-Sponsored CMTE Course (with or without CPE for LCATs)

The Mid­-Atlantic Region (AMTA­-Mid Atlantic Region) is a provider of pre-­approved Continuing Music Therapy Education (CMTE) via the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT), #P-065. Effective February 1, 2017, MAR-AMTA is also approved by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an acceptable provider of continuing professional education (CPE) for licensed creative arts therapists, #CAT-0021.

Who can apply to offer a co-sponsored course with MAR?

AMTA­-MAR members and State Music Therapy Associations that are affiliated with the Mid­-Atlantic Region are eligible to submit a CMTE proposal for co-­sponsorship with MAR. The information and links below provide everything that you need to submit a proposal for a pre-approved course.

What is required for a course to be pre-approved as CMTE?

Courses eligible to be pre-approved as CMTE must have:

  1. Clear measurable objectives that are directly related to the CBMT Board Certification Domains (2020).
  2. Sufficient instructional minutes to provide an “in-depth learning experience”. CBMT requires a minimum of 3 hours (150 instructional minutes) for a course to be considered an in-depth learning experience. 1 CMTE credit = 50 minutes of instruction.
  3. Instructors who are qualified to teach the course.

Course organizers provide:

  1. Course Description Form
  2. Resume or CV for all instructors
  3. Promotional Materials consistent with CBMT guidelines, located on the last page of the Approved Provider Manual 7th Edition

MAR’s Continuing Education Coordinator will provide:

  1. Support for completing documents in accordance with CBMT guidelines
  2. A course sign-in sheet to track attendance
  3. A link to a digital evaluation of the course
  4. Attendance certificates directly to participants via email

What about CPE for LCATs?

NYSED has some additional limits to acceptable CPE for LCATs. MAR-AMTA is eligible to sponsor courses acceptable to NYSED that meet CBMT’s requirements, but then also meet some additional conditions:

  1. Course Material:
    1. Acceptable subjects: “The subject matter must contribute to the professional practice of licensed creative arts therapy, as defined in section 8404 of the Education Law. Acceptable subjects may include, but are not limited to, clinical interventions and evidence-based practice and cross-disciplinary offerings from medicine, law, administration, education, behavioral and social sciences related to creative arts therapy practice, patient communications, record keeping, and matters relating to law and/or ethics which contribute to professional practice in creative arts therapy and the health, safety, and/or welfare of the public.”
    2. Unacceptable subjects: “Any continuing education designed for the sole purpose of personal development, marketing, business practices, and maximizing profits for the practice of a licensed creative arts therapist will not be considered by SED as acceptable continuing education. Supervision of a licensed creative arts therapist, limited permit holder, student or intern in a placement that is part of a license-qualifying program, will not be considered by the Department as constituting acceptable continuing education.”
  2. Instructor Qualifications: “…an instructor teaching a continuing education course/activity that includes clinical content must have a professional clinical license”. However, instructors without a clinical license may be qualified instructors if the subject matter does not include topics limited in law to the practice of Creative Arts Therapy. For example, the instructor for a course which addresses advanced musicianship skills need not have a professional clinical license if they are otherwise qualified by education and experience.
  3. Calculation of CPE credits: 50 minutes of instruction = 1 contact hour CPE, but while CBMT allows longer breaks to count toward total break time/CMTE credits for the day, NYSED does not. This type of difference in calculation usually occurs when a course includes a lunch break. A difference between CPE and CMTE credit may also occur if a course includes some course material in a subject not acceptable to NYSED. For example, a course may spend some instructional time addressing business practices (unacceptable) but also include information about patient communications and record keeping (acceptable).

See the OP Website for more information.

How soon do I need to submit my materials?

5 weeks prior to the date of the event. Materials need be reviewed, edited, and submitted to CBMT for approval before you can begin advertising your course. NO exceptions will be made.

How do I submit a proposal?

Email the MAR Continuing Education Coordinator (continuingeducation@maramta.org) with the following:

  1. Course Description Form, including learning objectives, abstract including course schedule with breaks noted, and a description of how learning will be assessed.
  2. Resume or Curriculum Vitae for all instructors, dated within one year of date of course. CV or resume MUST include an instructor’s: name, education (including degree title, institution, major and date), current employment with title, previous positions held, relevant professional training and experience, teaching experience, and any relevant licensure/certification details. It is good practice to include licensure/certification #, the issuing organization, and the date of renewal for all licenses and certifications.
  3. Promotional Materials that include all information in the PR Materials Checklist, located on the last page of the Approved Provider Manual 7th Edition

How do I complete the Course Description Form?

  1. Fill in the course information, including title, instructors, date, location, and proposed # of CMTE credits (CEC will calculate LCAT CE contact hours).
  2. Write clear, measurable objectives – provide a maximum of 3-4 learning objectives that complete the sentence, “At this end of this course, participants will be able to…”. For information on writing acceptable learning objectives see the attached document created by the Center for Advanced Teaching and Learning at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. (Note: this document is not music therapy-specific, but is still relevant to writing excellent learning objectives for CMTEs!)
  3. Include at least 1 but not more than 2 specific items from the CBMT Board Certification Domains (2020). for each objective. You should include both the item number and text of each item (e.g. I.B.12. Engage client in musical and non-musical experiences to obtain assessment data. OR II.A.5.i.1-2. To achieve therapeutic goals: employ functional skills with: voice, keyboard)
  4. Provide an abstract for the course, explaining the relevance of the topic to music therapy practice and a summary of the course content.
  5. Write out the schedule for the course to show approximately how much time an instructor will devote to each topic; you can use either clock times (i.e. 9am-9:50am) OR minutes (50 minutes). Course schedule should also show an awareness of adult learning needs (too many consecutive lecture minutes can make it difficult for participants to remain engaged) and allow adequate time for breaks.
  6. Note whether the course provides any instruction in ethics. 50 minutes devoted to an ethics topic = 1 ethics credit.
  7. NEW: Include how course learning objectives will be assessed. Some examples of acceptable learning assessment are included on the form. MAR is using electronic versions of the required CBMT Course Evaluation Form, so an electronic version of the Course Evaluation will be created for your course once it has been approved. If you would like to add learning assessment questions to the electronic evaluation, please include those questions here.

How do I create acceptable PR Materials?

Promotional Materials must include all information on the Checklist located on the last page of the Approved Provider Manual 7th Edition.

The Statement of Relationship should read:

“[Course Title] is approved by the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT) for [x] Continuing Music Therapy Education credits. The MAR-AMTA P#065 maintains responsibility for program quality and adherence to CBMT policies and criteria. MAR-AMTA, #CAT-0021, is approved by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an acceptable provider of continuing professional education (CPE) for licensed creative arts therapists. [Course Title] provides [y] contact hours for LCATs.”

NOTE: if your course is not acceptable as CPE for LCATs, you need to note that your course provides 0 contact hours for LCATs.

What happens after I submit my materials?

You will receive an email back from MAR’s Continuing Education Coordinator (CEC) within five (5) business days. The CEC will work with you to make any changes to the materials so that the course can meet the requirements to be pre-approved. Once the materials are complete, the CEC will send the PR materials to CBMT for formal approval. You can only begin advertising after the CEC notifies you that CBMT has approved the materials. The CEC will be in contact one week prior to the course to provide the sign-in sheet, link to the digital evaluation, and some reminders.

What do I need to do the day of/shortly after the course?

  1. Ensure that all course participants sign in on the CMTE Course Participant Form with their CBMT number. Student attendees should not sign in on the official CBMT Form.
  2. Provide participants with link to electronic course eval and time to complete evaluation on site. If it is possible to provide wireless access or some computers or tablets, this is very helpful. Participants will have a maximum of five (5) days to complete the course evaluation online.
  3. Ensure that all course participants initial the sign-in sheet at the end of the course. Participants will not receive credit for a course that they do not complete.
  4. Within 48 hours, email a scanned copy (or high-resolution photo) of the Course Participant Form to the Continuing Education Coordinator, and mail the original form. Certificates will be sent to participants electronically within five (5) days of their completion of the course evaluation.

Will I receive a summary of the course evaluations?

Yes. Within ten (10) business days after the course, the CEC will provide the course organizer with a summary of the course evaluations, including participant comments and instructor evaluations.

Links:

Course Description Form

CBMT Board Certification Domains (2020)

Approved Provider Manual 7th Edition

Statement of Relationship and Refund Policy

Writing Clear Measurable Objectives