Referrals for Music Therapy

Written by Melissa Reinhardt, MSEd, MT-BC

A referral is defined as “the act, action or instance of referring” whereas “refer” means to
“send or direct for treatment, aid, information or decision." In the field of music therapy, persons must be referred for music therapy services. According to AMTA (American Music Therapy Association), “children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly with mental health needs, developmental and learning disabilities, Alzheimer's disease and other aging related conditions, substance abuse problems, brain injuries, physical disabilities,
and acute and chronic pain, including mothers in labor” can benefit from music therapy services.

​More specifically, the Standards of Clinical Practice published by AMTA indicates in
Standard 1.0 Referral and Acceptance that “a client will be accepted into music therapy in
accordance with specific criteria.” Although there are no specific guidelines regarding who can refer a client for services, this often depends on the situation of the client. For example, a client in a hospital setting may be referred to music therapy by a physician, psychologist, speech-language pathologist or a child life specialist. A client in school setting may be referred by a special education teacher or a school psychologist whereas a client living in a nursing facility may be referred by a family member or social worker. It is ultimately up to the music therapist to accept a referral for services.
A referral can happen in a variety of ways, but most importantly must be in written format either through electronic means or through completing a specified music therapy referral form.

There are no standardized referral forms in music therapy; they are often created by music therapy professionals to provide the necessary information. According to Waldon (2016), “referrals may be written directly into a client’s record and should include, at a minimum: (a) the date and source of the referral; (b) the client’s demographic information; (c) the reason for the referral or presenting problem; and (d) the pertinent clinical information that could weigh on
making a referral decision. When responding to the referral, the music therapist should also document (a) the justification for accepting or declining the referral for an initial assessment; (b) a follow-up plan for meeting with the client (as appropriate); and (c) a record of consultation or contact with the referring person.”
When considering if music therapy might be a good choice for your loved one, it is important to examine the following: client’s responsiveness to music (positive or negative) and client interest in music. Possibly, even a client who did not benefit from traditional treatments
Because music is the tool in which music therapists use as the primary method of treatment, a client should have a positive response to music and/or musical stimuli. In addition, Hanser (1999) stated some general guidelines why some persons may be good candidates for music therapy:

1. Strength in auditory learning styles or auditory learners: persons who learn by listening.
2. Responsiveness to sound or music: persons who enjoy music may easily benefit from it being used therapeutically.
3. Persons who have physical inactivity or limited mobility: music techniques can be adapted to meet various physical challenges while still allowing the client to be successful in participation.
4. Persons with limited cognitive skills: these persons may not as easily benefit from traditional therapies, but can with musical experiences due to affecting different neural pathways.
5. When confrontive therapists are ineffective: music therapy uses a success-oriented approach within a non-threatening and safe environment.
6. When compliance to treatment is difficult: music therapy techniques often have an element of “fun” and can provide normalizing experiences.
7. Persons who have difficulty with communication or expression: music can be a form of nonverbal communication allowing persons to explore and express feelings without speaking.
8. Persons who have difficulty with socialization: music therapy can be provided in a variety of settings including individual, small group and large group experiences. Music therapist are trained to provide musical experiences in which everyone can be participatory and successful.

Finally, once a referral is made, the next step would be for the music therapist to conduct a music therapy assessment. Music therapy assessments look at a client’s strengths and
weaknesses including communication skills, cognitive/academic skills, motor skills, emotional skills and social skills in both musical and non-musical settings to determine the possible effectiveness of using music therapy as treatment.

Hanser, S. B. (1999). The New Music Therapist’s Handbook. Boston, MA: Berklee Press.

Waldon, E. G. (2016). Clinical Documentation in Music Therapy: Standards, Guidelines, and Laws. Music Therapy Perspectives 34(1), pp. 57–63. https://doi.org/10.1093/mtp/miv040