Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.
Basic Requirements:
United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
English Language Proficiency. Must be proficient in spoken and written English, as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
Education.
- A bachelor's degree or higher, from an accredited college or university, in music therapy, or in music with an emphasis in music therapy. The degree must be approved by the National Association for Schools of Music and/or the American Music Therapy Association. -OR-
- A bachelor's degree or higher, from an accredited college or university, and must be a board-certified music therapist (MT-BC) approved by the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT). If hired under this education, the certification cannot be waived. -OR-
- A Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. The private organization must deem such education at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs.
Certification. Applicants must be a MT-BC approved by the CBMT. Applicants must be a MT-BC approved by the CBMT. If hired under VA Handbook 5005/111 PART II APPENDIX G60, paragraph 3b(5)(b), certification cannot be waived.
Exception. Non-registered and/or non-certified applicants, who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for registration and/or certification, may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate recreation or creative arts therapist, under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2)(B), for a period not to exceed two years. Applicants who fail to obtain registration and/or certification during this temporary full-time appointment may be terminated. The exception only applies to positions at the GS-7 and GS-9 level. For grade levels at or above the full performance level, the candidate must be registered and/or certified.
May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).
Grandfathering Provision: All persons employed in VHA as a recreation or creative arts therapist, on the effective date of this qualification standard, are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series, and grade held, including positive education, and registration and/or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed, the following provisions apply:
- Such employees may be reassigned, promoted up to, and including, the full performance (journeyman) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level, or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
- Employees who were appointed on a temporary basis, prior to the effective date of the qualification standard, may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
- Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/registration/certification, that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
- Recreation and creative arts therapists who are converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements, in effect at the time of reentry, as a recreation or creative arts therapist.
NOTE: If Creative Arts Therapists who are grandfathered under this provision leave the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.
Grade Determinations:
GS-7:
Experience/Education: None beyond the basic requirements.
GS-9:
Experience/Education: At least one year of creditable experience at the next lower grade level,
~OR~ a master's degree in creative arts therapy (music) may be substituted for the required one year of professional creative arts therapist (music) experience.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSA's:
- Ability to perform a varied repertoire of popular, folk, and traditional songs appropriate for use in a clinical setting using at least two of the following: keyboard, voice, guitar, percussion or other musical instruments suitable to a clinical setting.
- Knowledge of the roles and meaning of music in various cultures and subcultures.
- Knowledge to design, develop, or adapt unique music therapy methods for assessment, treatment, or a palliation and evaluation procedures.
- Skill to apply objectivity and insight to respond and constructively to both positive and negative reactions while maintaining a safe environment for the patient and therapist.
GS-11:
Experience: At least one year of creditable experience at the next lower grade level.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSA's:
- Knowledge of the roles and meaning of music in various cultures and subcultures, how culture influences identity formation, concept of health and pathology, and understanding of the role of music therapy and how music therapy is practiced.
- Knowledge of current methods of music therapy assessment, treatment, and evaluation related to human growth and development, musical development , diagnostic classifications, etiology, symptomology and prognosis and formulating complex treatment plans, including the contraindications of music therapy for individuals and groups.
- Ability to design, develop, or adapt unique music therapy methods for assessment, treatment or palliation, and evaluation procedures for complex clinical cases, through a broad range of specialized music therapy services for various and emergent patient populations.
- Ability to use music therapy interventions to provide opportunities to work through treatment issues, including emotional disturbances, by establishing a safe environment for the patient to understand the symbolic expression of their musical product, process, and experience as it relates to recovery and Wellness.
- Ability to apply effective use of professional skill, objectivity, and insight to respond constructively to both positive and negative reactions , establish and maintain a therapeutic relationship with professional boundaries to reflect trusting, empathetic, and respectful interactions.
- Ability to apply current research literature and co-facilitate treatment with professionals from other disciplines, the uses of the creative arts therapies and recreational therapy, as well as understanding emerging models and trends in music therapy.
Preferred Experience: Experience providing Creative Arts Music Therapy in community based care setting. At least two years experience treating persons with SMI.
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit
https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-7 to GS-11.
Physical Requirements: Work is typically performed in a clinical setting.