April 2022 - March 2023
Association Updates
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Hosted another successful virtual CE day on September 24, 2022 with two main portions. These presentations were highly received and encouraged members to expand their ways of thinking;
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Intervention sharing by various MTAA members on different client populations including, early childhood development, school-aged children, neurorehabilitation, clinical improvisation, long-term care, and mental health
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Intersectionality and Queer Communities by Naomi Ben-Aharon & Mason Gibson
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Hosted our Annual General Meeting online on September 25, 2022. We thanked Past VP, Jesse Dollimont, Past Treasurer, Ashley Miller, and Past Membership Director, Hilary MacAulay, for their work and dedication to the MTAA. Member-At-Large, Jessamy Gray, stepped in to the role of Continuing Education and Professional Development Director. Member-at-Large, Jean Hinton, stepped in to the role of Membership Director. Secretary, Cheryl Vicera, also took on the role of Treasurer at a later board meeting.
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Continued monthly member meetups with a break in Fall 2022 for board re-organization, meet-ups resumed in the new year on topics of supervision, regulation, and more to come.
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Our membership currently includes 67 members
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Continued to receive referrals for a music therapist via email and our website contact form
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Create and maintain systems for the association to ensure efficient communication and processes, which included, consolidating and moving our databases to Google Workspace, updating and maintaining the website to ensure flow and ease of access for members as well as the public, updating by-laws to reflect changing needs, on-going revision of the MTAA board manual with the aim to finalize prior to our 2023 AGM.
Regulation Efforts
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Received Provincial Bursary from CAMT to create social media materials designed to educate the public around the way that government regulation would include and impact certified music therapists upon proclamation of the College of Counseling Therapists here in Alberta. While these materials have now been completed - they will not be shared upon proclamation of the college
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Experienced an unexpected stall from the government around proclamation in September 2021;
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The MTAA continues to support ACTA’s efforts toward regulation and the proclamation of the College of Counseling Therapists by the government, through their letter campaign, social media blasts as well as the newly instated Federation Association fee.
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Fleur Hughes and Sheila Killoran have stepped down from their roles as Regulation Representatives for the MTAA. We cannot say enough thanks to Sheila and Fleur for their many years serving the MTAA and leading the push towards Regulation;
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The MTAA welcomes our new Regulation Representatives Colleen Kehler and Isabel Lavender. The board is looking forward to working with them.
Our association would like to thank the CAMT board of directors for their ongoing dedication and commitment to supporting music therapists across the country.
Respectfully submitted,
Elaine Cheung, MMT, MTA
President of the MTAA