This presentation aims to share a multi-phase community music therapy program at a school for students with severe intellectual/multiple disabilities, and their parents in Hong Kong. Utilizing a community music therapy framework, this team of a school teacher, two music therapists, and a social worker worked collaboratively to develop a music therapy program, including a music therapy support group for the parents, a parent-child music therapy group, and a parent-child performance/product group. Through collaborative work within the team, each phase had specific goals and objectives for the targeted clients. The program was also designed within a progressive group process to maximize therapeutic outcomes. Program outcomes throughout different phases, challenges, and triumphs of this program will be shared. This presentation is open for music therapy students, interns, and therapists who are interested in program design, collaborative work, special education settings, and disability culture.
Caregivers are often neglected by society across the globe, especially those who take care of people with severe intellectual/multiple disabilities. This presentation aims to help attendees understand the framework of community music therapy through a multi-phase music therapy program at a school for severe intellectual/multiple disabilities students and their parents in Hong Kong. Presenters will review information from related research regarding community music therapy and share how the multi-phase music therapy program was developed and implemented in the past 3 consecutive years. This community music therapy program included a music therapy support group for parents, a parent-child music therapy group, and a parent-child performance/product group. Collaborative work between the teacher, two music therapists, and a social worker will be discussed. This included navigating adaptations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program was designed within a progressive group process to maximize therapeutic outcomes. Music experiences will be shared through participants’ artifacts with corresponding goals and objectives in different phases. Challenges and triumphs of this program will also be discussed. It is hoped that through information sharing and video demonstration, attendees will better understand and be able to gain skills in program development for different clientele, collaborative work, as well as navigating the disability culture.
