Skip to main content

Music Therapy Internship Program

The Music Therapy Internship Program at Children's Mercy is committed to providing a quality learning experience that will enable the student to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to be an effective professional music therapist in a pediatric health care environment.

Program highlights


Interns will gain clinical experience with a wide variety of pediatric ages and diagnoses. They will observe, co-lead, and facilitate individual sessions, and have the opportunity to co-treat with other disciplines such as child life, physical, occupational and speech therapy.  Areas of service will include, but not be limited to:

  • hematology/oncology/bone marrow transplant

  • rehabilitation

  • intensive care nursery

  • patients with chronic pain  

  • pediatric intensive care unit

  • post surgery cardiac patients

Requirements


Music therapy interns must be knowledgeable about music therapy theory and practice, child development, family dynamics, and basic pediatric medical diagnoses. In addition, they must be proficient musicians in voice, keyboard, and guitar, and have general functional knowledge of music theory. A basic repertoire of age-appropriate songs for children of all ages is also required.

See a full list of required competencies


Internship assignments


There will be three required assignments, as well as assigned reading during clinical rotations. Interns will be encouraged to attend AMTA national and regional conferences, as well as some continuing education offerings at the hospital.

Application process

  • June is the starting month for the internship.
  • All application materials, including letters of recommendation, must arrive at the hospital by November 1. No late applications will be considered.
    • Application materials can be emailed to musictherapy@cmh.edu.
    • Letters of recommendation may be sent separately by the author of the letter.
    • It is strongly recommended to send application materials with a “read receipt” to assure delivery.
  • Interviews will be scheduled after a review of applications and will include an audition to assess musical skills.

  

Download application form

Additional information

 

  • Interns must comply with the hospital’s health requirements including documentation of seasonal flu vaccination and other required vaccinations. This must be supplied upon acceptance into the program and is the responsibility of the intern.

  • Both professional and general comprehensive public liability insurance is required for the internship and is the responsibility of the intern.

  • A legal affiliation agreement must be signed by the intern's university and the hospital prior to the intern's starting date.  While not the intern's responsibility, they will be kept informed of the status of this agreement prior to the starting date, as the intern cannot begin the internship without this completed agreement.

  • Housing and transportation are not provided and no stipend is available.  Free parking is provided offsite in hospital parking lots with a complimentary shuttle bus service to the Adele Hall campus.