Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate average caseload of board certified music
therapists currently working and living in the United States. Specific work settings caseload and perception of caseload manageability was investigated. Existing music therapy literature does not focus solely on caseload of music therapists. Participants in the study were professional board certified music therapists currently or recently employed as a music therapists and living in the United States with an accurate email address from the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT). An email invitation was sent to a random sample of 2,179 board certified music therapists and 362 participants fully completed twenty seven questions in an online survey. These questions focused on demographics, staffing and service trends, and perceptions of
caseload manageability. Results showed that most participants work full time with a combined caseload of twenty-one to thirty. Most participants (74%) reported their caseload as manageable compared to 16% who responded that their caseload was unmanageable. The results of this study can help to inform music therapy clinicians and their employers, and may be useful as a springboard for future research studies.
