General Information

Internships typically begin in late August/Early September or Mid-January. Interns will complete approximately 1,040-1,200 hours of clinical experience over the course of 6-7 months during placement at Chesapeake Music Therapy Services. Interns will receive scheduled weekly supervision primarily from Niki Runge, in addition to supervision from other music therapists working within the practice. Interns will complete an orientation week and will spend their first month observing sessions, sharing observations and completing reading assignments as related to clinical placement experiences. During the following months, interns will transition from planning and co-leading sessions to taking on the role of primary therapist for all group and individual sessions through the conclusion of the internship.

Initial requirements:

• Completion of undergraduate or graduate music therapy coursework at an accredited university

• Background check and drug test (if mandated by specific sites)

• Professional liability insurance

• Car and valid driver’s license

  • FOR HOSPICE: Proof of COVID vaccination is required to work with hospice patients. During cold/flu season, FLU vaccination or masking is also mandatory.

Primary Internship Supervisors

Primary internship supervisors provide direct supervision for interns on a weekly basis in regularly scheduled supervision time and clinical placement settings. CMT’s primary supervisions are responsible for communication with the intern’s university, maintenance of mid-term and final evaluations, and monitoring of intern progress in placements with secondary supervisors.

Intern Schedule

Interns will engage in varying numbers of client contact and non-client contact hours for an average of 35-40 hours per week. The internship schedule is flexible, and varies based on client cancellations, intern availability, and other unexpected changes. Chesapeake Music Therapy observes major government holidays and at times, days off as observed by the Wicomico and Somerset County Public Schools calendar (i.e., winter break), but continues office-based sessions and camps through the summer. If interns need to request days off due to illness, family emergency, or other scheduling conflicts, they should contact a primary internship supervisor as soon as possible. In the event of excessive absences totaling more than one full week (7 days), the primary internship supervisors may request a meeting to discuss attendance concerns and the impact of absences on student development with the intern and the intern’s university.

If session cancellations occur due to client absence or scheduling changes, interns are expected to complete self-directed readings and assignments in lieu of the previously planned sessions. Facility contracts may range from monthly, bi-monthly, weekly, and one-time appointments. Interns are expected to maintain an up-to-date Google calendar (shared with all supervisors) that aligns with session dates and times as indicated by the primary internship supervisors, and are responsible for arriving at the appropriate location in a timely manner during the internship work day.

Interns are expected to attend at least 1 open session meeting of the Board of Examiners for Audiologists, Hearing-Aid Dispensers, Speech-Language Pathologists and MUSIC THERAPISTS!

Special Projects

Interns are required to complete at least 1 special project during their internship. This can include: presentations in the community, program proposal creation, advocacy efforts, social media posts, website posts/blogs, copyrighting original songs created during internship with applicable goal areas addressed, or something else!

Time Balance and Self-Care

CMT supervisors recognize and prioritize the need for self-care, which includes creating a work schedule that is sustainable for clinical growth. Although weekend hours can be unavoidable, supervisors advise for the intern to work no more than 4 hours per weekend, with most of that time spent with repertoire building/practicing.

Intern Supervision

Interns will receive regularly scheduled 1:1 supervision with primary internship supervisors on a weekly basis. Supervision time will be used for processing session events, discussing clients and assignments, treatment planning, providing intern feedback, and other internship-specific needs. Interns also participate in regularly scheduled group supervision with all staff and students/interns. If an intern wishes to request additional supervision time with an internship supervisor, they are encouraged to do so as needed.

Office Access & Equipment Use

Chesapeake Music Therapy is proud to have a collection of instruments and session materials for use by contractors and interns of the practice. Instruments/materials are stored at the office. Interns may use these materials for clients that are served by the practice. Throughout the internship, interns will have access to CMT’s instrument, visual, and resource libraries, which may be used for sessions at any time.

Internship Stipend

CMT to provide monthly reimbursement for parking at metered spaces. It is recommended that interns download the Flowbird APP on their mobile device in order to pay for parking, download parking summary and submit to internship director at the end of the month for reimbursement.

Health and Safety

Chesapeake Music Therapy is committed to the health and safety of its contractors interns, clients, and visitors. We will always maintain a clean and safe work environment, and universal precautions will be implemented by all staff and interns. Any equipment coming into contact with bodily fluids must be sanitized before reuse. Interns may also be required to participate in office set-up at the start of the work day and clean-up (sanitizing, vacuuming, etc) at the end of the work day. In person session sanitization procedures will be demonstrated in detail during the orientation week. NOTE: PROOF OF COVID VACCINATION IS REQUIRED TO VISIT HOSPICE PATIENTS.

Dress Code

CMT’s dress code is “relaxed, but professional” attire. Out of respect, please follow the dress codes set forth in the facilities where we provide services. Make sure clothing fully covers midriff. In addition, make sure clothing worn allows for movement and floor-sitting. Primary and secondary internship supervisors may provide additional guidance/suggestions related to facility-specific dress code requirements during the intern’s orientation week.                                                                   

Driving, Car Insurance & Car Related Issues      

CMT interns are expected to maintain their vehicles in working order at all times. Chesapeake Music Therapy is not liable for any damages, repairs, tickets, or other that may occur while the intern is working. Interns are expected to maintain their car insurance and registration. Tickets, late fees, taxes, and car insurance are the sole responsibility of the intern. Interns may, at times, be able to ride with primary and secondary internship supervisors to clinical placement sites at the discretion of the supervising therapist, but should plan to arrange their own transportation to and from sessions unless otherwise indicated.   

Email & Phone Etiquette

CMT interns are expected to have access to a working cell phone and computer/tablet so that they can be responsive to emails, texts, and phone calls from primary and secondary internship supervisors.

Internship Director

Niki Runge, MCAT, LPMT, MT-BC niki.runge@chesapeakemusictherapy.com (443) 523-4976