Azusa Pacific University’s Master of Social Work (MSW) program was recently recognized by CaliforniaSocialWorkEDU.org as one of the “Editor’s Picks for the Best CSWE-accredited MSW Programs in California.” APU is ranked alongside top universities, such as UCLA and USC. CaliforniaSocialWorkEDU.org recommends APU’s MSW program for many reasons, including flexible options for one-year, two-year, and three-year degrees, and electives in various social work fields.
“We are honored to be recognized as one of the best CSWE accredited MSW programs in California,” said Kimberly Setterlund, MSW, LCSW, assistant professor and chair of the Department of Social Work. “As a primarily in-person program, we are firmly committed to advancing our mission inside and outside of the classroom, which is to prepare ethical, holistically trained social work practitioners. The faculty are dedicated to engaging students in deep learning, mentoring individuals for their career, and calling to advocate, serve, and be a voice for marginalized individuals and communities.”
APU’s MSW program, which is offered at the Azusa and San Bernardino campuses, is designed to prepare students for a wide range of social work opportunities, and to gain the foundational skills necessary for effective social work practice upon graduation. The program includes full-time, part-time, and advanced standing options and focuses on developing skills through innovative classroom teaching and applied learning in a dynamic, community-based field internship. APU receives accreditation from the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). In addition, the BSW and MSW programs are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
CaliforniaSocialWorkEDU.org is owned and operated by Wiley University Services. Their content originates from many different education content writers. Their views and opinions are their own and for information purposes only. For more information, visit californiasocialworkedu.org.
Azusa Pacific University and Citrus College announce a new partnership between the two institutions which will extend access to nursing education for residents of the San Gabriel Valley and greater Los Angeles area while offering a quicker and more affordable pathway for students to earn their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.
“We are thrilled to see these two excellent nursing programs join together with this new integrated curriculum,” said Renee Pozza, PhD, RN, CNS, FNP-BC, dean of APU’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences. “Students in this program will benefit from a collaborative program of study taught by expert faculty from both institutions. Collaborative programs, such as the partnership between Citrus and APU, enhance student access in a cost-effective and efficient pathway to complete a bachelor’s degree in nursing.”
This collaboration enables nursing students to concurrently enroll at APU and Citrus College, earning credits and clinical experience through both institutions. In just six semesters of total program study, Citrus’ Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) students will graduate from APU with their BSN. This dual preparation makes such students highly employable, given that California healthcare organizations prefer to hire BSN-prepared graduates.
“At Citrus College, we couldn’t be more excited to partner with Azusa Pacific University and give our nursing students a great opportunity to accelerate their professional career,” said Salima Allahbachayo, DNP, FNP-BC, RN, director of health sciences at Citrus College. “As a community college, we place a great deal of importance on access and affordability. Not only will our students be able to save time and money through this partnership, they will also enter the nursing workforce as BSN-prepared nurses with a deeper level of knowledge and experience. Put simply, this is a game changer.”
The accelerated program elevates the proficiency of nurses entering Southern California hospitals and clinics, moving such graduates beyond the two-year associate’s degree while increasing their skills as caregivers. In combining the low-cost, open-access program at Citrus College with APU’s nationally ranked School of Nursing, students from all educational backgrounds will enter a pathway to a high-paying, impactful career. Students will benefit from APU’s RN to BSN program, which was recently ranked #2 in California by RegisteredNursing.org. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and the Board of Registered Nursing’s annual surveys, APU graduates approximately 4 percent of the newly registered nurses in California, with an employment rate for all pre-licensure programs at 100 percent within a year of graduation, and 90 percent of those employed within California.
“This partnership between APU and our neighbor, Citrus College, demonstrates a shared commitment to offering innovative and accessible pathways to help students achieve academic success and meet their professional goals,” said President Adam J. Morris, PhD. “Azusa Pacific’s nationally ranked nursing program produces graduates known for their compassionate and competent care, who are leaders in their field and serve at top hospitals throughout Southern California and beyond.”
Baccalaureate-prepared nurses have been shown to improve patient outcomes and reduce hospital costs. Studies have shown that nurses with bachelor’s degrees score higher on measures of quality and safety, and earn more. APU ranks in the top 14 percent of nursing programs nationwide for early and mid-career salaries, according to Payscale’s College Salary Report.
At the same time, bachelor’s degrees can present financial challenges to students and their families. This effort contributes to the Institute of Medicine’s 2020 goal of increasing baccalaureate-prepared nurses to 80 percent by 2020. The National Education Progression in Nursing Collaborative challenged nursing educators to create a seamless model that allows ADN students to complete the BSN degree within 1-2 semesters.
“On behalf of the entire campus community, I thank our neighbors at APU for making this extraordinary opportunity possible,” said Greg Schulz, EdD, superintendent/president of Citrus College. “Nursing is an incredibly rewarding profession that plays a vital role in our society. Through this partnership, we will be able to ensure that even more students are prepared to enter the field of health care.”
Students entering the Citrus/APU program will have completed prerequisite courses required for admission to the Citrus nursing program. Upon acceptance to the Citrus/APU program, the student concurrently enrolls in classes at Citrus and at APU, receiving complete student status at both institutions.
The two-year sequence covers 70 units at Citrus in courses such as pharmacology, psychology, medical-surgical, obstetrics, and pediatrics, and 50 units at APU, including pathophysiology, research and statistics, ethics and spirituality, and evidence-based practice. After the student’s fourth semester at Citrus, students earn their associate’s degree in nursing and take the state licensure exam to become a registered nurse. After taking a final course in public health at APU, they will earn their bachelor’s degree.
Azusa Pacific University, a top Christian higher education institution on the West Coast, equips students to become compassionate leaders who impact the world for Christ. With 71 bachelor’s degrees, 44 master’s degrees, 25 certificates, 8 credentials, and 9 doctoral programs, the university offers its more than 7,000 students a transformational education on campus, online, and at 7 regional locations throughout Southern California. Learn more at apu.edu.
Proudly serving the San Gabriel Valley since 1915, Citrus College educates approximately 20,000 students annually. The college offers associate degrees, associate degrees for transfer (ADTs), career/technical certificates and skill awards in more than 125 programs of study; prepares students for transfer to four-year colleges and universities; and provides workforce training. Located approximately 25 miles east of Los Angeles in Glendora, California, Citrus College is the oldest community college in Los Angeles County and fifth oldest in California. Recognized as a top community college for Hispanic students for more than a decade, Citrus College has also received numerous accolades for its commitment to the arts, student veterans, study abroad opportunities and sustainability. Its 104-acre campus serves nearly 200,000 people in Azusa, Claremont, Duarte, Glendora and Monrovia. In partnership with neighboring K-12 school districts, Citrus College’s Early College program provides students from nine local high schools the opportunity to enroll in college-level courses taught on their respective campuses. For more information, visit www.citruscollege.edu and follow the college on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Last week, SpaceX soared into the headlines with the first launch of the world’s most powerful rocket, the Starship. Standing at nearly 400 feet tall when fully stacked, the enormous rocket lifted majestically off the pad and reached an altitude of around 25 miles around four minutes after liftoff, at which point it exploded dramatically.
The test flight has generally been hailed as a success despite the explosion, as the rocket made it into the air. It certainly was an impressive sight to behold. But subsequent photos of the launch pad at the Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, show significant damage, far beyond what had been expected.
In addition to damage to the launch pad, which could potentially have contributed to the failure of some of the rocket’s engines, nearby residents and environmental activists have complained of environmental damage to the surrounding area. The Starship is now grounded until the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) can perform an investigation into the incident.
The launch caused significant damage, far beyond what had been expected
The failure of the launch pad was “catastrophic,” according to Phil Metzger, a planetary scientist at the University of Central Florida who has worked on launch pad research for NASA. Images from the facility taken after the launch show blackened structures, chunks of concrete missing, and a huge crater in the ground. The destruction of the launch pad generated a large cloud of dust and debris, which spread out from the facility, including some which struck at least one nearby vehicle.
“Launch pads are as complex as rockets are,” Metzger told The Verge. The problem at Boca Chica was that the concrete material that makes up the pad, called Fondag, cracked due to the heat and force of the rocket engines firing. The gasses being expelled from the engines then entered the cracks at a high pressure and fractured them further, eroding the material of the launch pad away.
Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images
Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images
Chunks of material were blown high into the air, with debris striking at least one car near the pad. Although that sounds wild, this appeared to be within the known danger zone of the rocket, called the hazard area, which is an area along the rocket’s planned flight path that is cleared for safety.
So debris striking a car within this area is “not crazy — that’s acceptable,” Metzger said. “You don’t want it to happen, but that’s the reason you have a blast danger zone.” No one was hurt during the launch, and the FAA confirmed it had received no reports of damage to public property.
So debris striking a car within this area is “not crazy — that’s acceptable,” Metzger said
The problem is that the disintegrated launch pad meant that the dirt beneath the concrete was eroded, too, throwing up large quantities of dust, which reportedly spread over several miles from the launch site. This dust can be a serious concern for nearby communities as it could potentially be harmful to human health and to the local environment.
To address this issue, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk stated that the team had previously discussed using a water-cooled steel plate to spread heat from the launch across the pad and prevent erosion of the concrete. By creating channels in a steel plate and pushing water through them, the heat from the engines could be spread out.
“In principle, that should be able to keep the steel from melting,” Metzger said.
The steel plate wasn’t ready for the launch, however, so SpaceX decided to go ahead without it. The engineers had assumed, based on a previous static fire test with the Starship engines at 50 percent of capacity, that the concrete pad would survive at least one launch. This miscalculation on SpaceX’s part has been criticized, with commentators speculating that Starship was pushed to test flight (for funsies) before the launch pad was ready.
This is what happens to your launchpad when you think it would be funny to launch to the world’s largest rocket on 4/20, instead of when it’s ready.
It will probably be at least a year before the FAA will approve another Starship launch. pic.twitter.com/tXytW309a6— Christopher David (@Tazerface16) April 21, 2023
The company will now install a steel plate at the pad before trying for another launch within the next month or two, according to Musk. SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment, but in a statement posted to its website shortly after the launch, the company said, “With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and we learned a tremendous amount about the vehicle and ground systems today that will help us improve on future flights of Starship.”
Anew, air-powered computer sets off alarms when certain medical devices fail. The invention is a more reliable and lower-cost way to help prevent blood clots and strokes — all without electronic sensors.
Described in a paper in the journal Device, the computer not only runs on air, but also uses air to issue warnings. It immediately blows a whistle when it detects a problem with the lifesaving compression machine it is designed to monitor.
Intermittent pneumatic compression or IPC devices are leg sleeves that fill with air periodically and squeeze a person’s legs to increase blood flow. This prevents clots that lead to blocked blood vessels, strokes, or death. Typically, these machines are powered and monitored by electronics.
“IPC devices can save lives, but all the electronics in them make them expensive. So, we wanted to develop a pneumatic device that gets rid of some of the electronics, to make these devices cheaper and safer,” said William Grover, associate professor of bioengineering at UC Riverside and corresponding paper author.
Pneumatics move compressed air from place to place. Emergency brakes on freight trains operate this way, as do bicycle pumps, tire pressure gauges, respirators, and IPC devices. It made sense to Grover and his colleagues to use one pneumatic logic device to control another and make it safer.
This type of device operates in a similar way to electronic circuits, by making parity bit calculations. “Let’s say I want to send a message in ones and zeroes, like 1-0-1, three bits,” Grover said. “Decades ago, people realized they could send these three bits with one additional piece of information to make sure the recipient got the right message.”
That extra piece of information is called a parity bit. The bit is a number — 1 if the message contains an odd number of ones, and 0 if the message contains an even number of ones. Should the number one appear at the end of a message with an even number of bits, then it is clear the message was flawed. Many electronic computers send messages this way.
An air-powered computer uses differences in air pressure flowing through 21 tiny valves to count the number of ones and zeroes. If no error in counting has occurred, then the whistle doesn’t blow.
If it does blow, that’s a sign the machine requires repairs. Grover and his students, in a video demonstrating the air computer, are shown damaging an IPC device with a knife, rendering it unusable. Seconds later, the whistle blows.
“This device is about the size of a box of matches. It replaces a handful of sensors as well as a computer,” Grover said. “So, we can reduce costs while still detecting problems in a device. And it could also be used in high humidity or high temperature environments that aren’t ideal for electronics.”
The IPC device monitoring is only one application for air computing. For his next project, Grover would like to design a device that could eliminate the need for a job that kills people every year: moving around grain at the top of tall silos.
Tall buildings full of corn or wheat, grain silos are a common sight in the Midwest. Often times, a human has to go inside with a shovel to break up the grains and even out the piles inside.
“A remarkable number of deaths occur because the grain shifts and the person gets trapped. A robot could do this job instead of a person. However, these silos are explosive, and a single electric spark could blow a silo apart, so an electronic robot may not be the best choice,” Grover said. “I want to make an air-powered robot that could work in this explosive environment, not generate any sparks, and take humans out of danger.”
Air-powered computing is an idea that has been around for at least a century. People used to make air-powered pianos that could play music from punched rolls of paper. After the rise of modern computing, engineers lost interest in pneumatic circuits.
“Once a new technology becomes dominant, we lose awareness of other solutions to problems,” Grover said. “One thing I like about this research is that it can show the world that there are situations today when 100-plus-year-old ideas can still be useful.”
Azusa Pacific University’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences received a $4,985,376 grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) with David Picella, PhD, FNP, CNS, GS-C, CPG, as the principal investigator. This five-year grant focuses on interprofessional geriatric education and training of healthcare providers to care for older adults in underserved communities across San Bernardino County.
“It is a high honor for APU to receive this distinguished grant. We are building partnerships with top clinical organizations who provide geriatric clinical training and age-friendly education in areas of San Bernardino County that need it most,” Picella said. “Through these initiatives, we are equipping and empowering those at all levels of the healthcare system who have a passion to serve our aging adult populations.”
Through this grant, APU is partnering with CareConnectMD and other community organizations to create an interprofessional geriatric workforce to provide age-friendly and dementia-friendly integrated primary care to older adults in clinics, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities in medically underserved areas. CareConnectMD, is a geriatric oriented company that provides primary care to older adults in the post-acute continuum having a presence at more than 200 nursing homes in California. Together APU and CareConnectMD will leverage this partnership to create a tech-infused workforce that utilizes innovative approaches of care delivery in geriatric primary care.
APU will develop a cohort of more than 50 interprofessional trainees in a newly designed 12-week longitudinal geriatric clinical rotation. The educational program will include interdisciplinary nursing, medicine, physical therapy, psychology, social work, and theology students in a team-based approach. In addition, the grant aims to provide education to faculty, health care systems, and community organizations, ultimately improving geriatric care and increasing the dedicated workforce for older adults.
“As 1 of only 41 higher education institutions in the country, and 1 of only 2 in California, to receive this HRSA grant, APU is uniquely positioned to provide high-quality health care to the geriatric population of San Bernardino County,” said Renee Pozza, PhD, RN, CNS, FNP-BC, dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. “Many regions across the county have a growing number of older adults who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD) which is why this innovative and holistic geriatric training is critically important.”
The HRSA seeks to improve geriatric health outcomes and achieve health equity through access to quality services, a skilled health workforce, and innovative, high-value programs. By providing financial support to universities like APU, the HRSA is helping advance the education and careers of the future healthcare workforce to provide geriatric care to the anticipated 1.5 million individuals in California by 2040 who are 65 years of age and older with dementia.
Informed by a Christian worldview, APU’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences prepares professional nurses to work collaboratively with other health care workers at all levels and to be future leaders who will advance God’s work in health care. Through innovative programs and expert faculty, nursing and other professional students engage in challenging discussions, mentoring relationships in small classroom settings, invaluable hands-on experiences in state-of-the-art simulation labs, and a culturally diverse practice environment that includes both study abroad and global research opportunities. In its 50th year, the program provides a transformative education for bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral students, called to enter this helping profession.
Annette Ventoza ’18 cares for the tiniest infants struggling to stay alive. Instead of being terrified by the fragility of the newborns in her care — preterm infants who barely weigh over one pound or babies struggling with a variety of health issues — Ventoza considers her work as a neonatal intensive care nurse at Valley Medical Center UW Medicine an extreme honor.
“It’s somebody’s baby who is here now. I feel so blessed and grateful to be able to take care of them and be their advocate because they obviously can’t talk to us to tell us what’s wrong,” Ventoza said.
“The other day, we got to put a little one skin-to-skin with its mom for the first time,” she said. “When they get bigger, we’re helping parents learn how to swaddle their babies or feed them.”
Christina Long, medical director of the NICU at Valley Medical Center/UW Medicine, said Ventoza is one of the most dedicated nurses in their unit. “Annette joined nearly every committee our unit has,” said Long, a physician and neonatologist who has worked with Ventoza for the past seven years. “Annette is the chair of the Unit Based Council, a member of the Quality Improvement Team and the Valley Extremely Preterm Program, and [she] helps the Central Line Team as well. She helped us complete projects that decreased our central line infections, decreased rates of intestinal infections, and standardized the resuscitations of our sickest babies.”
Ventoza added QR codes to resources to provide translations for families who don’t speak or read English.
For her extraordinary work, the March of Dimes organization named Ventoza “Washinton State Nurse of the Year” in the category of “Nursing Practice Excellence.”
SPU Stories spoke with Ventoza about her career and calling.
Q. How did you decide to become a nurse?
A. I grew up living with my grandparents for a bit. When I was 13, my grandma was diagnosed with leukemia. Things went downhill pretty quickly. It was about 5 months from her diagnosis to her passing.
During that time, we spent a lot of time at doctor’s appointments and just delved into the health care system.
We had a neighbor who was a nurse. I spent a ton of time with her, but it never occurred to me to think about the profession until my grandma got sick. Even though we were going through such a traumatic thing, I realized I actually enjoyed all the things I was learning.
The day my grandmother passed away, we were driving away, and I looked at my mom and said, “I’m going to be a nurse.”
When I’d say this to other people, they’d reply, “Okay, yeah. That’s your dream for now.” But I stuck to it and planned it all out.
Q. What was your path from there?
A. When I was 16 and a junior in high school, I enrolled in Running Start. I graduated from high school with my associate degree in pre-nursing. You can’t go straight into a nursing program, so I started at SPU and did a minor in psychology for a year before applying to SPU’s nursing program. I was there for three more years and then graduated with a bachelor’s degree.
Q. Did you have any favorite instructors from SPU’s nursing program?
April Morgan Roth was teaching a really early morning class on pathophysiology. I was like, “This is so early to be doing this!” But she made it fun, and I loved that class. To this day, I still love to research things. I love to dig deeper and find out how things are connected so that worked well for me.
Q.How did you decide to become an NICU nurse?
A. When you finish nursing, you have to pass the NCLEX, the licensing test to officially become a registered nurse. Most of us studied and took the test the summer after graduation.
I was interviewing all over during that time. Most people don’t know what specialty they want to do. We just do a couple of interviews to see what we get. We’ve been exposed to a few different specialties, so sometimes you just start somewhere and see if it’s what you really want to do.
The day I took the licensure test, I got a voicemail from the NICU manager at Valley Medical asking if I was interested in working there. I was panicking because you have to wait two days to find out if you passed or failed. If you fail the test, you cannot legally work as a registered nurse. It was a high-stress, high-stakes time. Then, two days later, I found out I passed.
I called the manager and asked if she was still looking for interview candidates and ended up meeting with them, and they offered me the job. I think it was a Wednesday, and the residency for the new nurses started the next Monday.
Azusa Pacific University will officially launch new athletic marks this fall. For the first time in APU history, its celebrated athletic programs will have a cohesive set of unified athletic marks, including a Cougar and a new “AP” logo with a modern design twist to build even greater affinity among students, alumni, faculty, staff, and the broader community.
“We are excited to launch these athletic marks across campus in the coming weeks. In the same way that we strive in athletics to honor our storied past while pursuing even greater levels of excellence, this cohesive, fresh, and modern look is a powerful affirmation of our APU branding,” said Gary Pine, athletic director. “We are eager to see our student-athletes, fans, and the entire APU community decked out in the new marks as they root on our Cougars!”
The marks will debut on merchandise in the Campus Store and on athletic gear beginning with the new school year. The marks will be introduced to the community at the annual Faculty/Staff Kickoff event on August 21 and during Welcome Weekend, August 23-25, when new students and their families arrive on the campus.
The development of this exciting new suite of athletic identity marks resulted from extensive research and involved key partnerships between the Athletic Department and other key university divisions.
The Azusa Pacific Cougar symbolizes the dedication and strength of Azusa Pacific athletes and the entire Azusa Pacific community. The new mark has the Cougar looking forward into the future with a deep sense of purpose, inspiring confidence and leadership.
Azusa Pacific’s Athletic Department builds relationships which inspire transformation of student-athletes through experiencing Christ and cultivating competitive excellence, equipping men and women who are ready to serve and prepared to lead. The university has 18 men’s and women’s sports teams with more than 450 student-athletes each year. Azusa Pacific has claimed 48 national championships and 113 conference championships.
New students living on campus in residence halls or in CHA (campus houses and apartments) are invited move in on Friday, Sept. 27. Housing assignments will be sent via email over the summer. Residential students with last names starting with A–L are invited to check in and move in from 8:30-10:30 a.m. Residential students with last names starting with M–Z are invited to check in and move in from 10:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Orientation Check-In for all new students is in Upper Gwinn.
Commuter students
Commuter students are invited to check in for New Student Orientation from 12:15-1 p.m. in Upper Gwinn on Friday, Sept. 27.
New students who move in prior to Friday, Sept. 27 (i.e., student athletes, international students, and dining services employees) should move in as a part of their early arrival group. Additional information will be provided by the department sponsoring your early arrival. Student athletes and Dining Services employees must still go through the Orientation Check-in line on Friday, Sept. 8, to receive important information regarding your Orientation experience. International Students will be provided with general Orientation documents during International Student Orientation.
Other important information
Information about how to set up your Falcon Card before you arrive on campus can be found here. If you submit your photo online in advance, your Falcon Card will be available for pickup when you check-in.
The “What to Bring Checklist ” and “Room Regulations” section of the Residential Guidelines web page provide suggestions for what to bring and information about items that are prohibited in the residences.
Residential meetings on the Orientation Schedule are required for all residential students.
If you have accessibility questions about campus housing facilities for family members on move-in day, contact orientation@spu.edu or call 206-281-2689.
Falcon Cards
The Falcon Card is your SPU identification card that gives you access to buildings, printing, meal plans, Falcon Funds, student discounts, and more! Before you arrive to campus, you must submit a photo for your ID card by Aug. 22. Find more information here about how to take and upload your photo.
If you upload a photo by Aug. 22, you’ll be able to get your Falcon Card when you check in for Orientation. Reach out to falconcards@spu.edu with any questions you have.
All new first-year students participate in our New Student Orientation to launch their educational careers at SPU. You’ll have the opportunity to check out campus, meet your classmates and current students, learn more about what it means to be a Falcon, and have fun! Through an exciting and informative three-day Orientation you’ll feel more connected to campus and all of the resources we have to offer. Welcome — SPU is better because you are here!
Residential Students with last names A-L are invited to check in and move in from 8:30-10:30 a.m.
Residential Students with last names M-Z are invited to check in and move in from 10:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Commuter Students are invited to check in from 12:15-1 p.m.
Orientation is mandatory for all SPU students. You will have the opportunity to meet your peers, meet SPU faculty, and learn about important campus resources to help make you successful at SPU. You don’t want to miss this!
What if I cannot attend?
If you are not able to attend Orientation because of an extenuating circumstance please email orientation@spu.edu.
One of our Orientation staff will respond to you as soon as they are able.
What will it cost?
All students (first year and transfer) will be charged a mandatory $150 Orientation fee that will be charged directly to their student account, regardless of what program they attend.
This fee covers Orientation meals, supplies, t-shirt, activities, and all other costs associated with Orientation.
There is no additional fee for parents or guests. A portion of the fee covers the costs of the Parent and Guest Orientation program.
Integrating the arts, particularly music, into holistic health care continues to gain momentum in Washington state. Music therapy, which became a state-licensed profession last year, aims to enhance emotional well-being and overall quality of life. The practice has found a foothold in Seattle, a hub for both medical care and music.
Music therapy involves the use of music interventions — through instruments, recordings and other audio — to address an individual’s emotional, social, physical and psychological needs, according to the American Music Therapy Association.
Carlene Brown, a professor of music and director of the music therapy program at Seattle Pacific University, started her journey as a musician. She’s been involved with the practice for over 14 years, and developed the music therapy program at SPU.
“Music therapists have therapeutic goals, and it’s about adapting to the dynamics of music and clients, based on what their needs are,” said Brown, who is particularly interested in music’s relationship and impact on pain.
According to Brown, what makes this practice different is that music is the medium of communication. Where other therapies might rely on conversation, music therapy does not always require discourse, and can be conveyed through sounds, lyrics or emotions.
“There is no structured process for the sessions, because it’s all about the client, and how music therapists go about that, is very ‘in the moment,’” Brown said.
Brown explained that music therapy involves multiple treatment strategies, ranging from active music making to songwriting, such as changing lyrics to cater to the client’s life story. Therapists also consider the client’s personal experiences with music.
The form of music is adapted based on client’s therapeutic goals, and whether music is used receptively or actively. Music therapists record information during sessions to determine progress towards the therapeutic goal.
“There are particularly no side effects of the practice itself, because it’s about understanding how music resonates with individuals,” said Betsy Hartman, a graduate of the SPU program and founder of PNW Music Therapy.
“Music therapy can benefit many populations, especially with neurological and motor disorders,” she said.
Hartman, who started PNW Music Therapy in 2014, works with hospitals and Swedish Cancer Institute to develop music therapy programs, along with working with cancer and multiple sclerosis patients.
In addition to these collaborations, her practice organizes support groups through music making, and develops music therapy programs for clinical facilities.
“It gives clients an opportunity to creatively express, and connect with their minds and motor skills,” Hartman said. ”We’ve worked with patients suffering from anxiety, depression, cancer and even Alzheimer’s.”
How to become a music therapist
Being a music therapist requires many skills. While the practice involves instruments, music therapists must also be certified to provide treatment and complete a credit-based music therapy program.
In order to measure growth, Brown said, students are also taught data collection. The focus is to understand and measure progress towards goals determined by patients or therapists. She added that students in Washington must be fluent in piano, guitar and vocals.
For a clinical practice, students must have a bachelor’s degree or higher in music therapy from one of 72 colleges and universities approved by AMTA, plus 1200 hours of clinical training.
Additionally, music therapists must hold the MT-BC credential, issued through the Certification Board for Music Therapists, which protects the public by ensuring competent practice and requiring continuing education. The educational program lasts four years, and students have the opportunity to take classes in psychology, music and health.
A milestone for music therapy in Washington
Although the history of music therapy dates back to a century, the practice has been present in Washington for over 14 years, with a steady amount of growth. Music therapists like Hartman and Brown not only practice, but also actively promote the benefits of music therapy, to further awareness and acceptance of the field.
Previously, music therapists were not eligible to obtain licenses to practice music therapy in the state of Washington. That changed in 2023, when the state legislature passed a bill regarding the licensure of music therapists. Gov. Jay Inslee officially signed the bill in April 2023, and as of Jan. 1 2025, all music therapists will be required to obtain licenses in order to practice in the state.
“It’s taken 18 years for music therapists to get that recognition, and for people to see how music therapy has power to help individuals and the degree of training that went into studying music,” Brown said. “It is a huge achievement for my colleagues, to be able to formally exercise that power and build a foundation of music in this city.”
Oregonstate News Blog 