Discipline:
Music/arts organization
Government
Organization/Affiliation (no abbreviation):
Nebraska Arts Council/ Nebraska Board of Psychology
Location:
Omaha, NE 68102
United StatesEmail:
Short biography and a description of your interest(s) in music and health:
I joined Nebraska Arts Council in 2017. Very shortly after starting I realized there is a connection between health care and arts. In 2020, we saw the amazing impact arts and especially music had on mental health. As I state in my collaborative interests section, I want to take my health care delivery experience and my public policy creation experience and bring it to arts and health.
I spent more than 25 years working in health care delivery, primarily working with low income populations and access to health coverage either through public insurance such as Medicaid and Medicare or private insurance. I worked in Iowa on implementation of the new CHIP legislation in the late 1990s, including assisting in creating the regulations and policies via the Iowa Legislature. I then moved to Nebraska and worked on increasing access to their CHIP program. I worked with community action agencies to make sure health care coverage was discussed at all intake and when the ACA became law, we were able to secure funding to place navigators in each community action agency. My experience navigating the insurance melee and experience changing public policy as well as my experience writing rules and regulations in the social services and health and human services arena has prepared me well for the task of arts and health integration.
I spent more than 25 years working in health care delivery, primarily working with low income populations and access to health coverage either through public insurance such as Medicaid and Medicare or private insurance. I worked in Iowa on implementation of the new CHIP legislation in the late 1990s, including assisting in creating the regulations and policies via the Iowa Legislature. I then moved to Nebraska and worked on increasing access to their CHIP program. I worked with community action agencies to make sure health care coverage was discussed at all intake and when the ACA became law, we were able to secure funding to place navigators in each community action agency. My experience navigating the insurance melee and experience changing public policy as well as my experience writing rules and regulations in the social services and health and human services arena has prepared me well for the task of arts and health integration.
Collaboration Interests:
I am a public member of the Nebraska Board of Psychology and my day job is at Nebraska Arts Council as the Grants and Data Administrator. I would like to collaborate with researchers, artists, teaching artists, funders, other state agencies and mental and physical health providers to run pilot projects showing the impact of music as a treatment option in addition to clinical interventions.
With this, I would like to secure credentialing for Arts Therapy and Music Therapy as a recognized practice. I sat on the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Credentialing Committee for Music Therapists in 2021. Unfortunately, I was the only yes vote. With the research I have found since, I think we can make another case. Arts Therapy licensing is on the Nebraska Unicameral docket for the 2024 session. We need to get these through the process. With credentialing, we can then submit for insurance reimbursements and make sure this intervention is available to all citizens not just the ones who can pay the fees. It would also give incentive for more individuals to seek out music therapy and art therapy as a career choice. I want to create a research based arts and health collaborative that provides qualitative and quantitative data that shows Nebraska citizens and public officials that art is an integral part of care. I would like Nebraska Arts Council to pilot a research based arts and health initiative that would then be branched off to a stand alone organization.
With this, I would like to secure credentialing for Arts Therapy and Music Therapy as a recognized practice. I sat on the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Credentialing Committee for Music Therapists in 2021. Unfortunately, I was the only yes vote. With the research I have found since, I think we can make another case. Arts Therapy licensing is on the Nebraska Unicameral docket for the 2024 session. We need to get these through the process. With credentialing, we can then submit for insurance reimbursements and make sure this intervention is available to all citizens not just the ones who can pay the fees. It would also give incentive for more individuals to seek out music therapy and art therapy as a career choice. I want to create a research based arts and health collaborative that provides qualitative and quantitative data that shows Nebraska citizens and public officials that art is an integral part of care. I would like Nebraska Arts Council to pilot a research based arts and health initiative that would then be branched off to a stand alone organization.
Keywords:
collaboration, public policy, pilot programs
Website Links: