music, therapy, and me

Snow Days in a Residential Treatment Facility Snow days present an unique challenge to teachers and therapists who work in residential treatment facilities. Someone needs to be providing supervision and active treatment for the residents, but snow days are dangerous to be out and about. What to do! When I first started working at the facility, we HAD to come in to work or be docked pay. Things have evolved into a more equitable process where we have essential and nonessential staff who come in. We have enough staff to provide a comfortable ration and all students receive music therapy on snow days. In return, I get snow day credit - time off at a later date (generally around Spring Break) to spend as I see fit. I feel the risk is outweighed by the benefits in this case. Snow days start with students sleeping in - the rationale is that all of the other students in the town get a relaxing day, so why shouldn't ours as well? We let students sleep until they wake up naturally. You...

Christmas is coming... And while I would say that the goose is NOT getting fat, I am certainly looking forward to the holiday season this year. I am officially finished with all of the holiday hulla-ba-loo that I am responsible for, and I am getting ready to kick back! Of course, there are the two intern evaluations I need to do this week, the senior intern to prep for a second interview, the two papers to write for Dr. C, and the cleaning, the cleaning, THE CLEANING! At least the shopping is finished! Back to intern talk - there is much satisfaction to be had as a clinical trainer. I am confident that the intern that is finishing her time with me will be happy as a therapist. She has great instincts when it comes to working with adolescents. I am nervous for her, but happy that she has a promising second interview with an apparently growing company. I am starting to get ready for the next several interns. The process of teaching someone how to do music therapy is much differe...