The Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) Music Therapy Program is the recipient of the Community Service Award, Provider of the Year, by The Human Resources Center of Edgar and Clark Counties. The annual award is bestowed upon organizations or groups who have demonstrated a commitment to the agency’s mission of helping people help themselves through exceptional human service and community collaboration. The winning organization must also have served their consumers in a positive and meaningful way.
The SMWC music therapy students began providing music therapy in the day program for adults with developmental disabilities in the fall of 2009. SMWC music therapy students must obtain a minimum of 180 pre-internship clinical hours working with a variety of populations and diagnoses prior to completing a six-month internship after all coursework has been completed. Two music therapy students, Nicole Wieg, junior, and Jessica Zogbi, junior, were two of the students to work with the adults as part of their music therapy field placement last year.
“These students truly impacted the lives of those receiving music therapy and we wish to show our appreciation,” said Karen Wolfe, rehabilitation services director.
SMWC Music Therapy Club president, Nicole Wieg and Associate Professor and Coordinator of Undergraduate Music Therapy Sharon Boyle, accepted the award on behalf of the entire music therapy program.
“Working with HRC has been a wonderful experience for all involved,” Boyle said. “The music therapy students are able to offer structured music therapy applications to address a variety of therapeutic goals for the group members, and in return, they are able to learn so much from the very people they serve.”