Developing a Music Therapy Programme within a Person Centred Planning Framework

Abstract

This report describes the development of a music therapy programme for people with developmental disabilities in a day facility in Ireland. The facility is run by Enable Ireland, a national voluntary organisation, and provides therapies, supports and training for service users. Service provision is organised according to the principles of person centred planning (PCP), a model which places the desires, interests and capacities of each service user at the centre of the decision-making process. As the music therapy programme has developed, the parallels between the music therapy concepts which informed it and the PCP model have became more apparent. The main purpose of this report is to detail the core features and aimed-for outcomes of the person-centred planning process and highlight corresponding concepts from humanistic music therapy, community music therapy and music therapy for empowerment. Implications of coordinating the music therapy programme with the PCP process as implemented at Enable Ireland are also suggested. The core features of PCP are considered highly useful in conceptualising a resource-based, humanistic music therapy programme for people with disabilities. In addition, music-making in its various forms is considered a valuable activity which has the potential to satisfy the outcomes of the PCP model.