Music therapy business, advocacy, creativity, and diversification in a changing landscape
Tracks
Stream 2
| Friday, September 6, 2024 |
| 10:30 AM - 10:50 AM |
| Room 2 |
Speaker
Natalie Oliveri
Managing Director
Creative Therapy Adelaide
Music therapy business, advocacy, creativity, and diversification in a changing landscape
Abstract Overview
This presentation will discuss our music therapy business's growth from a sole trader to a company and its evolution over the past few years. We will cover limiting and contributing factors, challenges, successes, hard work to come and future prospects, including the impact of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) review recommendations.
The role of advocacy in our business and its contributions to growth, community awareness, and accessing new markets will be discussed. This includes raising understanding of music therapy, our brand, and our services. We will talk about how we select stakeholders to approach and where we feel we make the most impact.
We will address our reliance on NDIS and the sobering advice to avoid dependence on a single source of income. We'll talk about how this led us to diversify our business, a slow process with recent promising developments for sustainable growth, even if NDIS conditions change.
We will share how NDIS registration has allowed us to collaborate with new departments and government health services, expanding our reach and creating income diversity in the business. The upcoming NDIS review recommendations will be discussed, examining potential challenges and opportunities. The review's future impact on the business, recruitment, stakeholder engagement, and the broader music therapy profession will be explored, supported by workforce data and where we predict there might be some shifts.
We will highlight the importance of branding and a strong workplace culture to attract and retain talent without exhausting local resources. This includes providing career progression and growth opportunities for senior leaders to promote job satisfaction and good workplace culture, treating music therapists as key players rather than as providing 'add-on' services.
Join us to explore our progress and future plans in a changing landscape. Our experiences will highlight the importance of creativity, diversification, and advocacy in achieving business growth, better access to music therapy and opportunities for RMTs.
The role of advocacy in our business and its contributions to growth, community awareness, and accessing new markets will be discussed. This includes raising understanding of music therapy, our brand, and our services. We will talk about how we select stakeholders to approach and where we feel we make the most impact.
We will address our reliance on NDIS and the sobering advice to avoid dependence on a single source of income. We'll talk about how this led us to diversify our business, a slow process with recent promising developments for sustainable growth, even if NDIS conditions change.
We will share how NDIS registration has allowed us to collaborate with new departments and government health services, expanding our reach and creating income diversity in the business. The upcoming NDIS review recommendations will be discussed, examining potential challenges and opportunities. The review's future impact on the business, recruitment, stakeholder engagement, and the broader music therapy profession will be explored, supported by workforce data and where we predict there might be some shifts.
We will highlight the importance of branding and a strong workplace culture to attract and retain talent without exhausting local resources. This includes providing career progression and growth opportunities for senior leaders to promote job satisfaction and good workplace culture, treating music therapists as key players rather than as providing 'add-on' services.
Join us to explore our progress and future plans in a changing landscape. Our experiences will highlight the importance of creativity, diversification, and advocacy in achieving business growth, better access to music therapy and opportunities for RMTs.
Biography
Natalie leads South Australia's largest team of music therapists as the Director of Creative Therapy Adelaide, offering both speech and music therapy services. With a background in media, non-profits, and small business, she brings a unique perspective to her work. Natalie’s mission is to help individuals access music to explore their creative potential, regardless of age or ability. Her client-centred approach, advocacy for music therapy, and dedication to running a values-based business with heart have earned her recognition, including being a state finalist in the 2023 Telstra Business Awards ‘Championing Health’ category and receiving a scholarship from the State Government's Women in Business Program to further women leaders.
