Striking a chord for youth’s mental health

Hilltop Child and Family Development Center, Lutheran Family and Children’s Services (LFCS),  introduces music therapy to children from low-income families in North city, where access is limited to these services.

Through music, children find their voice in ways that words alone can’t achieve. The nonprofit social services organization provides six critical support areas to help children and families.

The partnership between Hilltop Child and Family Development and LFCS helps empower individuals and families to develop healthy, supportive foundations for a lifetime. Services are open to anyone regardless of race, faith, national origin, or gender. 

“We are deeply grateful to the St. Louis County Children’s Service Fund for making this program possible,” said Julie McAfee, director of the Hilltop Child and Family Development Center.

“Music therapy is a powerful tool that aligns perfectly with our wraparound approach to care, giving children and teens a creative and effective path to heal and grow.”

Ronrico Johnson, a proud girl dad, says his daughter Ka’orii has learned many songs from her music therapy sessions with Sarah McAlevey, who sees all our Hilltop classrooms twice a week. 

“I’ve noticed my daughter coming home singing songs that I am not familiar with, and when I ask her where she learned them from, she said ‘they sing it with Ms. Sarah at school’”, said Johnson. 

“Ka’orii really seems to enjoy it and as a girl dad, her happiness is what matters the most.”

Hilltop strives to invest and provide high-quality early childhood care. Their integrated P-3 approach provides a supportive, stable learning environment from Pre-school through 3rd grade. On their website, the early childhood center states that the school extends to on-site behavioral health services, parenting education, in-home support services, and health screenings.

The program is available to children enrolled at Hilltop Child and Family Development Center.

Sessions will be offered twice weekly in partnership with Midwest Music Therapy Services, a leading provider of music-based interventions. Funding from the St. Louis County Children’s Service Fund will help the development center provide therapeutic sessions to enhance children’s emotional, social, and cognitive development. Midwest Music Therapy Services is a leader in music-based interventions, providing therapeutic services to individuals and communities in schools, healthcare facilities, and other settings.

Music therapy is tailored to the individual patient’s needs, preferences, and goals. Patients are typically encouraged to participate in music therapy activities, such as listening, singing, playing instruments, or composing. Music therapy can provide benefits for a wide range of conditions, including stress and anxiety reduction, improved mood and emotional regulation, cognitive enhancement, and communication and social skills development in younger children.

A study published by the National Library of Medicine shows how beneficial music therapy is–Parents of 83 children ranging from 12 months to 18 years old (the average age child being three) were surveyed. 79% of the parents stated that their children were able to enjoy the music therapy sessions without being stressed.

In addition, 98% of the respondents said that they were grateful for the music therapy their children received (97% fully agreed and 1% rather agreed). All parents considered music therapy to be beneficial for their child. The parents’ responses reflected the view that music therapy is beneficial to patients.

According to the American Music Therapy Association, music stimulates all of the senses and involves the child at many levels. This “multimodal approach” facilitates many developmental skills. Quality learning and maximum participation occur when children are permitted to experience the joy of play.

The medium of music therapy allows this play to occur naturally and frequently. Music is highly motivating, yet it can also have a calming and relaxing effect. Enjoyable music activities are designed to be success-oriented and make children feel better about themselves. Music therapy can help a child manage pain and stressful situations.

Music can encourage socialization, self-expression, communication, and motor skills development. Because the brain processes music in both hemispheres, music can stimulate cognitive functioning and may be used for the remediation of some speech/language skills.

 Research also indicates improved emotional well-being, social functioning, and academic performance.

“Hilltop’s holistic approach to child and family wellness makes it an ideal setting for music therapy,” said McAfee. “This program will be a vital addition to our community, giving families more access to mental health support through innovative care.” 

There are several different types of music therapy: Receptive music therapy (listening to music), Active music therapy (making music), Improvisational music therapy, Compositional music therapy, and Electronic music therapy. Music therapy and its elements are used to address emotional, physical, and cognitive health challenges. Research has demonstrated its benefits for both preschool children and adolescents, particularly those facing developmental delays, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), trauma, or stress. 

Music therapy can strengthen communication skills for preschoolers, especially those with ASD or other developmental delays.

A study in the Journal of Music Therapy highlights its effectiveness in improving young children’s social interactions and verbal communication. Music therapy offers a supportive space to process emotions, manage stress, and explore identity.

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