SOCIAL WORK
LICENSING IN ILLINOIS
As a service to our members, the Illinois Chapter is pleased to provide this
licensure information. Please be aware that in Illinois, social work licensure
is administered by the Illinois Department of Financial & Professional
Regulation (IDFPR). All specific questions concerning licensure or a particular
application for licensure need to be properly directed to IDFPR.
The next deadline for licensure renewal is
November 30, 2011!
NASW IL is NOT the state licensing board, and is not responsible for
changes to the licensing procedures.
New Licensure Requirements!
As of December 1, 2009 Illinois is now a pre-approved State.
Candidates must apply for licensure and get approved prior to
sitting for the LSW/LCSW Licensure Exam.
1. Candidates should download the Social Worker
–Acceptance of Examination application from the
IDFPR website, complete and
provide all supporting documents, including the application fee of $50 and mail
to IDFPR.
2. Once IDFPR
receives the application and ALL supporting documentation (NOTE: Turn-around is
approximately two weeks if ALL documentation is received), they will then notify
ASWB the individual was approved to sit for
the exam. Once approved, the individual will receive a candidate handbook
and letter of approval.
3. Once the individual receives the letter
of approval from IDFPR, they
are eligible to sit for the exam and can contact the
ASWB Candidate Registration Center at
888-579-3926 to schedule your
examination.
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Remember, the State of Illinois uses the
Clinical examination for
the LCSW license,
and the Masters
examination for the LSW
license.
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If you're not sure if you're eligible or have
questions about licensing procedures, contact the IDFPR Technical Assistance
Unit at 217-782-8556.
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To view the IDFPR Social Worker Act and Social Worker
Rules,
click here.
Read more:
http://www.naswil.org/licensure.htm#ixzz0g121EOIJ
Illinois statute requires that any
person engaged as a social worker (except in some cases if employed by the U. S.
government or in some cases by the State
of Illinois-and only if verified by IDFPR) must be licensed. No person may
represent her/himself as a licensed
social worker or licensed clinical social
worker without obtaining the proper license.
For more information on a
particular aspect of licensing, click on any of the links below to be taken to
that section.
Qualifications
There are two levels of licensure in Illinois: Licensed Social Worker (LSW) and
Licensed Clinical
Social Worker (LCSW).
LSWs
LSWs are authorized to practice social work which includes social services to
individuals,
groups or communities in any one or more of the fields of social casework,
social group
work, community organization for social welfare, social work research, social
welfare
administration or social work education. LSWs may engage in clinical social work
practice,
as long as it is not conducted in an independent practice as defined by law.
Persons wishing to obtain a license as an LSW must:
-
have a degree from a graduate program of social work approved by IDFPR
or
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have a degree in social work from an undergraduate program approved by the
CSWE and
have successfully completed at least 3 years of supervised professional
experience as established by rule, and
-
apply for licensure to IDFPR in writing on the prescribed form,
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pass the authorized examination for the practice of social work as a
licensed social worker, and
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be of good moral character.
LCSWs
LCSWs are authorized to independently practice clinical social work in Illinois
under
the auspices of an employer or in private practice.
Persons wishing to obtain a license as an LCSW must:
-
successfully complete at least 3,000 hours of satisfactory, supervised
clinical professional experience after receiving a master’s degree in social
work from a graduate program
approved by the CSWE and
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apply for licensure to IDFPR in writing on the prescribed form
-
pass the authorized examination for the practice of social work as a
licensed clinical social worker, and
-
be of good moral character.
or
-
successfully complete at least 2,000 hours of satisfactory, supervised
clinical professional experience after receiving a doctor’s degree in social
work from a graduate program
approved by the CSWE, and
-
apply for licensure to IDFPR in writing on the prescribed form
-
pass the authorized examination for the practice of social work as a
licensed clinical social worker, and
-
be of good moral character.
FEES (as of November 2008)
IDFPR Application Fee |
$ 50.00 |
|
Testing Service Administration
Fee |
$230.00 (Master's Exam)
$260.00 (Clinical Exam) |
License Renewal (every 2 years) |
$ 60.00 |
|
License Reinstatement |
$ 20.00 |
What are
approved programs of social work?
- Programs accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE),
or by CSWE’s Foreign Equivalency Determination Service
- Programs accredited by the Canadian Association of Schools of Social Work
Supervision toward
the LCSW license:
- After January 1, 1995, must be provided by a licensed LCSW
- BSWs must work under an LSW or LCSW or social worker with a similar
certification if in another state
- MSWs must work under an LCSW or equivalent in another state
- Supervised clinical work may be paid or volunteer work, but it must be
practice experience (non-clerical). Work must consist of client
contact or administrative work directly
related to client contact
- Part time (15-30 hrs/wk) or Full time (30-40 hrs/wk)
- Must meet one hour per week with supervisor individually or in groups of
no more than five
- May have different supervisors at different times, and they may be
provided by your employer or retained privately
- May be provided by an LCSW working for your employer/independently
contracted
Testing
The State of Illinois uses examinations developed by the Association of
Social Work Boards (ASWB): the Masters examination for LSWs and the
Clinical examination for LCSWs. Tests are administered at sites
throughout the state utilizing a computer touch screen. Each examination is
graded immediately following completion and the participant informed of the
results on-site.
As of December 1, 2009 applying for the examination in writing to IDFPR is
the first step in obtaining licensure as an LSW or LCSW (application can be
downloaded on the IDFPR website). Individuals who plan to sit for their LSW
immediately after graduating with their MSW must be sure to apply for the
examination through IDFPR after they have officially graduated from their
program. Once a letter of approval is received from IDFPR, register
for an examination and/or receive a testing handbook by contacting the ASWB
Candidate Registration Center toll-free at 888-5SW-EXAM (888-579-3926).
NASW IL offers license review courses throughout the year, for an updated
list click here.
Reciprocity
Social workers from other states
wishing to become licensed in Illinois should contact
IDFPR.
Illinois social workers wishing
to obtain licensure in another state should contact the
licensing body in that state. For
referral to the appropriate entity, call the Assoc-
iation of Social Work Boards (ASWB): (800)
225-6880.
Renewal
All social work licenses expire in November of each
odd-numbered year. All
currently licensed social workers will receive a renewal form from IDFPR prior
to the
renewal date. The form must be completed and returned to IDFPR no later than
November 30th of every odd year, along with the required renewal fee. If you do
not
receive a form by the end of October, contact IDFPR to obtain one.
Not renewing your license, regardless of reason, will result in termination of
your license.
Social Work Continuing Education
Illinois social workers must
complete 30 hours of continuing education (CE) during every
two-year licensing period (December 1 of each odd-numbered year through November
30 of the next odd-numbered year). One CE hour equals one clock hour of
instruction.
CE credit may be earned by:
- attendance at courses offered or co-sponsored
by IDFPR-approved social work continuing education sponsors
completion of an IDFPR-approved
home-study course
post-graduate training programs or completion
of social work related courses that
are part of the curriculum of an approved college, university or graduate
school of social work
teaching in a college, university or graduate
school of social work and/or as an instructor of continuing education
programs given by approved sponsors
authoring papers, publications or books and
for preparing presentations and
exhibits.
When considering attendance at a CE event, social workers should confirm that
the event
is sponsored or co-sponsored by an entity licensed by
IDFPR
to provide social
work continuing education prior to the event.
Credits earned outside of
Illinois may apply toward licensure. Social workers wishing to
participate in such continuing education courses for Illinois credit may apply
to do so by
submitting an individual program approval request form and proper fee to IDFPR.
In 2005, the IDFPR made an amendment to the Practice Act under section 1470.95
(CE).
The amendment now states that IDFPR will recognize CEUs from NASW and all of its
its affiliates. In addition, 3 out of the 30 hours required must be in the
training of the
ethical practice of social work.
Click here to view this amendment to the Practice Act.
Each social worker is
responsible for maintaining on file her/his certificates of completion
for each approved continuing education course. IDFPR may require evidence of
attend-
ance in the course of its random audit of continuing education credit.
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