SOCIAL WORK
LICENSING IN ILLINOIS
current as of December 2005
 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).
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.
LSWs are authorized to practice
social work which includes social services to individ-
uals, 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 wel-
fare 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
- 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
- pass the authorized examination for the practice of social work as a
licensed
social worker,
- apply for licensure in writing on the prescribed form, and
- be of good moral character.
Qualifications for LCSW
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
- pass the authorized examination for the practice of social work as a
licensed
clinical social worker,
- apply for licensure in writing on the prescribed form, 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
pproved by the CSWE, and
- pass the authorized examination for the practice of social work as a
licensed
clinical social worker,
- apply for licensure in writing on the prescribed form, and
- be of good moral character.
FEES (as of April 2001)
IDFPR Application Fee |
$ 50.00 |
|
Testing Service Administration
Fee |
$175.00 |
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
- 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.
Taking the licensure
examination is the first step in obtaining licensure as an LSW or LCSW.
Individuals who plan to sit for their LSW immediately after graduating with
their MSW must be sure to schedule their exam after they have officially
graduated from their program. To
register for an examination and/or receive a testing handbook, contact the ASWB Candidate Registration Center toll-free at 888-5SW-EXAM (888-579-3926).
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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