Chapter News

Be wary of employers advertising clinical positions for Licensed Social Workers and listing them as 1099 independent contractor roles. It's illegal in IL, and the consequences for both the LSW and the organization can be severe.

NASW National has embraced a three-state chapter model designed to strengthen the collective impact of our chapters and expand what we are able to deliver to members.

These individuals will work to represent and serve you on the NASW-Illinois Chapter Leadership Council starting July 1, 2026.

Thank you to the over 500 social work students and social work professionals who joined us last week at our annual 2026 NASW-Illinois Chapter Advocacy Day on Wednesday, April 15, 2026! This year's brought participants to the Illinois Capitol Building to meet with their direct legislators and advocate for key issues affecting the social work profession this session.

This step-by-step overview is designed to help first-time LCSW applicants prepare to complete the online LCSW license application.

The 2026 NASW-Illinois Chapter Elections will take place from April 1–30, 2026.

Conversion ‘therapy’ is not therapy. It is abuse, and it causes documented psychological damage. No ethical social worker or mental health clinician should be engaging in this practice, full stop, regardless of what any court decides. We stand with the legislators and advocates who have spent more than a decade fighting to protect LGBTQ+ youth in this state, and we will keep fighting alongside them.

So, to the Illinois General Assembly, here's the NASW-Illinois Chapter's humble suggestion—raise their taxes and fund school social workers with the revenue.

With graduation season approaching, this step-by-step overview is designed to help first-time LSW applicants prepare early, submit quickly, and enter the profession alongside their peers.

The engagement of social workers and social work students around this issue reflects the 2026 Social Work Month theme of "Uplift, Defend. Transform." By submitting a public comment, we are advocating to ensure social work retains its professional degree status and continued access to federal financial aid.

House Bill 4826 (HB4826) would strengthen the integrity and quality of continuing education for licensed professionals in Illinois by ensuring that CE credit cannot be awarded for courses that teach practices or actions that are prohibited under Illinois law. This is an important step in protecting both practitioners and the communities we serve while reinforcing clear, ethical, and legally compliant professional standards.

For first-time LSW and LCSW applicants who are beginning to apply for social work licensure in Illinois, you may now utilize IDFPR's new licensing system CORE for licensure.

The Department of Education is currently accepting comments on the rule change which would remove social work as a professional degree through March 2, 2026. We ask that all social workers submit their comments on this change through the Federal eRulemaking Portal before March 2, 2026.

January marked the beginning of the 2026 Illinois Spring Legislative Session.

The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) is accepting applications for their Human Services Professional Loan Repayment Program through June 30, 2026.

ISAC is currently accepting applications for their School and Municipal Social Work Shortage Loan Repayment Program through June 30, 2026.

The National Association of Social Workers, Illinois Chapter (NASW-IL) announced its endorsed candidates for the March 17, 2026 Illinois Primary Election, highlighting the critical role state leadership will play as social workers and human service systems face growing uncertainty at the federal level.

The NASW–Illinois Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Access, and Belonging (DEIAB) Committee is launching, "Courageous Care, Collective Power," a campaign rooted in a shared commitment to social justice, dignity, and human rights in a political climate that increasingly threatens them.

The NASW-Illinois Chapter supports the Social Work Interstate Compact. The compact would allow licensed social workers to practice across state lines without obtaining a separate license in each state. For clinicians providing telehealth, working with clients who relocate, or simply looking for more flexibility in their practice, that matters. So does continuity of care. These are things worth fighting for, and we are. But Illinois is a hard state for compacts, and this one h

The challenging year of 2025 is now over, with many more challenges ahead in 2026. Our profession and our values have been under a great deal of scrutiny, but we continue to persevere here in Illinois and nationally. It is important to not lose sight of that.