6 Things Illinois Social Workers Keep Getting Wrong (and How to Fix Them!)

Illinois licensing rules are not exactly user friendly. Between Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation (IDFPR) updates, new laws like House Bill 1806, and the endless myths floating around Facebook groups, it can be easy to slip up. Here is a roundup of the biggest mistakes we’re hearing about from our members, and how to stay out of hot water.

1) Employers advertising “independent contractor” roles for LSWs and pre-LCSWs.

This one is popping up everywhere. Employers are posting jobs for LSWs and pre-LCSWs as 1099 independent contractors. Sounds flexible, right? Except that this is flat-out illegal. Unless you hold an LCSW, you cannot legally work as an independent contractor in Illinois. You must be a W-2 employee under supervision of an LCSW (or another qualified licensed professional).

What to Do Instead:

• If you are an LSW or pre-LCSW: Do not sign a 1099 clinical contract.

• Employers: Stop misclassifying these jobs. Make them W-2 roles that provide proper supervision.

• If you see one of these job ads floating around, flag it.

2) Confusion about the 6-hour clinical supervision training requirement.

Illinois now requires 6 hours of clinical supervision training for all LCSWs. But here is the good news, you do not need to scramble to obtain those hours right now. If you have already taken 6 hours in clinical supervision in this cycle or even a past one and have your CE certificate(s), you are in compliance. If you have not yet obtained all 6 hours and were licensed before December 1, 2025, you still have until November 30, 2027, to fulfill the requirement; newer licensees (those receiving their license after December 1, 2025) have until their second renewal to fulfill the clinical supervision requirement which is also the renewal cycle where you’ll need to begin acquiring continuing education units (CEUs).

What to Do Instead:

• If you have already obtained 6 hours in clinical supervision and have the CE certificates proving it, you are done.

• While you have until November 30, 2027, to fulfill the clinical supervision requirement, if you are looking for courses that qualify for clinical supervision CEUs in Illinois, check out our popular Supervision Series courses: Fundamentals of Individual Clinical Social Work Supervision, Group Supervision in Social Work, and Clinical Supervision Seminar and Consultation. Or click here to add yourself to our Supervision Course Waiting List to receive alerts about future trainings. 

More Info: NASW-IL CE Requirements

3) Supervisors signing off without really supervising.

Here’s a reminder—Supervision is not a signature. By law, you must meet with supervisees for an average of at least 4 hours per month and make sure that what they are reporting is accurate clinical work. If you are supervising someone at another agency, you are still responsible for supervising their workload. Build a relationship with your supervisee’s day-to-day boss to verify employment and hours worked—you need to stay in the loop or potentially put your own license at risk.

What to Do Instead:

• Commit to meeting with your supervisees for an average of at least 4 hours per month minimum. This is not optional.

• Use the NASW-Illinois Chapter Monthly Tracking Log for Supervised Hours Toward IL Licensure so that what you sign matches IDFPR’s forms.

• If you are off-site, set up regular check-ins with the supervisee’s direct manager.

• Do spot checks and file reviews. Trust is great, but it is not a compliance strategy.

4) MSWs delaying to get their LSW after graduation.

Too many MSWs are saying, “I will just wait until I qualify for the LCSW.” Don’t. The LSW does not require an exam anymore, so applying for your LSW is fast and painless. It makes you more employable, gives you legal protection, and starts your license record with IDFPR.

Even better, hours you gain as an LSW can count as professional experience hours for the alternative to the ASWB clinical exam pathway. If you skip the LSW, you are potentially leaving those hours on the table.

What to Do Instead:

• Apply for the LSW right after MSW graduation. For help on how to apply, see our article: “Ask NASW-IL: When can I apply for my LSW as a soon-to-graduate MSW student?”

• Keep track of all your hours, both the supervised clinical hours that qualify for the LCSW as well as additional professional experience hours that could apply to the exam alternative.

• Use the NASW-Illinois Chapter Monthly Tracking Log for Supervised Hours Toward IL Licensure to keep your hours organized.

5) Forgetting about AI consent under HB 1806.

Illinois’ new Wellness and Oversight for Psychological Resources (WOPR) Act is a big deal. It bans AI “therapists” and sets rules for how licensed professionals can use AI in practice. An important change requires standalone, written AI consent for therapists using any AI tool for things like session transcripts, note summaries, or documentation. A blanket consent in your intake packet does not count.

What to Do Instead:

• Create an AI consent form that explains what you are using, why, and what happens to the data.

• Keep AI features off until you have signed consent.

• Audit your vendors and ask how they delete data once it is used.

Learn More About WOPR: https://www.naswil.org/post/nasw-il-advocacy-at-work-gov-signs-hb-1806-creating-nation-s-strongest-safeguard-against-ai-chatbo

Bonus! Stop hoarding AI recordings.

Even with client consent, keeping raw session recordings or transcripts forever in AI is a bad idea. Illinois confidentiality laws are strict, and your AI recordings might be used against you in liability cases. The longer you keep sensitive data, the bigger your liability and the more likely it can be used against you—often without full context.

What to Do Instead:

• Set vendors to auto-delete recordings once notes are finished.

• Put clear deletion timelines in your service agreements.

• Document consent and revocations.

6) Practicing therapy while calling yourself a “life coach” or other similar title.

Rebranding does not get you off the hook. If you are doing clinical work such as assessing, diagnosing, or treating, then you are practicing clinical social work. In Illinois, that means you need a license. If you are unlicensed and doing therapy as a “coach,” you are opening yourself up to penalties and disciplinary action.

What to Do Instead:

• Be honest about what you do. If it is clinical, get licensed.

• If you are unlicensed, stick to non-clinical work.