From the Pen of the Executive Director: September 2026

Joel L. Rubin, MSW, LSW, ACSW, CAE

NASW-Illinois Chapter Executive Director

NASW-Illinois Chapter Executive Director, Joel L. Rubin, LSW, ACSW, CAE

The summer of 2026 has been one of volatile weather across the state of Illinois. My hope is that any necessary clean-up has been completed, that everyone’s power, if lost, has been restored, and you all remain safe.

At the end of August, the state of Illinois was notified that it will be receiving up to nearly $768 million. of the $17 billion in the settlement with Meta, which will implement sweeping child-safety reforms on Instagram and Facebook. This is one of the largest court settlements in American history. We thank the efforts of Illinois Attorney General Kwame Rauol in getting this case to the courts, who noted this past week, “This is a monumental victory for online safety that will affect an entire generation of young people. After decades of putting profits before the health and wellness of children, this landmark settlement requires Meta to put our children’s safety and mental health at the forefront.” The settlement requires Meta to implement a series of safety features on Instagram and Facebook which are noted in the statement from the Attorney General’s office.

We look forward to the prudent use of the state’s settlement funds. Online mental health protections continue to be an important focus as this past month is the one-year anniversary of Governor Pritzker signing HB 1806, a 2025 NASW-IL legislative priority, into law, thereby creating the nation's strongest safeguard against AI chatbots in mental health.

As September approaches, we begin the countdown to the 2026 November 3^rd mid-term elections. Consider getting involved with the NASW PACE in Illinois by completing their Community Volunteer Registration Form.

Some additional notes….

• There is still time to nominate a colleague for the 2026 NASW-Illinois Chapter Social Work Awards. The deadline for submissions is Monday, September 14^th.

• The 2026 NASW Chapters Virtual Conference: Strength in Action — How We Uplift, Defend, & Transform is less than two months away! Sign up before September 28th to save $30 on early bird rates! Register and learn more about the conference at: https://www.naswil.org/conference

• In our continuing regional work with Missouri and Wisconsin, please consider submitting a proposal for the 2027 NASW Chapters Spring Virtual Conference taking place on April 30^th and May 1^st.

• I want to wish all social work students starting or continuing their social work programs this fall for the 2026–2027 academic year. Please consider getting involved with our Student Liaison Network and other student-related events.

Thank you for your continuing support of our profession with your membership in NASW.