IDFPR Licensure Renewal Requirements for 2021

The next LSW and LCSW licensure cycle has begun on December 1, 2021, and ends on November 30, 2023. While the previous 2019–2021 licensure cycle deadline was extended to February 28, 2022, if you have obtained all continuing education requirements for licensure, you may now begin taking courses to apply to the 2021–2023 licensure cycle.

With a new licensure cycle also comes new and updated licensure requirements. To view NEW licensure renewal requirements for the 2021–2023 licensure cycle, please read the below. Please note that if this is your first time renewing your LSW or LCSW and you are no longer renewing your LSW, you do not need to accumulate 30 CEUs for licensure; however, you must still apply for licensure renewal with IDFPR.

NOTE: As a result of delays at the Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation (IDFPR), the previous 2019 licensure cycle (beginning December 1, 2019) had its deadline extended to the new February 28, 2022, deadline date. While this deadline extension allows for licensed social worker (LSW) and licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) licensees to submit their renewal applications as well as obtain continuing education units (CEUs) through February 28, 2022, the 2021 licensure cycle still begins on December 1, 2021, and will end on November 30, 2023. Due to this three-month overlap into the 2021 cycle, licensees must make sure the classes they attend between December 1, 2021, through February 28, 2022, are clearly identified as applying for either the 2019 or 2021 licensure cycles.

This article will be updated if any changes are announced that will affect 2021–2023 licensure cycle.

UPDATED 02/03/23: Rules have been filed with JCAR to permanently remove the in-person CE requirement. Read more about it here.

UPDATED 02/06/23: Clarification around timed requirements for the sexual harassment prevention training requirement.

UPDATED 08/16/23: Rules were approved to remove the in-person CE requirement. Read more about it here.

For the new 2021 licensure renewal cycle starting on December 1, 2021, and ending November 30, 2023, Illinois LSWs and LCSWs will have 3 additional/amended requirements for licensure renewal as required by the Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation (IDFPR).

NEW! One-hour (minimum) of a training on implicit bias awareness. Effective January 1, 2022, with the signing of Public Act 102-0004.
A mandated reporter training with (NEW!) a section on implicit bias. Effective January 1, 2022, with the signing of Public Act 102-0604.
NEW! One-hour (minimum) of a training on the diagnosis, treatment, and care of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Applies to health care professionals who provide health care services to, and have direct patient interactions with, adult populations age 26 or older in the practice of their profession ONLY. Effective January 1, 2023, with the signing of Public Act 102-0399.

The above requirements are in addition to pre-existing LSW/LCSW licensure renewal requirements:

A minimum of 30 hours of continuing education (CE) relevant to the practice of social work or clinical social work of which:
1. At least 3 of the 30 hours must include content related to the ethical practice of social work, and
2. At least 3 of the 30 hours must include content related to cultural competence in the practice of social work (Effective December 1, 2013).
NEW July 2023! The requirement that at least 15 CEUs had to be in-person has been removed. Effective July 18, 2023, there is no requirement that CEUs be obtained via live, in-person education. You can now earn CEUs for licensure renewal via any method (i.e., in-person or virtual). Read here for more.
A sexual harassment prevention training will be required for licensure renewal. There is no timed element (e.g., one hour of CEUs) to fulfill this training requirement, nor does it have to be a CEU (Effective August 6, 2021, with the signing of Senate Bill 1079) unless you are an employee of one (i.e., self-employed)—see below for more details about the sexual harassment prevention training requirement.

CE Worksheet & FAQ

To help social workers better keep track of their CEs for 2021–2023 LSW/LCSW licensure renewal, the NASW-Illinois Chapter has created this CE Worksheet & FAQ. Please note this worksheet is NOT an IDFPR-required document but rather a roadmap to help you fulfill all CE requirements. The requirements in this document are subject to change. Check with the IDFPR website and NASW-IL for any changes as they are announced.

Download the NASW-IL CE Worksheet for 2021-2023 LSW/LCSW Licensure Renewal & FAQ

More About the Specialty CEU Training Requirements:

Implicit Bias Awareness Training: All health care professionals must obtain at least one hour of training on implicit bias awareness. As of this printing, the department has not yet released rules for this training requirement. If (and when) such rules are written by the department, this article will be updated accordingly.

>>Check out NASW-IL 1.5-hour and 3.0-hour recorded trainings on implicit bias.

Mandated Reporter Training with Implicit Bias Section: In an update to the previous mandated reporter training requirement, all LSW and LCSWs must complete a mandated reporter training that includes a section on implicit bias. There is no timed element (e.g., one hour of CEUs) to fulfill this training requirement; however, there are content-related requirements as listed in the Act. The new implicit bias section shall provide tools to adjust automatic patterns of thinking and ultimately eliminate discriminatory behaviors. The training shall be provided through the Department (DCFS); an entity authorized to provide continuing education for professionals licensed through the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) such as NASW-IL (check out our recorded Interrupting Bias: A Mandated Reporter's Responsibility to Act course); or an organization approved by the Department (DCFS) to provide mandated reporter training including a section on implicit bias.

A mandated reporter training with implicit bias section can be used to fulfill the implicit bias training requirement ONLY if the section on implicit bias lasts a minimum of one hour. The NASW-Illinois Chapter Interrupting Bias: A Mandated Reporter's Responsibility to Act course does not have an hour of education devoted to the topic of implicit and therefore, does not fulfill both requirements for a mandated reporter training with implicit bias section AND one-hour minimum on a training on implicit bias.

>>Check out NASW-IL recorded training, Interrupting Bias: A Mandated Reporter's Responsibility to Act.

Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias Training: This requirement shall only apply to health care professionals who provide health care services to, and have direct patient interactions with, adult populations age 26 or older in the practice of their profession. This training must be at least one hour in length and fulfill content-related requirements as listed in the Act. A health care professional may count this one hour for completion of this course toward meeting the minimum credit hours required for continuing education.

>>Check out NASW-IL recorded training, Social Work with Persons Living with Dementia and Their Families: Challenges and Opportunities.

Sexual Harassment Prevention Training: Did you take a sexual harassment prevention training through your Illinois employer which fulfills

requirements as stated by Section 2-109 of the Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA)?

If YES: Sexual harassment prevention trainings that fulfill IHRA requirements will additionally fulfill the IDFPR requirement for a sexual harassment prevention training for social work licensure renewal. This employer-provided training may: utilize the Department of Human Rights training; be created by your employer utilizing the requirements specified in Section 2-109 of IHRA; or may utilize a provider of education that covers the required content (such as NASW-IL's recorded Sexual Harassment Prevention Training). No timed element is required of the employee-provided sexual harassment prevention training, but there are still content requirements for this scenario as per Section 1130.400(c) of the Administrative Code.
If NO: If you are self-employed (i.e., employee of one) or live in another state but are looking to maintain your license in Illinois and as such, you are unable to obtain a sexual harassment prevention training through an Illinois employer, you will need to take a sexual harassment prevention training course spanning at least one hour in length. This training may be provided by the Department of Human Rights or any continuing education provider (such as NASW-IL's recorded Sexual Harassment Prevention Training) authorized to provide continuing education for any profession as well as other approved providers as listed in Section 1130.400(b) of the Administrative Code as long as the content complies with Section 2-109 of IHRA. NOTE: As of January 26, 2023, the NASW-Illinois Chapter is in communication with the department to try to address this discrepancy.

>>Check out NASW-IL recorded training, Sexual Harassment Prevention Training.

Summary

LSW and LCSW licensees must obtain 30 CEUs for the 2021 licensure cycle starting on December 1, 2021, and ending on November 30, 2023. Additionally, licensees must also obtain trainings on the following topics:

Implicit bias awareness (One hour minimum)
Mandated reporter training with implicit bias section (No timed requirement)
Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias (One hour minimum)—applies ONLY to health care professionals who provide health care services to, and have direct patient interactions with, adult populations age 26 or older in the practice of their profession
Sexual harassment prevention (No timed requirement unless you are unable to obtain a sexual harassment prevention training through an Illinois employer)
Ethical practice of social work (Three hours minimum)
Cultural competence in the practice of social work (Three hours minimum)

Have More Questions?

All specific questions concerning licensure and individual licenses or a particular license application needs to be properly directed to IDFPR as they are ultimately the licensing board who approve of licenses for Illinois. The NASW-Illinois Chapter website also has a plethora of information relating to licensure, from supervision requirements, the licensing process, testing procedures, and more. Go to the NASW-IL Licensure page to read more.

>> One of the biggest benefits of NASW membership is consultation access for questions relating to the social work profession. Become a member today! https://www.socialworkers.org/nasw/join

GET YOUR CEUs

The NASW-Illinois Chapter is currently at work scheduling courses for the next licensure cycle. To add yourself to a waitlist to receive notification when we announce one of the specialty CEU training courses required for 2021–2023 licensure, click here. You can also check with the NASW-Illinois Chapter Events page to see all upcoming chapter and recorded CEU events.