Rules Officially Passed for Removal of In-Person CE Requirement from Social Work Licensure
As previously reported by the chapter, rules have been officially passed by the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) to entirely remove the in-person continuing education requirement from social work licensure renewal. This means that for the current licensure renewal cycle ending on November 30, 2023, and onwards, the requirement that a minimum of 50% of continuing education hours be obtained by a method that includes face-to-face, in-person instruction is now entirely removed from social work licensure. While the department still has to complete an administrative step before the rule change is officially adopted, for the purposes of Illinois social workers, the previous requirement that 50% of education be obtained in-person is no longer required.
A great big thank you to the staff at IDFPR for making this critical change a priority this cycle. An additional thank to our NASW-Illinois Chapter members who helped push to get this monumental requirement lifted from licensure. If you want to continue seeing rule changes like these that modernize the licensure renewal process for social workers in Illinois, join our collective of members who pool together their time, knowledge, and resources to share with peers for a better, more diverse, and more equitable social work profession—Join or renew your NASW membership today.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
I already have my 15 In-person CEUs. How does this change affect me?
With this rule modification, you can have any combination of in-person or virtual CEUs. If you have 15 in-person CEUs already, this ruling will not affect you as you will still be able to apply those in-person CEUs toward renewal.
Can I get all of my CEUs either all in-person or all virtually?
Yes, with this rule modification, you can fulfill your continuing education requirements with any combination of in-person or virtual CEUs.
When does this take affect?
This rule change is effectively immediately and will be fully in place for the November 30, 2023, renewal.
What other requirements for CEUs do I need for licensure renewal?
You can see a full breakdown here: https://www.naswil.org/ceu-requirements