Jacki Brunk (she/her), LCSW
Northeastern District Chair

Happy New Year and welcome to the monthly district update for the NASW-IL Northeastern District! This new year may bring many changes for you and for our community of social workers. Whatever changes are on the horizon, I encourage everyone to engage in self care as we continue to care for others who need our support and advocacy.
This year is a licensing renewal year, so many of us will be busy fulfilling the necessary CEU requirements to renew our license. I hope to schedule events that will be interesting as well as useful for the district and beyond. I want to hear from you regarding topics or speakers that interest you. I encourage you to continue to check the website for other events and trainings you may be interested in: https://www.naswil.org/events

CHAPTER NEWS
Save the Date! 2025 NASW-IL Advocacy Day
This year's annual NASW-Illinois Chapter Advocacy Day has been announced for Wednesday, April 9, 2025! This year's Advocacy Day will take place in-person, utilizing last year's restructured format. Participants will be led by trained NASW-Illinois Chapter Lobby Leaders who will work to schedule meetings with your elected officials and lead you through strategies for effective lobbying on the day of. Stay tuned to our Advocacy Day page in the coming days and weeks as we release full event information and links about our Lobby Leaders program, event registration, and more!
Join the 2025 NASW-Illinois Chapter Advisory Board of Directors
DEADLINE: March 1, 2025
Want to make a difference for social workers in Illinois and beyond? Do you have expertise in a particular method or field of social work practice? Do you have a unique perspective that you believe is under-represented? Joining the NASW-Illinois Chapter Advisory Board of Directors is a great way to implement change, share your knowledge, and voice your opinions! Consider getting involved in your professional association, or nominating a colleague for a leadership position. Learn more at: https://www.naswil.org/post/join-the-2025-nasw-illinois-chapter-advisory-board-of-directors
ANNOUNCING! New Proposal and Legislative Guide to Support School Social Workers Across Illinois
The NASW-Illinois Chapter is excited to present two powerful new resources aimed at improving mental health support for students statewide: the NASW-Illinois Chapter Policy Proposal for Enhancing School Social Work Staffing Ratios, and the accompanying NASW-Illinois Chapter Legislative Guide on Mental Health in Schools: The Urgent Need for More School Social Workers. Both resources are now available for members to use in advocating for better staffing and increased support for school social workers. These tools reflect the dedication and expertise of school social workers across Illinois who led this initiative to ensure every student in Illinois has access to the mental health resources they need to thrive. Read more about these new tools here: https://www.naswil.org/post/announcing-new-proposal-and-legislative-guide-to-support-school-social-workers-across-illinois
National Association of Social Workers, Illinois Chapter Urges Immediate Action to Address Mental Health Crisis in CPS Schools
Today, the National Association of Social Workers, Illinois Chapter (NASW-IL), in partnership with the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), calls for urgent action to address the mental health crisis affecting students in Chicago Public Schools (CPS). NASW-IL recently announced a workload based safe schools ratio that once again shows major deficiencies in how CPS addresses mental health in schools. This data driven approach backed by recent state Medicaid funding changes, would allow CPS to hire a workforce of school social workers adequate to meet the rising needs of its students. This proposal advocates for a workload-based staffing model that estimates CPS requires at least 2,031 school social workers to support students’ mental health, a number that could be conservative given the level of trauma experienced by Chicago’s youth. Read more about this call to action here: https://www.naswil.org/post/national-association-of-social-workers-illinois-chapter-urges-immediate-action-to-address-mental-he
SAC Renews Partial Loan Repayment Program for FY2025
The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) is currently accepting applications for their Professional Loan Repayment Program through June 30, 2025. If you are a social work graduate working in IL schools or municipalities or are a social worker working in a CBHC, click the links below to find out whether you are eligible:
• For Social Work Graduates Working in IL Schools and Municipalities: https://www.naswil.org/post/isac-renews-partial-loan-repayment-program-for-fy2025-for-social-work-graduates-working-in-il-school
• For Social Workers Working in Community Behavioral Health Care: https://www.naswil.org/post/isac-renews-partial-loan-repayment-program-for-fy2025-for-social-workers-working-in-community-behavi
IDFPR Updates on Licensure Process in Illinois
Read through our brief update on some significant progress we've made with our partners at the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) as a result of our collective advocacy to address the historic delays in obtaining social licensure in the state: https://www.naswil.org/post/updates-regarding-licensure-process
NASW-IL Clinical Supervision Hours Tracking Log: A Guide for Illinois Social Workers
The National Association of Social Workers, Illinois Chapter (NASW-IL), with the valuable assistance of one of our longtime supervision presenters, Natalie K. Holzman, LCSW, is pleased to introduce a voluntary tracking log designed to help social workers track their clinical supervision. This log is a practical tool to support you in your journey toward obtaining your Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) license. Read more about the tracking log here: https://www.naswil.org/post/introducing-the-nasw-il-clinical-supervision-hours-tracking-log-a-guide-for-illinois-social-workers
NASW-IL CE Worksheet for 2023–2025 LSW/LCSW Licensure
Following the latest Social Work Act changes approved by IDFPR for the current licensure cycle, the NASW-Illinois Chapter is proud to release this year's NASW-IL CE Worksheet for Licensure. This document is intended to aid Illinois LSW and LCSW licensees to keep track of all continuing education requirements for the current licensure cycle. Download the worksheet at: https://www.naswil.org/post/just-released-nasw-il-ce-worksheet-for-2023-2025-lsw-lcsw-licensure
Essential Practice and Licensure News:
• IDFPR Updates on Licensure Process in Illinois: https://www.naswil.org/post/updates-regarding-licensure-process
• NASW-IL CE Worksheet for 2023–2025 LSW/LCSW Licensure: https://www.naswil.org/post/just-released-nasw-il-ce-worksheet-for-2023-2025-lsw-lcsw-licensure
• 2024 Social Work Rule Changes Approved for Social Work Professionals: https://www.naswil.org/post/new-2024-social-work-rule-changes-approved-for-social-work-professionals
• IDFPR Licensure Renewal Requirements for 2023–2025: https://www.naswil.org/post/idfpr-licensure-renewal-requirements-for-2023-2025
“Ask NASW-IL” Series
We’ve posted several “Ask NASW-IL” questions in the past month relating to questions we’ve been receiving at the chapter. Click through the links below to learn more!
• How can I utilize the alternative to the ASWB exam to get my LCSW?
For a complete list of archived “Ask NASW-IL” articles, go to: https://www.naswil.org/blog/categories/ask-nasw-il
Other Chapter News:
• NASW-IL DEIAB Committee Statement on the Death of Sonya Massey: https://www.naswil.org/post/nasw-il-deiab-committee-statement-on-the-death-of-sonya-massey
• Biden’s Legacy: NASW thanks the President for his unprecedented support for social workers - https://www.naswil.org/post/biden-s-legacy-nasw-thanks-the-president-for-his-unprecedented-support-for-social-workers
• NASW-IL 2024 Illinois Spring Legislative Report: https://www.naswil.org/post/nasw-il-2024-illinois-spring-legislative-report
• Social Work Rules and Specialty CEU Rules Webpages Updated: https://www.naswil.org/post/social-work-rules-and-specialty-ceu-rules-webpages-updated
For more news, go to the NASW-Illinois Chapter News page: https://www.naswil.org/blog
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