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Below is an update reprinted from the Illinois Senate Democrats website which provides an update on House Bill 4749 which was a featured bill in our recent March 2022 NASW-IL Advocacy Update as well as during this month's 2022 Advocacy Day. The bill is an NASW-Illinois Chapter initiative.
SPRINGFIELD—Illinois visitors and out-of-state students would be able to continue to receive their established therapeutic services via telehealth from an out-of-state certified social worker under a measure championed by State Senator Karina Villa (D-West Chicago).
“I have seen firsthand how essential these services can be to those in need,” Villa said. “As a former school social worker, I know how important it is to nurture and maintain relationships between therapists and those they care for.”
Clinicians are required to be licensed in the state where their client is physically located at the time of care, not the state where they reside under current law. House Bill 4797 would allow non-residents and visitors to Illinois, such as university students, to continue to receive the care they need from their trusted and established therapists.
“I am proud to advance this legislation that will further establish Illinois as a national leader in mental health care access,” Villa said. “These vital resources should be available to everyone in our state, resident or otherwise.”
The legislation passed out of the Senate Wednesday and now awaits further action from the governor.
For more advocacy-related news from the NASW-Illinois Chapter, visit the "Advocacy" sub-tab on our "News" page.
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the world, with over 120,000 members. The NASW-Illinois Chapter is one of the association's largest chapters representing over 20.000 licensed Illinois social workers and school social workers, with over 5,000 active members. NASW strives to advance social work careers, grow social work businesses, and protect the profession.