Illinois Administrative Code
Title 68 - PROFESSIONS AND OCCUPATIONS
Part 1470 - CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK AND SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE ACT
Section 1470.95 - Continuing Education
Universal Citation: 68 IL Admin Code ยง 1470.95
Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 12, March 22, 2024
a) Continuing Education Hours Requirements
1)
Every licensee who applies for renewal of a license as a Licensed Social Worker
or Licensed Clinical Social Worker shall complete 30 hours of continuing
education (CE) relevant to the practice of social work or clinical social work.
At least 3 of the 30 hours must include content related to the ethical practice
of social work and at least 3 of the 30 hours must include content related to
cultural competence in the practice of social work.
2) A prerenewal period is the 24 months
preceding November 30 of each odd-numbered year.
3) CE requirements shall be the same for
Licensed Social Workers and Licensed Clinical Social Workers.
4) One CE hour shall equal one clock
hour.
5) Courses that are part of
the curriculum of a university, college or other educational institution shall
be allotted CE credit at the rate of 15 CE hours for each semester hour or 10
CE hours for each quarter hour of school credit awarded.
6) A renewal applicant shall not be required
to comply with CE requirements for the first renewal of an Illinois
license.
7) Social workers or
clinical social workers licensed in Illinois but residing and practicing in
other states shall comply with the CE requirements set forth in this
Section.
b) Approved Continuing Education (CE)
1) CE hours shall be
earned by verified attendance (e.g., certificate of attendance or certificate
of completion) at or participation in an in-person program or course
("program") that is offered or sponsored by an approved CE sponsor who meets
the requirements set forth in subsection (c), except for those activities
provided in subsections (b)(2), (3) and (4).
2) CE credit also may be earned by verified
completion (e.g., certificate of attendance or certificate of completion) of a
remote program (e.g., self-study, book-study, or computer/online based course)
that is offered by an approved sponsor who meets the requirements set forth in
subsection (c). Each remote course shall include an examination.
3) CE credit may be earned through
postgraduate training programs (e.g., extern, residency or fellowship programs)
or completion of social work related courses that are a part of the curriculum
of a college, university or graduate school of social work.
4) CE credit may be earned for verified
teaching in a college, university or graduate school of social work approved in
accordance with Section
1470.30 and/or as an instructor
of CE programs given by approved sponsors. Credit will be applied at the rate
of 1.5 hours for every hour taught
and only for the first presentation of the program (i.e., credit shall not be
allowed for repetitious presentations of the same program).
5) CE credit may be earned for authoring
papers, publications or books and for preparing presentations and exhibits. The
preparation of each published paper, book chapter or presentation dealing with
social work or clinical social work may be claimed as 5 hours of credit. A
presentation must be before a professional audience. Five credit hours may be
claimed for only the first time the information is published or
presented.
c) Approved CE Sponsors and Programs
1) Approved sponsor, as
used in this Section, shall mean:
A) The
National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and its affiliates;
B) The Association of Social Work Boards
(ASWB) and its affiliates;
C)
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy or its
affiliates;
D) Employers licensed
under the Hospital Licensing Act [210 ILCS 85 ];
E) Professional Counseling Continuing
Education Sponsors approved by the Division in accordance with the rules for
the administration of the Professional Counselor and Clinical Professional
Counselor Licensing and Practice Act [225 ILCS 107
] (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1375.220) ;
F) Clinical Psychologist Continuing Education
Sponsors approved by the Division in accordance with the rules for the
administration of the Clinical Psychologist Licensing Act [225 ILCS
15 ] (68 Ill. Adm. Code
1400.85) ;
G) Any other regionally accredited school,
college or university, community college or State agency that provides CE in a
form and manner consistent with this Section; or
H) Any other person, firm, association,
corporation or other group that has been approved and authorized by the
Division pursuant to subsection (c)(2) upon recommendation of the Board to
coordinate and present continuing education courses or programs.
2) Entities seeking approval as CE
sponsors pursuant to subsection (c)(1)(C) shall file an application, on forms
supplied by the Division, along with the application fee specified in Section
1470.55. The applicant shall
certify on the application the following:
A)
That all programs offered by the sponsor for CE credit will comply with the
criteria in subsection (c)(3) and all other criteria in this Section. A sponsor
shall be required to submit a CE program with course materials for review prior
to being approved as a CE sponsor;
B) That the sponsor will be responsible for
verifying attendance at or completion of each program and provide a certificate
of attendance or completion as set forth in subsection (c)(9);
C) That, upon request by the Division, the
sponsor will submit evidence (e.g., certificate of attendance or completion or
course materials) as is necessary to establish compliance with this Section.
Evidence shall be required when the Division has reason to believe that there
is not full compliance with the statute and this Part and that this information
is necessary to ensure compliance.
3) All programs shall:
A) Contribute to the advancement, extension
and enhancement of the professional skills and scientific knowledge of the
license in the practice of social work or clinical social work;
B) Foster the enhancement of general or
specialized social work or clinical social work practice and values;
C) Be developed and presented by persons with
education and/or experience in the subject matter of the program;
D) Specify the course objectives, course
content and teaching methods to be used; and
E) Specify the number of CE hours that may be
applied to fulfilling the Illinois CE requirements for license
renewal.
4) Each CE
program shall provide a mechanism for evaluation of the program by the
participants. The evaluation may be completed on-site immediately following the
program presentation or an evaluation questionnaire may be distributed to
participants to be completed and returned by mail or email. The sponsor and the
instructor, together, shall review the evaluation outcome and revise subsequent
programs accordingly.
5) An
approved sponsor may subcontract with individuals and organizations to provide
approved programs.
6) All programs
given by approved sponsors shall be open to all Licensed Social Workers and
Licensed Clinical Social Workers and not be limited to members of a single
organization or group.
7)
Continuing education credit hours used to satisfy the CE requirements of
another jurisdiction may be applied to fulfill the CE requirements of the State
of Illinois.
8) To maintain
approval as a sponsor, each sponsor shall submit to the Division, by November
30 of each odd-numbered year, a renewal application, the renewal fee specified
in Section 1470.55 and a list of courses
and programs offered within the last 24 months. The list shall include a brief
description, location, date and time of each course given.
9) It shall be the responsibility of a
sponsor to provide each participant in a program with a certificate of
attendance or completion. The sponsor's certificate shall contain:
A) The name, address and license number of
the sponsor;
B) The name and
address of the participant;
C) A
brief statement of the subject matter;
D) The number of hours attended in each
program;
E) The date and place of
the program; and
F) The signature
of the sponsor.
10) The
sponsor shall maintain attendance records for not less than 5 years.
11) The sponsor shall be responsible for
assuring that no renewal applicant shall receive CE credit for time not
actually spent attending or completing the program.
12) Upon the failure of a sponsor to comply
with any of the foregoing requirements, the Division, after notice to the
sponsor and hearing before and recommendation by the Board (see 68 Ill. Adm.
Code 1110), shall thereafter refuse to accept for CE credit attendance at or
participation in any of that sponsor's CE programs until the Division receives
assurances of compliance with this Section.
13) Notwithstanding any other provision of
this Section, the Division or Board may evaluate any sponsor of any approved CE
program at any time to ensure compliance with requirements of this
Section.
d) Certification of Compliance with CE Requirements
1) Each
renewal applicant shall certify, on the renewal application, full compliance
with the CE requirements set forth in subsections (a) and (b).
2) The Division may require additional
evidence demonstrating compliance with the CE requirements (e.g., certificate
of attendance or certificate of completion). This additional evidence shall be
required in the context of the Division's random audit. It is the
responsibility of each renewal applicant to retain or otherwise produce
evidence of compliance.
3) When
there appears to be a lack of compliance with CE requirements, an applicant
shall be notified in writing and may request an interview with the Board. At
that time, the Board may recommend that steps be taken to begin formal
disciplinary proceedings as required by Section 10-65 of the Illinois
Administrative Procedure Act [5 ILCS 100/10-65
].
e) Continuing Education Earned in Other Jurisdictions
1) If
a licensee has earned CE hours offered in another state or territory not given
by an approved sponsor for which the licensee will be claiming credit toward
full compliance in Illinois, the applicant shall submit an out-of-state
continuing education approval form, along with a $25 processing fee, prior to
participation in the program or at least 90 days prior to expiration of the
license. The Board shall review and recommend approval or disapproval of the
program using the criteria set forth in subsection (c)(3).
2) If a licensee fails to submit an
out-of-state CE approval form within the required time frame, late approval may
be obtained by submitting the approval form with the $25 processing fee, plus a
$10 per hour late fee, not to exceed $150. The Board shall review and recommend
approval or disapproval of the program using the criteria set forth in
subsection (c)(3).
f) Restoration of Nonrenewed License. Upon satisfactory evidence of compliance with CE requirements, the Division shall restore the license upon payment of the required fee as provided in Section 1470.55.
g) Waiver of CE Requirements
1) Any renewal applicant seeking renewal of a
license without having fully complied with these CE requirements shall file
with the Division a renewal application along with the required fee set forth
in Section 1470.55, a statement setting forth the facts concerning
non-compliance and request for waiver of the CE requirements on the basis of
these facts. A request for waiver shall be made prior to the renewal date. If
the Division, upon the written recommendation of the Board, finds from the
affidavit or any other evidence submitted that extreme hardship has been shown
for granting a waiver, the Division shall waive enforcement of CE requirements
for the renewal period for which the applicant has applied.
2) Extreme hardship shall be determined on an
individual basis by the Board and be defined as an inability to devote
sufficient hours to fulfilling the CE requirements during the applicable
prerenewal period because of:
A) Full-time
service in the armed forces of the United States of America during a
substantial part of the prerenewal period;
B) An incapacitating illness documented by a
statement from a currently licensed physician, advanced practice nurse or
physician assistant; or
C) Any
other extenuating circumstances.
3) Any renewal applicant who, prior to the
expiration date of the license, submits a request for a waiver, in whole or in
part, pursuant to the provisions of this Section shall be deemed to be in good
standing until the final decision on the application is made by the
Division.
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