Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 38, September 20, 2024
a) Direct
Child Welfare Service Employees Requiring Licensure
Direct service casework managers, supervisors and caseworkers
who carry assigned cases and/or provide case management services for the
purpose of investigation, casework, intact/family preservation, permanency or
licensing decisions shall obtain a license to practice as a direct child
welfare service employee. Individuals responsible for making licensing
decisions for domestic and foreign adoption only agencies and who do not make
placement decisions are not required to be licensed under this
Part.
b) Qualifications for
Licensure
The Department shall issue a license to an applicant
who:
1) has applied in writing on the
prescribed form and has not provided false information;
2) has had a background check completed in
accordance with 89 Ill. Adm. Code 385 (Background Checks), has no pending or
indicated reports of child abuse or neglect, and has no pending or criminal
charge that is a bar to employment under Section 4.2 of the Child Care Act. Any
other conviction or pending criminal action will be assessed according to
Section 4.2 of the Child Care Act and 89 Ill. Adm. Code 385;
3) is a graduate of an accredited college or
university with a minimum of a bachelor's degree or provides documentation of
foreign equivalency, as determined by the Council for Higher Education
Accreditation, One Dupont Circle NW, Suite 510, Washington DC 20036, of a
minimum of a bachelor's degree from a college or university outside of the
United States;
4) has completed a
prescribed Department pre-service course of training prior to the prescribed
licensing examination;
5) has
passed the examination to practice as a direct child welfare service employee
as authorized by the Department (a score of at least 70% is required to pass
the examination);
6) is not
delinquent in paying a child support order as specified in Section 10-65 of the
Illinois Administrative Procedure Act;
7) is not in default of an educational loan
in accordance with Section 2 of the Educational Loan Default Act;
8) does not pose a possible danger to State
resources or clients;
9) has not
engaged in conduct described in Section
412.50;
10) has not relinquished his or her license
during a licensure investigation or after the commencement of a licensure
hearing, or had his or her license revoked after the commencement of a
licensure hearing. An applicant who has had his or her license revoked or
relinquished under these circumstances must first go through the reinstatement
process and shall file a new application and comply with other qualifications
in this subsection (b); and
11)
holds a valid driver's license and has not been convicted of two or more moving
traffic violations under the Illinois Motor Vehicle Code [625 ILCS 5 ], and has
not been convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs
within the year prior to application for licensure.
c) Referral to the Office of the Inspector
General for Pre-Licensing Investigation
OCWEL may refer applicants to the Department's OIG for
investigation during the licensing process if information indicates that the
applicant has engaged in acts that may be grounds for suspension, revocation or
refusal to reinstate a license, as described in Section 412.50. The OIG will
complete a limited investigation of the applicant within 30 days after the
referral and provide the investigation findings to OCWEL. OCWEL may extend the
time of the limited investigation for good cause. If OCWEL finds that the
information from the OIG investigation provides the basis for refusal to issue
a license, OCWEL may refuse to issue a license to the
applicant.
d) OCWEL may
recall a license that was issued in error within 10 days after
issuance.
e) Licensing Examination
1) The licensing examination shall be
administered by the Department or designated testing service. It shall cover
knowledge and skills including, but not limited to, understanding of child
welfare laws and regulations applicable in Illinois, methods of protecting the
safety and well-being of children, and the importance of, and techniques for,
coordination of services.
2) The
Department shall notify the employee and employer of the testing outcome within
seven calendar days after the testing date.
3) Applicants shall be allowed two attempts
within one year to pass the written examination.
f) License Restrictions and Limitations
1) All direct child welfare service employees
and supervisors must obtain a license under this Part to be employed as a
direct child welfare service employee.
2) Licensed direct child welfare service
employees are responsible for remaining current with changes in law, rule and
procedures governing child welfare services.
3) Licensees must notify OCWEL of any changes
in their address. Licensees who fail to notify OCWEL of any address change will
have waived their right to object to improper service when the Department
provides service to the last address reported to OCWEL by the
licensee.
4) This license does not
allow any person to represent herself or himself as a licensed social worker or
licensed clinical social worker as defined under the Clinical Social Work and
Social Work Practice Act [225 ILCS 20 ]. The license is solely for the purpose
of employment with the Department or with a POS agency or a temporary services
agency as a direct child welfare service employee.
g) Voluntary Relinquishment of a License
1) A licensee may voluntarily relinquish his
or her license;
2) A license
voluntarily relinquished during a pending licensure or disciplinary
investigation, administrative proceeding, or subsequent court action shall be
recorded in the licensee's CWEL file as relinquished during licensure or
disciplinary investigation, administrative proceeding, or subsequent court
action;
3) Voluntary relinquishment
of a license must be filed with OCWEL on a prescribed form. The licensee must
acknowledge on the form that reinstatement will be subject to consideration of
the facts disclosed in any pending licensure investigation or administrative
proceeding. Voluntary relinquishment does not divest the OIG of the
jurisdiction to complete a pending investigation;
4) An application for a license from an
applicant who previously relinquished his or her license shall be considered a
request for reinstatement in addition to an application for license.
