NASW-Illinois Chapter
Update: (As of February 14th, 2020), the chapter has continued to inquire with ASWB about how they will comply with the new Illinois law requirement, unfortunately we do not have new information to give you. We continue to be hopeful a resolution can happen soon that will allow all of you, who are contacting us about why this law has not been implemented, to sit for the test your last semester. Please know we share your frustration and will continue to advocate for a swift resolution that represents your interests.
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In mid-November 2019, we spoke about an amendment to The Clinical Social Work and Social Work Practice Act (Senate Bill 1888), that beginning on January 1, 2020, Illinois social work students currently enrolled in their last semester of a master’s level social work program would be able to sit for the ASWB Masters exam (for LSW) without pre-approval.
While the law is still in effect, at this time the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) is not prepared to implement this new Illinois law. We were told by ASWB that they are working with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) to rectify this issue as quickly as possible. The NASW-Illinois Chapter will continue to monitor this issue and push both organizations for a swift conclusion that allows master’s students in their last semester to sit for the ASWB test as Illinois law allows.