It takes great dedication and commitment to be an Illinois social worker. After all, one of the main duties of the profession is helping people navigate through difficult life situations. Many times, it is the most vulnerable that a social worker is helping, such as children and the elderly.
The majority of social workers are never named in any ethical complaints or arrested on charges of wrongdoing in the course of their job. Some say that the cost of liability and malpractice insurance for social workers is proof of the low rate of incidences – the premiums much lower than they are for malpractice insurance for other healthcare professionals.
Unfortunately, despite the low numbers, there are situations where a social worker may be notified by the Illinois Social Work Examining and Disciplinary Board that they are under investigation due to an allegation made by a third party. If this happens to you, make sure you contact an Illinois professional license defense attorney immediately.
What Is Considered a Violation of the Social Worker Act?
Every social worker in the state of Illinois must adhere to the standards and regulations listed in the Illinois Clinical Social Work and Social Work Practice Act. Included in this law are acts that the state has classified as unprofessional conduct and could result in disciplinary actions against the social worker’s professional license.
The following are some reasons why or situations in which a social worker could be facing disciplinary actions by the board:
- Abandoning a client without cause
- Any mental or physical health issues or disability that interferes with the social worker’s ability to use reasonable judgment, safety, and skill in their practice
- Assisting another party in violating rules covered under the Act
- Conviction of a crime where the essential element was directly related to social work
- Excessive use of alcohol or drugs
- Failure to report suspected child abuse
- Failure to report suspected child neglect
- Filing false claims relating to practice
- Gross negligence
- Misrepresentation or false statements to state agencies or insurance company when filing a claim on behalf of a client
- Misrepresentation or fraud in their application for their social work license
- Perpetrator of child abuse accusations
- Perpetrator of child neglect accusations
- Professional incompetence
- Using false or misleading advertising to solicit new clients
- Violating the Health Care Worker Self-Referral Act
- Violation of professional license probation
Contact an Illinois Professional License Defense Lawyer
Any allegation of wrongdoing can have a significant impact on your ability to do your job. If you have been notified by the board you are under investigation, do not delay in calling Williams & Nickl, LLC at 312-335-9470 to schedule a free and confidential consultation with one of our skilled Chicago social worker license defense attorneys.
Sources:
https://www.socialworktoday.com/archive/090915p20.shtml
https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=1295&ChapterID=24
