(225 ILCS 107/15)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)

Sec. 15. Exemptions.

(a) This Act does not prohibit any persons legally regulated in this State by any other Act from engaging in the practice for which they are authorized as long as they do not represent themselves by the title of "professional counselor", "licensed professional counselor", "clinical professional counselor", or "licensed clinical professional counselor". This Act does not prohibit the practice of nonregulated professions whose practitioners are engaged in the delivery of human services as long as these practitioners do not represent themselves as or use the title of "professional counselor", "licensed professional counselor", "clinical professional counselor", or "licensed clinical professional counselor".

(b) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit the activities and services of a student, intern, or resident in professional counseling or clinical professional counseling seeking to fulfill educational requirements in order to qualify for a license under this Act if (i) these activities and services constitute a part of the student's supervised course of study, (ii) the activities and services are not conducted in an independent practice, as defined in this Act, (iii) the activities and services are supervised as specified in this Act, and (iv) the student, intern, or resident is designated by a title "intern" or "resident" or other designation of trainee status. Nothing contained in this Section shall be construed to permit students, interns, or residents to offer their services as professional counselors or clinical professional counselors to any other person, other than as specifically excepted in this Section, unless they have been licensed under this Act.

(b-5) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit the activities and services of individuals seeking to fulfill post-degree experience requirements in order to qualify for licensing as a clinical professional counselor under this Act, so long as the individual is not engaged in the independent private practice of clinical professional counseling as defined in this Act, and is in compliance with all applicable regulations regarding supervision including, but not limited to, the requirement that the supervised experience must be under the order, control, and full professional responsibility of their supervisor. The Department may, by rule, adopt further limitations on individuals practicing under this subsection.

(c) Corporations, partnerships, and associations may employ practicum students, interns, or post-degree candidates seeking to fulfill educational requirements or the professional experience requirements needed to qualify for a license under this Act if their activities and services constitute a part of the student's supervised course of study or post-degree professional experience requirements. Nothing in this paragraph shall prohibit a corporation, partnership, or association from contracting with a licensed health care professional to provide services that they are licensed to provide.

(d) Nothing in this Act shall prevent the employment, by a professional counselor or clinical professional counselor, person, association, partnership, or a corporation furnishing professional counseling or clinical professional counseling services for remuneration, of persons not licensed as professional counselors or clinical professional counselors under this Act to perform services in various capacities as needed if these persons are not in any manner held out to the public or do not hold themselves out to the public by any title or designation stating or implying that they are professional counselors or clinical professional counselors.

(e) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit the services of a person, not licensed under the provisions of this Act, in the employ of a federal, State, county, or municipal agency or other political subdivision or not-for-profit corporation providing human services if (1) the services are a part of the duties in his or her salaried position, (2) the services are performed solely on behalf of his or her employer, and (3) that person does not in any manner represent himself or herself as or use the title of "professional counselor", "licensed professional counselor", "clinical professional counselor", or "licensed clinical professional counselor".

(f) Duly recognized members of any religious organization shall not be restricted from functioning in their ministerial capacity provided they do not represent themselves as being professional counselors or clinical professional counselors, or as providing "professional counseling" or "clinical professional counseling". This Act shall not apply or be construed so as to apply to the employees or agents of a church or religious organization or an organization owned, controlled, or affiliated with a church or religious organization, unless the church, religious organization, or owned, controlled, or affiliated organization designates or holds these employees or agents out to the public as professional counselors or clinical professional counselors or holds out their services as being "professional counseling" or "clinical professional counseling".

(g) Nothing in this Act shall prohibit individuals not licensed under the provisions of this Act who work in self-help groups or programs or not-for-profit organizations from providing services in those groups, programs, or organizations, as long as those persons are not in any manner held out to the public as practicing professional counseling or clinical professional counseling, or do not hold themselves out to the public by any title or designation stating or implying that they are professional counselors or clinical professional counselors.

(h) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit the activities and use of the official title of "professional counselor" or "clinical professional counselor" on the part of a person not licensed under this Act who is an academic employee of a duly chartered institution of higher education and who holds educational and professional qualifications equivalent to those required for licensing under this Act, insofar as such activities are performed in the person's role as an academic employee, or insofar as such person engages in public speaking with or without remuneration.

(i) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to require licensure under this Act or limit the services of a school counselor licensed by the Illinois State Board of Education and employed as authorized by Section 10-22-24a or any other provision of the School Code as long as that person is not in any manner held out to the public as a "professional counselor" or "clinical professional counselor" or does not hold out his or her services as being "professional counseling" or "clinical professional counseling".

(j) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to require any hospital, clinic, home health agency, hospice, or other entity that provides health care to employ or to contract with a person licensed under this Act to provide professional counseling or clinical professional counseling services. These persons may not hold themselves out or represent themselves to the public as being licensed under this Act.

(k) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to require licensure under this Act or limit the services of a person employed by a private elementary or secondary school who provides counseling within the scope of his or her employment as long as that person is not in any manner held out to the public as a "professional counselor" or "clinical professional counselor" or does not hold out his or her services as being "professional counseling" or "clinical professional counseling".

(l) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to require licensure under this Act or limit the services of a rape crisis counselor who is an employee or volunteer of a rape crisis organization as defined in Section 8-802.1 of the Code of Civil Procedure as long as that person is not in any manner held out to the public as a "professional counselor" or "clinical professional counselor" or does not hold out his or her services as being "professional counseling" or "clinical professional counseling".

(m) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prevent any licensed social worker, licensed clinical social worker, or licensed clinical psychologist from practicing professional counseling as long as that person is not in any manner held out to the public as a "professional counselor" or "clinical professional counselor" or does not hold out his or her services as being "professional counseling" or "clinical professional counseling".

(n) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit the activities and use of the official title of "professional counselor" or "clinical professional counselor" on the part of a person not licensed under this Act who is a physician licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches under the Medical Practice Act of 1987.

(o) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to require licensure under this Act or limit the services of a domestic violence counselor who is an employee or volunteer of a domestic violence program as defined in Section 227 of the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986.

(Source: P.A. 102-878, eff. 1-1-23.)