State of Illinois
92nd General Assembly
Legislation

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92_HB0438

 
                                               LRB9202812LBgc

 1        AN ACT in relation to counseling.

 2        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 3    represented in the General Assembly:

 4        Section   5.  The  Professional  Counselor  and  Clinical
 5    Professional Counselor Licensing Act is amended  by  changing
 6    Sections 20 and 80 as follows:

 7        (225 ILCS 107/20)
 8        Sec. 20.  Restrictions and limitations.
 9        (a)  No  person  shall,  without  a  valid  license  as a
10    professional counselor issued by the Department: (i)  in  any
11    manner  hold  himself  or  herself  out  to  the  public as a
12    professional counselor under this Act; (ii) attach the  title
13    "professional    counselor"    or    "licensed   professional
14    counselor";  or  (iii)  offer  to   render   or   render   to
15    individuals,   corporations,   or   the  public  professional
16    counseling services if the words "professional counselor"  or
17    "licensed  professional  counselor"  are used to describe the
18    person offering to render or rendering them, or "professional
19    counseling" is used to  describe  the  services  rendered  or
20    offered to be rendered.
21        (b)  No  person  shall,  without  a  valid  license  as a
22    clinical professional counselor issued by the Department: (i)
23    in any manner hold himself or herself out to the public as  a
24    clinical   professional   counselor   or   licensed  clinical
25    professional counselor under this Act; (ii) attach the  title
26    "clinical   professional  counselor"  or  "licensed  clinical
27    professional  counselor";  or  (iii)  offer  to   render   to
28    individuals,    corporations,    or   the   public   clinical
29    professional  counseling  services  if  the  words  "licensed
30    clinical professional counselor" are  used  to  describe  the
31    person to render or rendering them, or "clinical professional
 
                            -2-                LRB9202812LBgc
 1    counseling"  is  used  to  describe  the services rendered or
 2    offered to be rendered.
 3        (c)  Licensed professional counselors may not  engage  in
 4    independent private practice as defined in this Act without a
 5    clinical   professional   counseling   license.   In  private
 6    practice, a licensed professional counselor must practice  at
 7    all  times  under  the  order, control, and full professional
 8    responsibility of a licensed clinical professional counselor,
 9    a  licensed  clinical  social  worker,  a  licensed  clinical
10    psychologist, or a psychiatrist, as defined in Section  1-121
11    of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code.
12        (d)  No  association  or  partnership  shall be granted a
13    license unless every member, partner,  and  employee  of  the
14    association   or   partnership   who  practices  professional
15    counseling  or  clinical  professional  counseling,  or   who
16    renders  professional  counseling  or  clinical  professional
17    counseling  services,  holds a currently valid license issued
18    under this Act. No license shall be issued to a  corporation,
19    the  stated  purpose  of which includes or which practices or
20    which holds itself out as available to practice  professional
21    counseling  or  clinical professional counseling unless it is
22    organized under the Professional Service Corporation Act.
23        (e)  Nothing in this Act shall be construed as permitting
24    persons  licensed  as  professional  counselors  or  clinical
25    professional counselors  to  engage  in  any  manner  in  the
26    practice of medicine in all its branches as defined by law in
27    this State.
28        (f)  When,   in  the  course  of  providing  professional
29    counseling or clinical professional  counseling  services  to
30    any person, a professional counselor or clinical professional
31    counselor  licensed  under  this  Act  finds  indication of a
32    disease or condition that in his or her professional judgment
33    requires professional service outside the scope  of  practice
34    as  defined in this Act, he or she shall refer that person to
 
                            -3-                LRB9202812LBgc
 1    a physician licensed to  practice  medicine  in  all  of  its
 2    branches or another appropriate health care practitioner.
 3    (Source: P.A. 87-1011.)

 4        (225 ILCS 107/80)
 5        Sec. 80.  Grounds for discipline.
 6        (a)  The  Department  may  refuse to issue, renew, or may
 7    revoke, suspend, place on probation, reprimand, or take other
 8    disciplinary action  as  the  Department  deems  appropriate,
 9    including  the issuance of fines not to exceed $1000 for each
10    violation, with regard to any license for any one or more  of
11    the following:
12             (1)  Material misstatement in furnishing information
13        to the Department or to any other State agency.
14             (2)  Violations    or   negligent   or   intentional
15        disregard of this Act, or any of its rules.
16             (3)  Conviction of any crime under the laws  of  the
17        United States or any state or territory thereof that is a
18        felony, or that is a misdemeanor, an essential element of
19        which  is  dishonesty,  or of any crime which is directly
20        related to the practice of the profession.
21             (4)  Making any misrepresentation for the purpose of
22        obtaining a license, or violating any provision  of  this
23        Act or its rules.
24             (5)  Professional  incompetence  or gross negligence
25        in the rendering of professional counseling  or  clinical
26        professional counseling services.
27             (6)  Malpractice.
28             (7)  Aiding or assisting another person in violating
29        any provision of this Act or any rules.
30             (8)  Failing  to  provide information within 60 days
31        in response to a written request made by the Department.
32             (9)  Engaging   in   dishonorable,   unethical,   or
33        unprofessional conduct of a character likely to  deceive,
 
                            -4-                LRB9202812LBgc
 1        defraud,  or  harm  the public and violating the rules of
 2        professional conduct adopted by the Department.
 3             (10)  Habitual or  excessive  use  or  addiction  to
 4        alcohol,  narcotics,  stimulants,  or  any other chemical
 5        agent or drug which results in inability to practice with
 6        reasonable skill, judgment, or safety.
 7             (11)  Discipline  by  another  jurisdiction,  if  at
 8        least one of the grounds for the discipline is  the  same
 9        or  substantially  equivalent  to those set forth in this
10        Section.
11             (12)  Directly or indirectly giving to or  receiving
12        from   any  person,  firm,  corporation,  partnership  or
13        association any fee, commission, rebate or other form  of
14        compensation  for  any  professional service not actually
15        rendered.
16             (13)  A finding by  the  Board  that  the  licensee,
17        after  having  the license placed on probationary status,
18        has violated the terms of probation.
19             (14)  Abandonment of a client.
20             (15)  Willfully filing false reports relating  to  a
21        licensee's  practice,  including but not limited to false
22        records  filed  with  federal  or   State   agencies   or
23        departments.
24             (16)  Willfully  failing  to  report  an instance of
25        suspected child abuse  or  neglect  as  required  by  the
26        Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act.
27             (17)  Being  named  as a perpetrator in an indicated
28        report by the Department of Children and Family  Services
29        pursuant to the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act,
30        and  upon proof by clear and convincing evidence that the
31        licensee has caused a child to  be  an  abused  child  or
32        neglected  child  as  defined in the Abused and Neglected
33        Child Reporting Act.
34             (18)  Physical  or  mental   disability,   including
 
                            -5-                LRB9202812LBgc
 1        deterioration  through  the  aging  process  or  loss  of
 2        abilities  and  skills  which results in the inability to
 3        practice the profession with reasonable judgment,  skill,
 4        or safety.
 5             (19)  Solicitation of professional services by using
 6        false or misleading advertising.
 7             (20)  Failure  to  file a return, or to pay the tax,
 8        penalty or interest shown in a filed return,  or  to  pay
 9        any  final  assessment  of  tax,  penalty or interest, as
10        required by any tax  Act  administered  by  the  Illinois
11        Department  of  Revenue  or  any  successor agency or the
12        Internal Revenue Service or any successor agency.
13             (21)  A finding that licensure has been applied  for
14        or obtained by fraudulent means.
15             (22)  Practicing  or  attempting to practice under a
16        name other than the full name as shown on the license  or
17        any other legally authorized name.
18             (23)  Gross  overcharging  for professional services
19        including filing statements for  collection  of  fees  or
20        monies for which services are not rendered.
21        (b)  The  Department  shall  deny,  without  hearing, any
22    application or renewal for a license under this  Act  to  any
23    person who has defaulted on an educational loan guaranteed by
24    the   Illinois  State  Assistance  Commission;  however,  the
25    Department may issue a license or renewal if  the  person  in
26    default  has  established  a satisfactory repayment record as
27    determined by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.
28        (b-1)  In enforcing  this  Section,  the  Board,  upon  a
29    showing  of  a  possible  violation, may compel a licensee or
30    applicant to submit to a mental or physical  examination,  or
31    both,  as  required  by and at the expense of the Department.
32    The examining physician or  clinical  psychologist  shall  be
33    specifically  designated  by  the  Board.   The  Board or the
34    Department may order  the  examining  physician  or  clinical
 
                            -6-                LRB9202812LBgc
 1    psychologist  to  present  testimony concerning the mental or
 2    physical  examination  of  a  licensee  or  applicant.     No
 3    information  may  be  excluded by reason of any common law or
 4    statutory privilege  relating  to  communications  between  a
 5    licensee or applicant and the examining physician or clinical
 6    psychologist.  Eye examinations may be provided by a licensed
 7    and  certified  therapeutic optometrist.  An individual to be
 8    examined may  have,  at  his  or  her  own  expense,  another
 9    physician  of his or her choice present during all aspects of
10    the examination.  Failure of an individual  to  submit  to  a
11    mental or physical examination, when directed, is grounds for
12    suspension  of  his  or  her license. The license must remain
13    suspended until the time that the individual submits  to  the
14    examination  or  the Board finds, after notice and a hearing,
15    that the refusal  to  submit  to  the  examination  was  with
16    reasonable cause.
17        (b-2)  If the Board finds that an individual is unable to
18    practice  because  of  the reasons set forth in this Section,
19    the Board must require the  individual  to  submit  to  care,
20    counseling,   or   treatment   by  a  physician  or  clinical
21    psychologist approved by the Board, as a condition, term,  or
22    restriction  for  continued, reinstated, or renewed licensure
23    to practice. In lieu of care, counseling, or  treatment,  the
24    Board  may  recommend that the Department file a complaint to
25    immediately suspend or revoke the license of  the  individual
26    or  otherwise  discipline  him  or  her. Any individual whose
27    license  was  granted,  continued,  reinstated,  or   renewed
28    subject  to  conditions,  terms, or restrictions, as provided
29    for in this Section, or any individual who was disciplined or
30    placed on  supervision  pursuant  to  this  Section  must  be
31    referred  to  the  Director for a determination as to whether
32    the individual  shall  have  his  or  her  license  suspended
33    immediately, pending a hearing by the Board.
34        (c)  The  determination  by  a  court  that a licensee is
 
                            -7-                LRB9202812LBgc
 1    subject to involuntary admission  or  judicial  admission  as
 2    provided  in the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities
 3    Code will result in an automatic suspension  of  his  or  her
 4    license.   The  suspension will end upon a finding by a court
 5    that  the  licensee  is  no  longer  subject  to  involuntary
 6    admission or judicial admission, the issuance of an order  so
 7    finding  and  discharging the patient, and the recommendation
 8    of the Board to the Director that the licensee be allowed  to
 9    resume professional practice.
10    (Source: P.A. 87-1011; 87-1269.)

11        (225 ILCS 107/55 rep.)
12        (225 ILCS 107/60 rep.)
13        Section  10.  The  Professional  Counselor  and  Clinical
14    Professional  Counselor Licensing Act is amended by repealing
15    Sections 55 and 60.

16        Section 99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect  upon
17    becoming law.

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