Question 1

Does Illinois require Cultural Competency training for psychologists?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Illinois Licensed Clinical Psychologists must complete 1 hour of Cultural Competency training. This requirement is established under 68 Ill. Admin. Code Section 1130.525 and 20 ILCS 2105/2105-370, and applies beginning with the first applicable license renewal on or after January 1, 2025.

Question 2

What is cultural competency?

Accepted Answer

Per 68 Ill. Admin. Code Section 1130.525(a) and 20 ILCS 2105/2105-370(a), cultural competency is defined as a set of integrated attitudes, knowledge, and skills that enables a health care professional or organization to care effectively for patients from diverse cultures, groups, and communities.

Question 3

Who is required to complete Cultural Competency training in Illinois?

Accepted Answer

68 Ill. Admin. Code Section 1130.525(b) applies the requirement to health care professionals holding any of 29 listed licenses, including clinical psychologist. 20 ILCS 2105/2105-370(a) separately defines health care professional to include persons licensed under the Clinical Psychologist Licensing Act, among other licensing Acts administered by IDFPR.

Question 4

How often must Illinois psychologists complete Cultural Competency training?

Accepted Answer

Once every six years, not every renewal cycle. Per 68 Ill. Admin. Code Section 1130.525(g), the course must be repeated once every six years, beginning with the first applicable license renewal on or after January 1, 2025. This differs from CE topics such as Ethics, Diversity, Sexual Harassment Prevention, and Implicit Bias Awareness training, which are required every renewal cycle. For a psychologist's 2-year renewal cycle, this generally aligns with completion once every 3 renewal periods, consistent with 20 ILCS 2105/2105-375(b).

Question 5

What happens if a licensee completes Cultural Competency training more often than required?

Accepted Answer

Per 68 Ill. Admin. Code Section 1130.525(g), if a licensee elects to repeat the course more often than the six-year cycle requires, the course counts toward meeting the minimum CE credit hours for that licensee's profession, but no more than one credit hour may be applied in any single renewal period.

Question 6

Can one Cultural Competency course satisfy the requirement for multiple professional licenses?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Per 68 Ill. Admin. Code Section 1130.525(a), a licensee who holds multiple licenses subject to this requirement may count one completed course toward the requirement for each license, without repeating the course separately for each license.

Question 7

Who is approved to provide Cultural Competency training courses?

Accepted Answer

Per 68 Ill. Admin. Code Section 1130.525(c), the course may be provided by a Division-approved CE provider, an entity recognized as a CE provider under a licensing Act administered by the Division, a State of Illinois agency, an Illinois county agency, an Illinois municipality, a federal agency, an accredited community college, college, or university, or a licensed health care institution for its own employees or associates. Subsection (d) also allows a licensee to count a qualifying cultural competency course taken to satisfy another state licensure, accreditation, certification, or institutional practice requirement toward this 1-hour requirement.

Question 8

What format can the Cultural Competency training course be delivered in?

Accepted Answer

Per 68 Ill. Admin. Code Section 1130.525(e), the course may be presented in a classroom setting, a webinar, or online.

Question 9

Does Cultural Competency training count toward the 24-hour CE requirement?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Per the IDFPR CE-PSY fact sheet, the 1 hour of Cultural Competency training is one of the mandated topics counted within the 24 total CE hours required each license cycle, not in addition to it.

Question 10

When did this requirement take effect?

Accepted Answer

Per 68 Ill. Admin. Code Section 1130.525(g), the requirement became effective for each affected profession at the first applicable license renewal on or after January 1, 2025, at which CE requirements apply to that licensee.

Question 11

Where can Illinois psychologists complete Cultural Competency training?

Accepted Answer

Spring Advisory is an APA and IDFPR-approved CE provider, Illinois Psychologist CE Sponsor #268.000141, offering a course that satisfies this requirement: Cultural Competency in Healthcare Training (1 CE Credit Hour). This course is also included in Spring Advisory's Illinois Psychologist License Renewal 10 CE Bundle, which covers all mandated CE topics for Illinois psychologists.

Illinois Psychologist Cultural Competency 1 CE Training FAQ

Based on Illinois Administrative Code
68 Ill. Admin. Code Section 1130. 525, an 1-Hour Cultural Competency Training Course is:

Required for All Healthcare Workers

Defined by Attitudes, Knowledge, and Skills

Required Once Every Six Years, Not Every Cycle

Ok to Take One For All of Your IL Licenses

Regulatory Source and Verification

Fulfill the 1 CE Cultural Competency Training Requirement