Section 1130.525  Cultural Competency Training

a)         All health care professionals who hold a professional license listed in this Section shall complete a one-hour course in cultural competency.  Cultural competency training includes development of 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.  A licensee may count this one hour for completion of this course towards meeting the minimum credit hours required for continuing education.  A licensee who holds multiple licenses subject to this requirement may count this one hour for completion of this course towards meeting the minimum credit hours for continuing education for each professional license without having to repeat the course for each license.

b)         The requirement of completion of a one-hour course in cultural competency training shall apply to any person who holds one or more of the following licenses:

1)         Physician (medical);

2)         Physician (osteopathic);

3)         Chiropractic physician;

4)         Advanced practice registered nurse;

5)         Registered nurse;

6)         Licensed practical nurse;

7)         Clinical psychologist;

8)         Optometrist;

9)         Physical therapist;

10)       Physical therapist assistant;

11)       Pharmacist;

12)       Registered certified pharmacy technician;

13)       Physician assistant;

14)       Clinical social worker;

15)       Social Worker;

16)       Nursing home administrator;

17)       Occupational therapist;

18)       Occupational therapy assistant;

19)       Podiatric physician;

20)       Respiratory care practitioner;

21)       Clinical professional counselor;

22)       Professional counselor;

23)       Speech-language pathologist;

24)       Speech-language pathology assistant;

25)       Audiologist;

26)       Dentist;

27)       Dental hygienist;

28)       Behavior analyst; and

29)       Assistant behavior analyst.

c)         The cultural competency training course may only be provided by the following persons or entities:

1)         a Division-approved continuing education provider for any profession subject to the requirement of cultural competency training;

2)         an entity that is recognized as a continuing education provider under any licensing Act administered by the Division for professions subject to the requirement of cultural competency training;

3)         a State of Illinois agency;

4)         an Illinois county agency;

5)         an Illinois municipality;

6)         a federal agency;

7)         an accredited community college, college, or university; or

8)         a licensed health care institution, such as a hospital or nursing home, for its own employees or associates, or an association or other organization in partnership or collaboration with a licensed health care institution.

d)         Notwithstanding subsection (c), a licensee completing a course on cultural competency in order to meet any other State licensure requirement, professional accreditation or certification requirement, or health care institutional practice agreement may count that course toward the one-hour requirement under this Section.

e)         The course shall be presented in a classroom setting, a webinar, or online.

f)         Course providers shall be subject to all other continuing education requirements for each profession.

g)         Completion of this course shall be a condition of renewing a license.  This requirement shall become effective for each affected profession for the first applicable license renewal on or after January 1, 2025, at which continuing education requirements apply for that licensee. (See 20 ILCS 2105/2105-370.) The course shall be repeated once every six years.  If a licensee elects to repeat the course more often, the course shall count towards meeting the minimum credit hours required for continuing education for that licensee's profession but no more than one credit hour for any one renewal period. (See 20 ILCS 2105/2105-375.)

(Source:  Added at 48 Ill. Reg. 8762, effective June 4, 2024)