Peter C. Harvey, Attorney General

Division of Consumer Affairs
Reni Erdos, Director

For Immediate Release:
January 8, 2004

For Further Information Contact:
Jeff Lamm, Genene Morris
973-504-6327

NEWARK - A Sparta social worker who acknowledged treating clients while her license was suspended has been assessed civil penalties and ordered to pay full restitution to those clients, Attorney General Peter C. Harvey and Consumer Affairs Director Reni Erdos said.

Jill Soderman admitted treating clients on at least three separate occasions after the state Board of Social Work Examiners suspended her license beginning on July 24, 2003. The Board ordered her license suspended for five years, with nine months being an active suspension and the remaining 51 months being a probation period.

Pursuant to the consent order filed yesterday in Morris County Superior Court, Chancery Division, Soderman agreed to cease all activities related to social work, including all mental health examinations, pay a civil penalty of $20,000, pay $5,000 in investigative costs and pay $3,000 in attorneys fees.

Soderman also agreed to provide the State with the names of all clients she treated from July 24 until now, payment information and insurance submissions. The court ordered Soderman to pay full restitution to all clients treated during that time period.

“We simply will not tolerate practioners who choose to ignore legally binding orders issued by our licensing boards,” Attorney General Harvey said.

“This person saw clients knowing that her license had been suspended,” Director Erdos said. “There is no excuse for such blatant disregard of our regulatory authority.”

Soderman signed a consent order in July 2003 agreeing to the license suspension. The Board alleged that Soderman engaged in unprofessional conduct and dishonesty and assessed a $8,112 penalty in addition to the license suspension.

Deputy Attorney General Susan C. Berger represented the State before Judge Kenneth MacKenzie in this matter.

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