West40- FACE Adelante

This network, FACE (Family and Community Engagement) Adelante (Forward) brings together school personnel and community-based organizations who support immigrant and newcomer students and their families.

I'm out here learning more about how we can support OUR Families and Community. One message being shared is that it's important that we continue to educate our communities, encourage them to know their rights, create emergency plans, get their guardianship and power of attorney in order, and get mental health support.

The ICIRR Hotline number is 855-435-7693

If there is a training, or topic you want to have, please reach out with ideas. We are always happy to host or facilitate. We are here to meet you where you are!

Maria-Elena Agrela

We plan to add additional trainings, once those dates are set, we will announce it!

We will be looking to host another training, since we booked so fast!

Hello Community Partners,

We’re excited to share an upcoming training opportunity in partnership with the Coalition of Immigrant Mental Health, West40, and CCDPH.

This convening was created with our partners in mind. As many of us continue supporting communities navigating ongoing stress, uncertainty, and targeted harm, particularly within Latino/Hispanic and refugee communities, we wanted to create space not only for learning, but also for reflection, connection, and care.

Our hope is to bring partners together to build practical tools, strengthen well-being, and support one another in the work we all do every day.

Event details and registration can be found here:
Register Here

Please note this is a partner-focused event with limited capacity (~70 participants), so we encourage sharing with staff directly supporting immigrant and refugee communities.

Please feel free to share this with your teams and networks. We would love to have you join us.

Please call or text on the day of the meeting if you have any questions as I will not be checking email during the meeting. 708-990-7975

• Presentation
• Share the UndocuJoy- Video that we didn't get to
• Illinois Coalition for Immigrant Mental Health: https://ourcimh.org/mh-resources
• NIU Campus Counseling Services: https://www.niu.edu/counseling/index.shtml or

https://www.cedu.niu.edu/cctc/index.shtml

• Undocumented Student Resource Center: https://niu.edu/undocumented
• Padlet of Resources

Director of Undocumented Student Resource Center | www.niu.edu/undocumented

sandy.lopez@gmail.com | 630.947.2486

DREAM Action NIU |dreamactioniu@gmail.com

Tracy Patton is a nationally recognized early childhood consultant, trauma-informed certified professional, childhood grief facilitator, joyful “mess maker,” and founder of Once Upon Some Messy Fun, LLC, with more than 25 years of experience partnering with early childhood staff, young children, and their families.

Tracy inspires educators, empowers family caregivers, and nurtures children’s social-emotional growth through interactive workshops grounded in the belief that all feelings matter. By engaging the senses through play, storytelling, and laughter, she demonstrates how joyful, hands-on experiences become powerful tools for building self-regulation skills, strengthening relationships, supporting healing, and shaping positive, responsive learning environments.

• https://www.childrenscliniciws.org/ Contact Us
  
• Call 708-848-0528
• Visit childrenscliniciws.org Come Visit Us
• 28 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302
• Walk-in visits for medical welcome!
• Free onsite parking

From Victoria From PrEP at Cook County Health

• (773)826-9922
• Victoria.sewinski@cookcountyhealth.org
• STI/PrEP/PEP and HIV services available regardless of immigration status.
• Clinics within the Cook County Health System: Arlington Heights Health Center, Belmont-Cragin Health Center, Austin Health Center, North Riverside Health Center, Dr. Jorge Prieto Health Center, Englewood Health Center, Robbins Health Center, Cottage Grove Health Center, Blue Island Health Center, Ruth M. Rothstein CORE Center. Hospitals: Provident Hospital, Stroger Hospital.

From Karlie Sanchez, District Director, Office of Rep. Norma Hernandez

• karlie@repnormahernandez.com
  
• 125 N. 19th Avenue, Suite B, Melrose Park, IL 60160
  
• Office: (708) 365-8498
  

• Our office will be hosting 2-3 attorneys every Tuesday who will help with Short Term Guardianship, Power of Attorney, and Rapid Response support. If you know of anyone who is in need of support with these 3 services, please have them contact us or you can have them make an appointment through this link.
  

• Cairo Yepez and I am a Congressional staffer for Congressman Chuy Garcia, cairo.yepez@mail.house.gov, (773) 675-2988 (Info below)
• Adelante Flowchart created....working on translating it to Spanish.
• Whistle Kits
• Berwyn Health Department Office has 10 free therapy sessions for families
  
• Heart2Heart Food Mart hours
• Cicero Family Services- Corina Martinez, cmartinez@cicerofs.org
• Morton East Adolescent Health Center For Students and Community, Cook County Health, Rocio Vargas-Garcia, Main - 708-656-1130, Mobile - 312-350-7735, 2423 S. Austin Blvd, Cicero IL
• CIcero Care Web
• From Deatria Johnson CPD Office of Equity and Engagement- https://directives.chicagopolice.org/#directive/public/6495
• Immigrant Migrant Refuge Rights Department with the City of Chicago email address: IMRR@CityofChicago.org Contact Person Nneka Obasi (Senior Community Liaison) (773) 590- 1894 Sign up for weekly Community Briefings
  

Privacy Release Forms related to immigration, as well as a description of each.

All Found HERE

1. General Office Privacy Release Form

1. Sign and fill one out for yourself AND help your emergency contact sign and fill one.

2. Send to our office or store in a safe place to share with our office if the need arises.

2. ICE Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) Form 60-001

1. Most important: allows our office to reach out to ICE while an individual is detained.

2. Must be signed by detainee OR attorney

3. Forms expire after 90 days

4. Fill out your personal information, then:

1. Recipient: Congressman Jesús G. “Chuy” García

2. Recipient's Phone Number: (773) 475-0833

3. Address: 4376 S Archer Ave

4. Recipient Organization: Office of Congressman Jesús G. “Chuy” García

These two are the most urgent documents in case of an emergency — signing these ahead of time allows our office to begin our rapid response process sooner.

I am also attaching two additional immigration forms related to casework. These are all necessary for immigration casework, but the two above forms are most urgent in case of emergency.

• Constituent Agreement Form

• Waiver stating we are not a legal service and cannot guarantee immigration legal assistance

• Also available in Spanish

• USCIS Office of Legislative Affairs

• Allows our office to reach out to USCIS for immigration petition matters.

• As detainments are processed by ICE or Customs and Border Protection, this form is not considered urgent but is still helpful in case we reach out about an active immigration application.

Of course, reach out to our office at (773) 675-2988 or Cairo with any questions at cairo.yepez@mail.house.gov.

• ICIRR KYR Canvassing Training
  
• Rapid Response Training | Entrenamiento de Respuesta Rapida
  
• Know Your Rights Workshop | Taller de Conoce Tus Derechos
  
• Chicago Volunteer Legal Services

• How to talk about immigration in your classroom.

• What’s in a label?

• Discussion Guide - Posters to Resist Racism and Bigotry

• Support for Youth and Families of Undocumented Status

• Stress Related to Immigration Status in Students: A Brief Guide for Schools

• You are not alone: Mental Health Resources for Marginalized Youth and Families

• Supporting Immigrant and Refugee Children

• Look Through Their Eyes- Includes a book list for children and parents

• Immigrant Trauma and Mental Health Resources

• Fostering Resilience in our Immigrant Families & Communities: Strategies for Building Support Groups in the Face of Adversity

• Resilience and Community Tool Kit

• Trauma-Informed Care: Understanding and Addressing the Needs of Unaccompanied Children Webinar Series

• Trauma Wheel

• The National Child Traumatic Stress Network

• Safe and Healthy Living: A Resource Guide for Immigrant Families, Providers, & Advocates

• 988

• Rincon’s 24H Crisis Line (Local)- 773-640-9803

• Tengo Miedo- A book focused on coping skills for children of immigrants. (Free Download)

• Tengo Miedo- The workbook (free download)

• Let's Talk: Deportation and Family Separation- Other Books!

• Tengo Miedo- A book focused on comping skills fro children of immigrants
  
• How to find an org to help answer questions about Public Charge

• USCIS: uscis.gov/public-charge

  •Illinois Dept. of Human Services: dhs.state.il.us

  •ICIRR: icirr.org

  Legal Aid & Community Groups: Immigration attorneys and non-profit organizations.

  https://keepyourbenefits.org/en/il/use-the-guide

• 
  

• Report Trust Act Violations
• ICE Activity Report/Deportation Defense
• Immigration Attorney/Legal Aid
• DACE
• Healthcare Resources
• Public Benefit Assistance
• Workplace Rights

• Immigration | Cook County-This website includes Cook County Government resources for immigrants such as information on the Illinois Attorney General and local organizations that serve immigrants. Immigration | Cook County

• Know Your Legal Rights- Available in multiple languages: PALMCARD_Jan2025

• Cook County Health- CCH provides immigration and health related resources Cook County Health: All Are Welcome Here/ Aquí todos son bienvenidos | Cook County Health

• City of Chicago Office of Immigrant Rights- Resource Hub

• Family Support Network and Hotline-Request legal consultation for yourself or a loved one who is detained: 1-855-HELP-MY-FAMILY (1-855-435-7693).

• Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR)- Family Support Network & Hotline | ICIRR Resources and information about legal rights.

• Illinois Immigration Info Hub- A centralized place to access to resources, legal guidance, and community support. IL IMMIGRATION INFO | Know Your Rights

• 2-1-1 Metro Chicago-Chicago and Suburban Cook County residents can call 211 (or text their zip code to 898-211) to get connected to non-emergency health and social services, 24/7/365.

Additional Resources:

• Resources for Immigrant-Serving Organizations in Illinois

• Fact Sheet: Health Care and Coverage Options for Immigrants from the Shriver Center on Poverty Law

• Fact Sheet for Enrollment Assisters on Data Privacy Protections for Medicaid in Illinois: Guide for enrollment assisters/service providers so that families can assess their own levels of risk before applying for public benefits.

If you care to purchase KYR Cards, this is where we have been ordering ours.

Forest Park Printing Company

7214 Madison St

Forest Park, IL 60130

(708) 366-5100
They are charing $85 for 500 cards. Under West40. They can have them ready in 24 hours. They have been very great to work with.

Please feel free to reach out questions!

Maria-Elena Agrela
Director of Community Relations
Email: meagrela@west40.org

Phone: 708-990-7975

Instagram @West40communityresrouces
Website: west40communityresources.org

Disclaimer / Neutrality Statement
The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily represent the official policy or position of West40. This newsletter does not endorse any candidate, party, or elected officeholder. West40 remains committed to serving and engaging our community regardless of political affiliation or ideology.