Cervantes to open Berwyn District Office

• In District

CHICAGO – State Senator Javier Cervantes will be moving his Chicago office to a new Berwyn location —and invites local residents to pop by for the grand opening.   

“The Berwyn location has been a long time coming – and I’m excited to get it off the ground,” said Cervantes (D-Chicago). “This new location is centrally located and is right on the Metra BNSF line so we can better serve our community.”

To celebrate the new office Cervantes will be hosting a Grand Opening and Block Party on Thursday, April 17 from 4:30-6 p.m. The address of the new office is 6729 Stanley Ave., 1^st Floor, Suite A in Berwyn.  

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Cervantes bill supports diverse students entering mental health professions

• Mental Health
• Scholarship

SPRINGFIELD – With an underrepresentation of BIPOC mental health providers in Illinois, State Senator Javier Cervantes led legislation through committee to encourage students of color to enter this important field by establishing a scholarship program.

“If you do not feel comfortable to open up and be vulnerable in therapy, you will not be able to make much progress—and many people do not feel comfortable explaining their struggles to someone outside of their racial or cultural background,” said Cervantes (D-Chicago). “This bill is all about reducing the barriers for people of color to access and benefit from mental health care.”

According to surveys conducted by the Behavioral Health Workforce Center, there is a drastic underrepresentation of people of color in Illinois' mental health workforce. Additionally, nearly 75% of providers offered services exclusively in English. This negatively affects mental health outcomes of people of color by deterring them from seeking service out of fear or previous experiences with a provider not being able to offer the most helpful coping strategies, as they do not fully understand their lived experiences and root causes of trauma. Barriers in understanding due to language or cultural background can also cause issues in effectiveness of treatment.

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Cervantes expands E-Verify legislation to ensure additional protections for immigrant employees

• Immigrant Employees
• Workers Rights
• E-Verify

SPRINGFIELD – Immigrant workers may soon be entitled to more protections from wrongful workplace retaliation due to issues with their paperwork, thanks to a new initiative led by State Senator Javier Loera Cervantes.

“For many immigrant workers, the E-Verify system can be confusing and complicated,” said Cervantes (D-Chicago). “This initiative will give people the option to utilize legal support in communications with their employer so they are not taken advantage of, and establish the rights they are entitled to as legal, hardworking employees.”

Federal immigration law requires employers to verify the legal work status of their employees through the E-Verify system, which compares information from an employee’s I-9 Form to records available to the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration to confirm eligibility. If discrepancies are found, immigrant workers have the possibility of receiving a “no match” letter for a variety of reasons, including instances where the individual changed their name due to marriage. Many employers terminate employees upon receiving this notice, even though they could be legally working in the United States.

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