Mental Health and Minority Men: Encouraging a Fresh Approach To Mental Wellness in Black and Brown Communities
Dr. Arturo Carillo
Brighton Park Neighborhood Council
Dr. Arturo Carrillo has been focused on community-practice and research that has been on the intersection of individual and family socio-emotional health with the socioeconomic conditions as experienced in the communities in which they live and work. Dr. Carrillo’s experience as a co-founder of Centro de Trabajadores Unidos: United Workers Center led to his pursuit of a doctoral degree in Social Work. Understanding the role of community organizing to improve the lives of low-wage workers was the focus of his dissertation research producing a dissertation titled, Chicago’s Worker Center Movement: A Structural Analysis.
As a licensed clinical social worker offering free long-term trauma-focused mental health services for residents of Chicago's west and southwest side's he has led the development of a community-based participatory research project to document the disparities in mental health access for residents on Chicago's southwest side. The report titled, Uplifting Voices to Create New Alternatives: Documenting the Mental Health Crisis for Adults on Chicago’s Southwest Side. He has led the Collaborative for Community Wellness to research and document the inequity to access of mental health services throughout low-income communities throughout the city. During his time as the Program Manager for Mental Health and Family Support at the Community Wellness Program of Saint Anthony Hospital, Dr. Carrillo secured $3,000,000 in state funding to services throughout Chicago's west and southwest side increasing the scope of the work across communities with the expansion of a second community-center in North Lawndale and three satellite locations in Brighton Park, Gage Park and Back of the Yards.
He is currently serving as the Director for Violence Prevention and Health Initiatives for Brighton Park Neighborhood Council where he is leading a state-funded community needs assessment for the creation of a Trauma Recovery Center to be incorporated within the new offices of BPNC.