Arturo Carrillo, a licensed clinical social worker and mental health supervisor for the Saint Anthony Hospital community wellness program, has been honored by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Chicago with their Community Health Advocate of the Year Award. This award recognizes Carrillo’s major contributions toward bettering the lives of people in our community by making mental health services more accessible to those who fall through the cracks of the mental health system. According to NAMI Chicago, “One in four people experience a mental illness during their lifetime, yet only half will receive treatment of any kind.” Stigma also continues to be the number one obstacle for obtaining treatment with inadequate resources a close second.

Carrillo started with Saint Anthony Hospital as an intern in 2007 and now oversees the mental health services initiative. He is currently a candidate for his doctorate in social work at the University of Illinois. Additionally, he is the cofounder of Roots to Wellness in Little Village, a collaborative group of mental health organizations, coming together to pool resources, share common concerns and develop collaborative solutions, since 2010. To reach the Saint Anthony Hospital community wellness program team, please call our Little Village site at 773.523.5079.