SOAR — Stand Out. Act Responsibly - Northwest Tarrant County

Erica Rena Castillo is a seasoned social work professional with more than 20 years of experience serving children, youth, and families. She brings extensive expertise in child protective services and has worked with individuals impacted by substance abuse, mental health challenges, domestic violence, and homelessness. Her professional background includes collaboration with schools, law enforcement, courts, and correctional systems.

Mrs. Castillo served for 10 years as a Social Worker with the State of Connecticut Department of Children and Families. She earned her Master of Social Work with a concentration in Community and Administrative Practice from the University of Texas at Arlington, where she developed advanced skills in program evaluation, program design, community mobilization, and grant writing.

Currently, Mrs. Castillo serves as Program Director for Challenge of Tarrant County, where she leads a community coalition dedicated to promoting adolescent health and wellness. Through education and awareness initiatives, she works to empower youth, parents, and the community to support drug-free lifestyles. Her collaborative efforts have earned significant recognition, including the MADD North Texas Community Partner Award in 2020 and 2022 for outstanding dedication and commitment to combating impaired driving. She also served as Poison Prevention Committee Chair for Cook Children’s Safe Kids North Texas – Fort Worth from 2022-2025. Her recent honors include the Outstanding Service Award from Cook Children’s Center (2025), the Green Crystal Award from Cook Children’s Center (2024), and being named a nominee for the Texas HHSC Community Coalition Partnership Prevention Specialist of the Year Award (2024).

Mrs. Castillo is an active member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). She serves as Communications Committee Chair for NASW Texas – Fort Worth Area Branch and as the Delegate Assembly Representative for Macro Practice for NASW Texas. In 2023, she received the Social Work Media Award from NASW North Central Texas Fort Worth Area Branch for her leadership and contributions as Steering Committee Communications Chair.

Beyond her professional leadership, Mrs. Castillo is a published co-author in the women’s anthology Emerging and is currently working on her next literary project. She is the Founder and CEO of E-Powerment, an initiative dedicated to empowering social work students and professionals to discover purpose and impact in their careers. She is also the proud owner of Ebony’s Mini Donuts, reflecting her entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to community engagement.