Harlem Health Initiative

About Us

Science-Based, Community Driven

An initiative of the City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy (CUNY SPH) the Harlem Health Initiative (HHI) has one aim: to improve the health and wellbeing of Harlem and beyond by supporting its existing community-based organizations.

CUNY SPH is New York City’s only public school of public health, with a vision of promoting health and social justice in NYC and across the globe through innovation and leadership. As a Harlem neighbor located at the intersection of Martin Luther King Boulevard and Malcolm X Avenue, the school has committed to providing and enhancing health services to our shared community.

Support Where It’s Most Needed

Since its inception in March 2020, the Harlem Health Initiative (HHI) has aimed to improve the health and well-being of New Yorkers in Harlem and beyond. Based within the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy, HHI assists the community’s existing organizations (CBOs, FBOs, non-profits, etc.) by providing technical support and capacity-building resources. The goal of the Harlem Health Initiative is to bolster existing infrastructure and serve as a continuous source of support for the community’s public health efforts through:

Technical assistance with research, evaluation, and data management
Facilitating opportunities for inter-agency collaboration and shared resources
Communications campaigns to ensure key messages reach their target audience
Operational training, including workforce development and capacity-building
Placement of graduate student interns to support community initiatives
Connection to faculty with expertise in a broad range of urban health issues

Guidelines and Recommendations for Collaborative Community Engagement

Read our community engagement principles

News

Raising the Bar in Community Partnerships: Principles of Co-Design and Sustainability

Published in Community Health Models: An Attempt to Address Emerging Challenges and Technology in Diverse Settings, this chapter by Danielle Greene, Deborah Levine, and Kamrun Nahar, explores what meaningful community-partnered public health work looks like, emphasizing the importance of shared decision-making, mutual respect, and community leadership throughout the research and program planning process. Drawing on real-world examples, it examines the five principles of partnership, highlights common institutional barriers, and offers recommendations for building more equitable and sustainable community-engaged initiatives. Read the full article

Creating Spaces for Collective Remembrance, Recognition, and Grieving Within Participatory Dissemination

A new article by Harlem Health Initiative, CUNY SPH, and NYC Preparedness & Recovery Institute researchers reflects on Trace: A Memorial, an interactive installation unveiled at CUNY SPH in 2025 to honor 100 essential workers who died during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper explores how memorialization can serve as a form of participatory dissemination, transforming research findings into a shared experience that recognizes loss, fosters reflection, and supports community healing. Read the full article

Cannabis NYC Career Training Program

Building New York City’s Cannabis Workforce

The Cannabis NYC Career Training Program is a workforce development initiative implemented by the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy’s Harlem Health Initiative (HHI), in partnership with the New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS) and the Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity.

Our mission is to prepare New Yorkers for meaningful careers in the state’s growing legal cannabis industry and connect job seekers to quality employment opportunities through education, workforce development, and strong employer and community partnerships: advancing health equity, economic opportunity, and responsible industry growth. The program is designed to connect New Yorkers with quality employment opportunities in the legal cannabis industry, with a focus on individuals from communities disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition, while helping cannabis businesses recruit, train, and retain a skilled workforce.

Join us as we launch the Cannabis NYC Career Training Program. The first training cohort is anticipated to begin in early 2027. Now is the perfect time to connect with us.

Whether you’re an employer interested in recruiting talent or an individual interested in exploring career opportunities in New York’s legal cannabis industry, we invite you to join our interest list and be part of this exciting new initiative.

Sign up today to receive:

Program updates
Invitations to upcoming information sessions
Information about eligibility
Training announcements
Early notification when applications open
Employer partnership opportunities

Fill out our CNYC Training Program Interest Form to stay connected.

Questions? Email CNYCTraining@sph.cuny.edu

Events

Ebola, Hantavirus & Emerging Health Threats

June 4, 2026

Join the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH) Office of Government Affairs and Harlem Health Initiative for an open community conversation. Our panel of public health leaders will break down the facts behind emerging viral threats, clarify media messages, and discuss how to identify misinformation so you can make informed decisions. More info and RSVP

Resources

Cannabis Education:

Office of Cannabis Management Education Portal
Professional and Specialized Skills Training with Coursera | Cannabis Education Programs
Educational programs can help you get the job you are looking for and earn more, and many cannabis employers will provide on-the-job training if you have the right mindset.

Apply for a Cannabis Research License with the Office of Cannabis Management
Apply for a License | Instructions | Read Regulations | Research Flowchart | Research FAQ
The New York State Cannabis Control Board recently approved the cannabis research license application to produce, process, purchase and/or possess cannabis for limited research purposes. Because of this, researchers will have the ability to study and collect the information needed to better understand the cannabis plant.

Cannabis Resource Spotlight:

New York State Medical Cannabis Program
Patients | Practitioners | Designated Caregivers
Medical cannabis has been legally available to New Yorkers since 2014 through the state’s medical marijuana program.

Office of Cannabis Management Dispensary Verification Tools
Medical | Recreational
A list of legal adult-use and medical cannabis dispensaries that are approved by the Office of Cannabis Management.

MCBA National Cannabis Equity Map
Maps | State Briefs | Data
The Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA) National Cannabis Equity Map was created as a research tool that gathers and stores data critical to the understanding and analysis of cannabis equity policy with an emphasis on the “Equitable Industry” pillar of cannabis social equity.

Our Team

Deborah Levine, LCSW
Director

Arielsela Holdbrook-Smith, MFA, MPH, CHES
Senior Manager

Prea V. Khan, MPH
Communications Manager

Rebecca Weiner, MPH
Digital Content Manager

Emmanuela “Venus” Isichei
Director of Workforce Development

Isaac Vidal Tapia
Case Manager

Esther Lelièvre
Curriculum and Training Specialist

Continuing education credit for certified public health professionals (CPH-CE, 1 hour) may be earned by viewing some of our applicable YouTube webinars. Visit the National Board of Public Health Examiners to learn more.