YSPH Students Spend Summer in the City Putting Classroom Lessons into Action

From collecting data about New Haven’s unhoused individuals to interviewing Special Olympics athletes, students at the Yale School of Public Health (YSPH) are approaching summer as a time for putting classroom lessons into action. The school’s Office of Public Health Practice (OPHP) is supporting eight students as Health Equity Fellows with fully funded fellowships at six local agencies.

Co-designed with YSPH's community partners, the fellowships address anti-racism and health equity. The community agencies are remunerated for their time by OPHP and the Community Alliance for Research and Engagement (CARE), which funded a second fellow at the Fair Haven Community Health Center.

Supporting Mental Health

The City of New Haven’s Office of Community Mental Health Initiatives published its first Suicide Prevention Guide in 2023. Now, it’s tailoring its efforts, respecting the diversity of identities and backgrounds in New Haven, and freeing the community from the harm of stigma. Fellow Ayesha Middya, MPH ‘26, (Health Policy and Management) is helping develop an impact report on mental health training in New Haven by compiling data from the city’s health department, Spanish-speaking partners, and others. She also supports the planning and implementation of a Gun Safe Giveaway event emphasizing firearm safety for suicide prevention. "Suicide prevention efforts are most effective when they are community-led," said Lorena Mitchell, coordinator for Community Mental Health Initiatives.

Building Confidence with Special Olympics

In addition to sports training and competition, Special Olympics Connecticut (SOCT) provides health education, screening and fitness programs that promote health and wellness for its athletes. Its mission was of particular interest to Steven Schmidt, MPH ‘26 (Health Care Management Concentration), a long-distance runner and member of the Yale Club Running Team. “I have experienced firsthand how sport can build confidence, foster community belonging, and instill pride,” Schmidt said. “I have learned that Special Olympics not only provides health screenings to athletes but is the largest health care provider globally to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.” He’s helping SOCT address gaps in health care access that people with intellectual disabilities face compared to the general population.

Advocating for Unhoused Individuals

The Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen, Inc. (DESK) provides people experiencing homelessness and living in poverty with food assistance and services that promote health, community, and equity. It also operates one of the largest food pantry programs in New Haven, and the city’s only Downtown Drop-in & Resource Center for unhoused people. Fellow Soha Khoso, MPH ‘26 (Social & Behavioral Sciences), will work on an anti-stigma campaign as well as training and educational materials to guide staff and clients. “Our Health Equity Fellow will help us continue to build out our harm reduction and overdose prevention services by developing new policies and procedures, as well as training and educational materials that will guide both staff and clients alike,” said Steve Werlin, DESK’s executive director.

Expanding Access to Nutritious Food

Fair Haven Community Health Care’s programs are designed to improve the health and social well-being of communities by providing culturally responsive and patient-centered care. Fellows Kacia Flynn, MPH ‘26 (Health Policy and Management), and Caralie Price, MPH ‘26 (Social & Behavioral Sciences, Maternal and Child Health Concentration), are working on a new food-as-medicine program. It will increase patient access to nutritious foods to help manage chronic illness and reduce food insecurity. The agency also is expanding produce prescription programs throughout its 18 locations. “I saw this as a unique opportunity not only to address the social determinants of health, but also to engage with the New Haven community,” Flynn said.

Empowering Communities with Data

DataHaven develops reports, tools, and technical assistance programs that make information more useful to local communities. Fellows Nora Hodgson, MPH ‘26 (Social and Behavioral Sciences, Implementation Science Track), and Madi Baltagulov, MPH ’26 (Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases) is helping to assess and communicate data on trends in community health, civic life, economic vitality, and well-being in Connecticut. “I was excited to be involved in an organization that partners with the community to increase access and understanding to data,” Hodgson said, adding that the work makes data more useful for developing services and programs. "This internship will allow me to see first-hand how data can inform community programs and state-level policy.”

Using Community-Driven Action to Defend Housing Rights

The Unhoused Activists Community Team (U-ACT) is fighting for the rights and dignity of New Haven’s unhoused people. Shreyas Nair, MPH ‘26 (Health Policy Management, Public Health Modeling Concentration) will help U-ACT. His role will be to collect data from individuals living in encampments to gain a better understanding of their needs and how best to support them. “When presented with the opportunity to intern with U-ACT and help to fight for the dignity and basic respect of unhoused people, I knew I had found something worth working and fighting for,” said Nair. “The work will give me invaluable experience in developing data to be used for policy recommendations.”