Aviva Cohen, MS, LMSW, NYCPS-P

Aviva Cohen is an innovative industry leader in data-informed continuous quality improvement for trauma-informed peer support best practices. In her role as Chief Strategy Officer at HALI, she leads organizational strategy through program evaluation, grant writing, policy oversight, and quality improvement initiatives. Aviva guides the agency toward our mission through quality metrics that reflect not just compliance, but compassion – ensuring staff and service recipients alike feel seen, safe, and supported.

Aviva has launched multiple high-impact initiatives at HALI and helped design agency-wide infrastructure that integrates lived experience and data-driven outcomes into every layer of HALI’s work.

Aviva is a New York Certified Peer Specialist, and a New York State Licensed Social Worker. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from CUNY Hunter College and an M.S. from Columbia School of Social Work, where she received advanced research training through the NYS OMH/Deans Consortium for Evidence-Based Practice. Aviva has contributed to curriculum development for the Academy of Peer Services and has worked with organizations including the NYC Office of Consumer Affairs, the Center for Practice Innovations, and Columbia’s Social Interventions Group.

Aviva lives in New York City and finds joy in Scrabble, dancing, ice skating, art, and reading. She is passionate about transforming mental healthcare by helping others harness their recovery journeys into tools for change. At HALI, she continues to build on this commitment by fostering innovation, peer-centered systems, and organizational learning that uplift both staff and the broader community.