Harkin Consulting LLC

Elevating Programs. Strengthening Practice. 

Advancing Real-World Community Health.

 Serving People, Not Systems.

Led by Paul Harkin, a public health practitioner with nearly three decades of frontline and program leadership experience, Harkin Consulting LLC provides expert consulting and training to community health programs, nonprofit organizations, and public-sector initiatives seeking to strengthen operational effectiveness, staff capacity, and service quality.

Harkin consulting is grounded in nearly three decades of frontline and leadership experience in complex, real-world public health environments.

This is practical, experience-driven consulting built around evidence-based, client-centered service delivery.

Why Organizations Work With Harkin Consulting

Program Challenges

Most programs operate in complex environments where strong intentions must be matched with clear structure, effective workflows, and confident staff execution.

Harkin Consulting helps organizations strengthen operational clarity, improve staff effectiveness, and align program activities with evidence-based and client-centered best practices.

The focus is always on practical improvements that enhance program stability, credibility, and real-world effectiveness. We will help you to improve staff performance with more effective programing design.

Experience

Harkin Consulting brings a rare combination of frontline credibility and systems-level operational insight.

Paul Harkin has worked extensively in direct service, program leadership, staff training, and organizational development roles, supporting programs serving highly vulnerable and medically underserved populations.

He has trained public health workers, collaborated with medical providers and public health agencies, presented at national conferences and leading academic institutions, and provided expert consultation to organizations seeking to strengthen and refine their programs.

This experience allows Harkin Consulting to provide guidance that is both strategically sound and operationally realistic.  Organizations work with Harkin Consulting when they want practical, experience-informed guidance that improves staff performance, strengthens programs and supports the people they serve.

Services

Founded by Paul Harkin, the firm draws on extensive real-world experience supporting organizations working with complex and underserved populations. Harkin Consulting provides strategic, operational, and programmatic support, with engagements ranging from custom staff training and targeted program refinement to full program design, structural development, and implementation.

Program Design & Development

• Design and implementation of effective community health programs.

Policies & Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) 

• Development of clear operational systems, workflows and program manuals.

Workforce Training & Enhancement

• Training for frontline staff and leadership teams.

Overdose Prevention Strategy

Evidence-based strategies for overdose prevention, response, and program implementation.

Technical Assistance

• Strategic and operational guidance for organizations seeking to enhance service delivery and program effectiveness.

Core Service Areas

Program Assessment and Operational Review

Evaluation of program structure, workflows, staff roles, and service delivery effectiveness, with clear, practical recommendations for strengthening performance, stability, and service quality.

Staff Training and Workforce Development

Customized staff trainings designed to strengthen practical skills, improve service delivery effectiveness, and build staff confidence working in complex community health environments.

Program Design, Development, and Implementation

Support for new and existing programs, including service model design, workflow development, policy and procedure creation, and implementation planning.

Strategic Advising and Organizational Support

Guidance for leadership teams seeking to improve program effectiveness, address operational challenges, and strengthen organizational capacity.

Public Health and Community Service Program Consultation

Specialized consultation grounded in extensive frontline and leadership experience within real-world public health and community service settings.

Public Health Leadership & Collaborative Engagement

Paul Harkin has been an active participant in several major public health collaborations addressing HIV, hepatitis C, overdose prevention, and community health systems. Over more than a decade of engagement, he has contributed frontline program insight to policy discussions, community strategy development, and cross-sector coordination among public health agencies, medical providers, and community organizations.

His long-term participation has included involvement with:

• San Francisco HIV Prevention Planning Council

• End Hep C SF, a citywide initiative working toward hepatitis C elimination

• Getting to Zero, a San Francisco Department of Public Health and community coalition focused on ending HIV transmission

• UCHAPS — Urban Coalition for HIV/AIDS Prevention Services, A National Coalition focused on ending HIV transmission 

• San Francisco Syringe Access Services Collaborative, a collection of Syringe Service Programs focused on health care for people who use drugs

• Safer Inside Coalition, a broad coalition of community based organizations focused on helping to create evidence based and dignified services to prevent overdose and other harms to people who use drugs

Across more than a decade—and in some collaborations nearly two decades—of participation, Harkin has contributed frontline program insight to policy discussions, community strategy development, and cross-sector coordination among public health agencies, medical providers, and community organizations.

Expert Analysis, Speaking & Media

Paul Harkin provides expert analysis, training, and strategic insight on issues related to overdose prevention, substance use trends, community health systems, and service delivery for highly vulnerable populations. Drawing on more than two decades of frontline and program leadership experience, his work helps translate complex public health issues into practical strategies that improve program effectiveness and service delivery.

His work has included:

• Expert witness consultation and analysis in legal proceedings involving fentanyl, drug supply trends, and substance use patterns

• Conference presentations and professional trainings for public health workers and community health organizations

• Strategic consultation with public health agencies, coalitions, and community health service providers

• Media commentary and public education on drug supply dynamics, overdose prevention and community health issues

Contact

Harkin Consulting LLC works with organizations seeking to strengthen program effectiveness, improve staff capacity, and enhance service delivery in complex public health and community service environments.

Engagements range from targeted consultations and staff trainings to comprehensive program assessment and development support.

All work is grounded in a commitment to strengthening services while maintaining the dignity of clients and supporting program staff in delivering effective, compassionate, and professional care.

Organizations interested in consulting services, training, or strategic collaboration should contact:

Paul Harkin

Principal, Harkin Consulting LLC

paul@harkinconsulting.org