Products and Resources Catalog

Xylazine: What We Know About the Latest Substance Trend Josh Esrick, MPP, Emily Patton, MSc, PgDip, and Deborah Nixon Hughes, LCSW-C October 18, 2023, 12:00pm-1:30pm EST COURSE DESCRIPTION Xylazine is an emerging issue across the United States, often used in conjunction with opioids and other substances. Public health professionals must be aware of Xylazine’s effects and how it complicates efforts to prevent and treat other substance use. This presentation summarizes the available research and data on xylazine use. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Discuss the available data on xylazine use and consequences in the United States Describe the impacts of xylazine use Explain harm reduction strategies related to xylazine use Recommend strategies for developing a culturally responsive and relevant public health approach to xylazine use PRESENTERS Josh Esrick, MPP is the Chief of Training and Technical Assistance at Carnevale Associates, LLC. Mr. Esrick has over ten years of experience researching, writing, evaluating, and presenting on substance use prevention and other behavioral health topics. He is an expert in providing training and technical assistance (T/TA) in substance use, having overseen the development of hundreds of T/TA products for numerous clients, including six of SAMHSA’s ten regional Prevention Technology Transfer Centers (PTTCs), the PTTC Network Coordinating Office, the Central East Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) and Mental Health Technology Transfer Centers (MHTTC), and SAMHSA’s Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies (CAPT). These trainings and products have covered a wide range of topics, including strategic planning, data collection and analysis, and identifying evidence-based prevention interventions for youth. In addition to T/TA, Mr. Esrick has directly provided many of these services to behavioral health agencies and other entities. He has published several academic journal articles. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a Master of Public Policy from George Washington University.     Emily Patton, MSc, PgDip holds a Masters of Science in Abnormal and Clinical Psychology from Swansea University and a Postgraduate Degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Edinburgh. She offers significant professional experience in the fields of public policy development and analysis, criminal justice research, data collection and analysis, program development, and performance management.         Deborah Nixon-Hughes, LCSW-C, is the Project Director for the Central East Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC). She is responsible to use proven technology transfer strategies and practices to promote the adoption and implementation of evidence-based prevention and early intervention approaches. Debbie will be the spokesperson and liaison to federal, regional, state and local entities; academic institutions; and prevention, treatment, and/or recovery agencies. Deborah is responsible to identify prevention needs through engaging and collaborating with primary care providers; individuals experiencing behavioral health challenges and their families; and other community stakeholders/systems. As a result, she recommends and coordinates workforce trainings and technical assistance initiatives that can address the needs identifies, and thus reduce the effect of mental and substance use disorders on the health of individuals, their families, and their communities.  

Over the past 20 years, kratom use has increased across the globe. This presents potential risks, including for children and youth. Adult kratom use for opioid craving and withdrawal self-management has also expanded alongside the opioid epidemic. This product provides information about kratom and the negative effects of kratom use. It also summarizes available data on the scope of kratom use and its legality in the United States.

The Importance of Evaluation in Prevention Part 1: What is Evaluation and How It Supports Strategic Planning Josh Esrick, MPP, and Emily Patton, MSc, PgDip July 18, 2023, 1:00pm-2:30pm EST COURSE DESCRIPTION This webinar will provide an overview of evaluation core concepts and their relevance to prevention services. It will discuss the purpose of evaluation and how evaluations can be used to expand opportunities for improving community health and well-being. The webinar will also review the principles of evaluation and explain their meaning: utility, feasibility, propriety, and accuracy. Additionally, it will summarize the basics of evaluation plans and how their development stems from planning tools such logic models and action plans. Lastly, the webinar will provide a small group discussion opportunity for participants to share their experiences with evaluations. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Describe the importance of evaluation to strategic planning Recognize how evaluation can led to improved prevention outcomes Identify the principles of evaluation Explain the connections between logic models, action plans, and evaluation plans PRESENTERS Josh Esrick, MPP is the Chief of Training and Technical Assistance at Carnevale Associates, LLC. Mr. Esrick has over ten years of experience researching, writing, evaluating, and presenting on substance use prevention and other behavioral health topics. He is an expert in providing training and technical assistance (TTA) in substance use, having overseen the development of hundreds of TTA products for numerous clients, including six of SAMHSA’s ten regional Prevention Technology Transfer Centers (PTTCs), the PTTC Network Coordinating Office, the Central East Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) and Mental Health Technology Transfer Centers (MHTTC), and SAMHSA’s Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies (CAPT). These trainings and products have covered a wide range of topics, including strategic planning, data collection and analysis, and identifying evidence-based prevention interventions for youth. In addition to TTA, Mr. Esrick has directly provided many of these services to behavioral health agencies and other entities. He has published several academic journal articles. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a Master of Public Policy from George Washington University.     Emily Patton, MSc, PgDip holds a Masters of Science in Abnormal and Clinical Psychology from Swansea University and a Postgraduate Degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Edinburgh. She offers significant professional experience in the fields of public policy development and analysis, criminal justice research, data collection and analysis, program development, and performance management.  

Professional ethical standards and the values they are based on also apply to prevention data-related activities, including needs assessment and evaluation. As prevention professionals working with data, we have a critical role to pursue social change, particularly with and on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed individuals and groups of people. Through prevention needs assessment and evaluation activities, we seek to promote sensitivity to and knowledge about oppression and cultural and ethnic diversity. Prevention professionals strive to ensure access to needed information, services, and resources; equity; and meaningful participation in data-based decision-making activities for all people, while protecting those we serve. Objectives Upon completion of this webinar, participants will be able to: Summarize and apply the basic rules regarding ethics and professional behavior in prevention activities related to data  collection, assessment and evaluation. Recognize specific situations among colleagues in the workplace or within the community where ethics should guide actions related to data collection, assessment, and evaluation. Apply the code of ethics and decision-making process to different data-related scenarios within the Strategic Planning Framework

Improving Prevention’s Reactivity to Emerging Trends Josh Esrick, MPP, and Lauren Pappacena, MSW September 22, 2021, 1-2:30 PM EST COURSE DESCRIPTION This webinar will discuss evidence-based strategies for substance use prevention professionals to respond more quickly to emerging trends. Prevention professionals face an ever-shifting landscape, with changes in prevalence trends potentially requiring changes in focus or strategies. Prevention needs to be able to react to these shifts. This webinar will overview ways to better accomplish this, including building epidemiological surveillance capacity, conducting resource assessments, and expanding the use of selective and indicated prevention services. The webinar will also discuss the implications of a post-COVID world on addressing emerging trends. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Explain how a fast prevention response can alter the course of an emerging trend Identify strategies for improving epidemiological surveillance Recognize how resource assessments can bolter capacity for addressing emerging trends Understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on prevention’s capacity to address emerging trends PRESENTERS Josh Esrick, MPP is a Senior Policy Analyst with Carnevale Associates. Josh has extensive experience in substance use prevention; researching, writing, and presenting on best practice and knowledge development publications, briefs, and reference guides; and developing and providing T/TA to numerous organizations. He developed numerous SAMHSA Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies’ (CAPT) products on strategies to prevent opioid misuse and overdose, risk and protective factors for substance use, youth substance use prevention strategies, youth substance use trends, emerging substance use trends, the potential regulations surrounding marijuana legalization, as well as numerous other topics. Lauren Pappacena, MSW is a Research Associate with Carnevale Associates. Lauren has a background in criminal justice and juvenile justice research specifically as it relates to evidence-based programs and practices spanning criminal justice topics, including corrections, law enforcement, reentry, and courts. Currently, she assists with training evaluations for NADCP and the PTTC, where she brings her experience with quantitative and qualitative analysis and data visualization. With a strong interest in policy analysis, research translation, data collection, and analytic writing, Ms. Pappacena is published in the Journal of Human Rights and Social Work for her analysis of national early-release laws.  

Most states and territories, as well as many communities andtribes, use SAMHSA’s Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) to guide theirprevention work. The SPF is a cyclical, collaborative, data-driven strategicplanning and implementation process that increases the likelihood of achievingthe intended substance-related outcomes (for example, to reduce underagedrinking or to reduce opioid overdoses). The first step of the SPF isAssessment, which begins with collecting and prioritizing substance-relatedconsumption patterns and consequences data. Data prioritization in SPF Step 1is essential in identifying the most important substance-related problem(s)that a state, territory, tribe, or community is facing.  This handout provides an overview of one basicmethod for prioritizing needs assessment data, using the method described in Episode1 of the PTTC's podcast, the Data Dive.      

New England Prevention Technology Transfer Center Tip Sheet Topic:  Creating a Prevention Strategy for Monitoring and Responding to Emerging Drug Trends in Your Community In every New England community, drug trends will come and go, but a comprehensive, data-informed prevention plan can be effective no matter the drug use issue you are addressing.  Just as important, are the partnerships needed to help monitor what’s going on in the community, and for mobilizing a prevention response to those emerging trends. This tip sheet brings together key components communities and prevention organizations need to have in place to effectively monitor, and respond to, these emerging drug trends. The document also includes links to resources and tools you can use in the planning, development, implementation and evaluation of your prevention response.  If you need further training and technical assistance responding to the emerging drug trends in your community, reach out to the New England Prevention Technology Transfer Center: [email protected]