February 18, 2025, 1:00pm-2:30pm EST
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The first webinar in this learning collaborative will provide of an overview of environmental scans and their importance. The term “environmental scan” has multiple, competing definitions, depending on its source and context. This can present a challenge to prevention professionals seeking information and resources about them. This webinar will provide a shared definition of environmental scans that is relevant to substance use prevention and discuss how it relates to other types of assessments. The webinar will also discuss how and why environmental scans are an important tool for prevention professionals. Among other topics, the webinar will identify the common types of environmental scans and their uses and how asset maps can support environmental scans.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Explain the basics of environmental scans and their similarities and differences to other types of assessments.
- Describe the importance of environmental scans to prevention.
- Identify common types of environmental scans and their core elements.
- Recognize how asset maps can support environmental scans.
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.
