February 25, 2025, 1:00pm-2:30pm EST
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The second webinar in this learning collaborative will provide an overview of the practical steps to conducting an environmental scan and using its findings to support prevention efforts. The webinar will identify and discuss the steps to complete an environmental scan, as well as review the common challenges and opportunities that can arise. It will also review important resources that can support environmental scans, such as Geographic Information Systems. Lastly, the webinar will crosswalk potential environmental scan findings with each step of the Strategic Prevention Framework and discuss how the findings can improve planning efforts.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Describe the steps of an environmental scan.
- Identify the resources needed to complete an environmental scan.
- Recognize common challenges to completing environmental scans and opportunities for overcoming them.
- Recognize opportunities for using environmental scan results throughout the strategic planning process.
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.
Olivia Stuart, MSW supports the training & technical assistance (T/TA) team in the development and delivery of knowledge translation products across multiple projects. In this capacity, she assists with webinars, literature reviews, and infographics on a range of behavioral health topics. Prior to joining Carnevale Associates, Olivia interned with the Urban Institute’s Justice Policy Center where she supported projects to reduce inequities in the criminal justice system. Olivia also served as a Graduate Research Supervisor at George Mason University and worked for several years in advocacy and fundraising. She holds a Master of Social Work degree from George Mason University.
