Webinar Series Description and Learning Objectives:
The substance use landscape is ever changing. While these changes can involve the emergence of new substances— they can also involve new patterns and trends in substances long-familiar to your communities. Responding to these changes may mean that existing prevention services require adjustments or shifts in focus. This webinar is the fourth in a four-part series on emerging drug trends in the Pacific Southwest region. It will cover the latest data on alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, prescription drugs, illicit opioids, illicit stimulants, and illicit hallucinogens. The webinar will also review the latest data on co-occurring behavioral health disorders and lack of access to services. It will also explore the potential impacts of these trends on existing prevention efforts and provide recommendations for ensuring timely and relevant services.
By the end of the webinar, participants will be able to:
- Identify the latest trends in alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and prescription drug misuse.
- Identify the latest trends among well-known illicit drugs.
- Identify the latest trends in co-occurring behavioral health disorders and concerns.
- Recognize the impacts of these trends on current prevention services.
Who Should Participate:
Community, tribal, jurisdiction, and state-level substance misuse prevention practitioners and allied health partners located in the Pacific Southwest region, including American Samoa, Arizona, California, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada, Republic of Marshall Islands, and Republic of Palau.
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 PTTCs, the PTTC Network Coordinating Office, and the Central East ATTC and MHTTC.
Olivia Stuart, LMSW is an Associate with Carnevale Associates, LLC. She has provided training and technical assistance (T/TA) through four of SAMHSA’s ten regional PTTCs and the Central East ATTC. In her role, Ms. Stuart has developed dozens of T/TA products including webinars, intensive training events, conference presentations, reports, and fact sheets on a variety of topics across the fields of substance use prevention and behavioral health.
Dates & Times:
States & American Samoa
May 14, 2026
03:00 p.m. – 04:30 p.m. Pacific and Arizona
12:00 p.m. – 01:30 p.m. Hawaii
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. American Samoa
Pacific Jurisdictions
May 15, 2026
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 p.m. Republic of the Marshall Islands
09:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Pohnpei and Kosrae
08:00 a.m. – 09:30 a.m. Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Chuuk, and Yap
07:00 a.m. – 08:30 a.m. Republic of Palau
(view in your time zone)
Cost:
Free!
Certificates of Attendance:
Participants will receive a Certificate of Attendance for 1.5 hours for participating in the live webinar session.
To Register:
Questions:
Please contact Tyler Dean (tdean@casat.org) for any questions related to registration. For any other questions, please contact Audeaneh Saberi (asaberi@casat.org).