As COVID-19 cases continue to increase across the country, there is a concern about the extent to which this pandemic will affect students. Since March 2020, schools transitioned to a distance-learning format, which unintentionally forced parents into new teaching roles as proxy educators. In this brief, we explore the association between distance learning and the mental health of proxy educators. We find that parents with children who struggled with distance learning experienced elevated mental distress. Given the relationship between teacher burnout and student outcomes, we argue the importance of supporting parents during this time to improve students’ schooling.

As the drug epidemic continues to cripple communities and disrupt our country, identifying and understanding state and federal policies which have helped alleviate the burden of substance use disorders (SUDs) is imperative. In 2010, the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) expanded health coverage and services offered to millions of Americans. Prior to the ACA, treatment for substance use disorders was not included in all medical coverage. We examine the brief literature on ACA Medicaid Expansion and SUDs and complement this literature by including the effects on measures of supply and efficacy of SUD treatment.

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From 1999 to 2017, the United States saw a 253% increase in fatal drug overdoses per capita and a 200% increase in the rate of overdose deaths involving opioids (Rudd et al., 2016; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2019). State-specific efforts to directly quell negative effects of the epidemic include crackdowns on "pill mills" (Meinhofer, 2016), and limits on initial prescription length (Sacks et al., 2019). 1 However, there is a concern that these recent efforts to restrict opioid prescribing and reduce mortality may have had the unintended consequence of reducing access to those individuals who need medicine for legitimate reasons (Dalal & Bruera, 2019;Yuanhong Lai et al., 2019). For instance, opioids are necessary for many patients with cancer, but the stigma surrounding these drugs and the policies implemented to restrict their access may lead to unintentional reductions in prescribing for these types of patients

Black youth have been overrepresented in the U.S. foster care system for decades. This, coupled with disparities in treatment and outcomes, has forced all child welfare agencies to take note and influenced policy change, at the federal level. Recently, literature has begun to bring to light the existence of a substantial LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) foster youth population which is overrepresented and underserved. This article offers a comprehensive look at the LGBTQ foster youth population, its vulnerabilities, and its distinct needs. It further contributes to the existing body of literature by exploring the intersectionality of foster youth who identify as Black and LGBTQ.