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Civil commitment for substance use disorders (SUD) involves the mandatory enrollment of people in abstinence-focused treatment. In the United States, 35 states and the District of Columbia have such commitment laws for people with SUD. This fact sheet focuses on the effects of civil commitment on people with SUD.

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Education professionals in K-12 and higher education settings are at risk of leaving the profession, in part because of the stress and dissatisfaction from not being allowed to use their professional judgment to make sound educational decisions (Lewis et al., 2023).

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The direct care workforce, such as home health aides and nursing assistants, comprise about 5 million workers.

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Telehealth has evolved from a concierge convenience for private insurance companies into an essential tool for increasing access to care1and improving health equity.2 The benefits and challenges of telehealth and telementoring are documented below, as are recommendations for policymakers to consider to improve individuals’ access to care.

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Heat exposure has killed more people in the U.S. than any other weather-related event over the past 30 years. The human body can only adapt to a narrow range of temperature change.

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Climate change negatively affects food production in non-Arctic areas through altered precipitation patterns, extreme weather events, rising temperatures, and shifting pest and disease patterns.

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The World Health Organization has identified air pollution as the fifth-largest cause of death globally and “one of the biggest environmental threats to human health.” Pollutants, primarily from the burning of fossil fuels, caused approximately 200,000 deaths in the U.S. in 2019–more than those caused by strokes, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease.

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State and local climate action planning recommends renovating existing buildings to improve energy efficiency, given that existing buildings currently contribute to more than 35% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

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The recent pandemic has contributed to a climbing number of teacher vacancies, though retention has long been an issue.

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Prescription opioid misuse can increase the risk of dependence and is one driver of the opioid epidemic. From 1999 to 2020, more than 263,000 people across the country died from overdoses directly involving prescription opioids.

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While almost 70% of K-12 students in the U.S. continue to attend their neighborhood public school, an increasing number attend other types of schools.

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As the opioid epidemic continues to be a major public health crisis with record-breaking deaths, policies that promote services for people with substance use disorders (SUDs) beyond clinics and in-patient facilities can help support treatment and recovery.

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Participation in Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs can enhance students’ skills and help them prepare for high-wage and/or in-demand careers, while simultaneously addressing critical workforce challenges (e.g., staffing shortages).

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In 2021, more than 240,000 people in the United States died from drug overdoses and excessive alcohol use. Policies that prevent deaths from substance use and substance use disorders (SUDs) include increasing access to treatment, harm reduction, and recovery support.

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A key objective of the Research-to-Policy Collaboration is to facilitate working relationships and partnerships between these two communities.

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A community school is a school with intentional, coordinated partnerships with other community resources.

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Child sexual abuse (CSA; i.e., physical or nonphysical sexual acts with a child under the age of 18 in which there is no or limited capacity to provide true consent) can occur through online exploitation, child pornography, and the luring of children offline for sexual encounters.

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An estimated 43% of children in the United States have at least one parent with a non-standard work schedule, which often include irregular shifts. Professional child care providers typically do not offer services outside of traditional weekday working hours or accommodate changing schedules on short notice, and may impose monetary penalties for unplanned schedule fluctuations.

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Grow Your Own (GYO) teacher programs are partnerships between school districts, institutions of higher education, and community-based organizations to recruit and prepare community members to become teachers in local schools (Gist et al., 2019).

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COVID-19 has upended the lives of nearly every individual in the United States, with prolonged school closures one of the major driving forces of disruption for youth and families.

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Physical and social distancing due to the pandemic has negatively impacted youths’ mental health. Within the last year, youth have reported elevated levels of anxiety and depression as a result of isolation.

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Over 5.8 million people in the U.S. were victims of violent crime (e.g., domestic violence, sexual assault), in 2019.1 In the same year approximately 678,000 children were victims of abuse or neglect.

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High-quality, affordable, and reliable child care options are not accessible across the country. Child care deserts—areas with an insufficient supply of licensed child care options—are most frequently observed in marginalized and rural communities.

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Excessive alcohol use costs the US an estimated $249 billion each year.[1] The COVID-19 pandemic has affected young people in ways that may increase their risk for heavy alcohol use.

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While misinformation has long been a component of traditional print and broadcast media, digital technology allows for the frictionless dissemination of false and manipulated content with, at times, acutely dangerous consequences.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has produced unique challenges for parents with substance use disorders (SUDs). Although some barriers have been alleviated (e.g., medication assisted treatment is more accessible for some and telehealth is broadly available), COVID-19 has still resulted in barriers to support for parents with SUDs.

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Victims of crime sometimes require compensation to cover the expenses associated with being a victim (e.g., medical expenses).

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The COVID-19 pandemic has been especially harmful to members of social groups in the most vulnerable of situations, including youth in foster care and those who have recently exited care.

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Implicit bias is an unconscious attitude based on one’s experiences and societal exposure to social messages.

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Victims of violence (VoV) often face a variety of obstacles to disclosing their victim status, which prevent them from receiving help. Victim services programs and organizations, which are often financially supported through the Crime Victims Fund, advocate for victims and connect them with necessary services.

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More than 2.2. million people are incarcerated in the U.S.; this is more people than in any other country and over half of these individuals are incarcerated for non-violent offenses. Incarcerated populations, correctional staff, and their families are at an especially increased risk to become infected with COVID-19, as the prison environment does not lend itself to be protective against illness.

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In 2018 [1], over 6.3 million people experienced a threatened, attempted, or completed violent crime such as rape, sexual assault, domestic violence, robbery, aggravated assault, or simple assault.[1] In addition, approximately 678,000 children were victims of abuse or neglect [2] and over 16,000 people were murdered.[3] These victims and their families need immediate and long-term services.

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The ways to improve minority and underserved communities’ interest and literacy for vaccine trials and contact tracing.

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Negative relationships between police and communities are associated with civilian perceptions of lack of safety, low civilian trust in police, and overall negative perceptions of law enforcement, particularly for Black communities and other communities who have been historically marginalized.

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Among the many distressing ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a heightened risk for family violence including both child maltreatment and intimate partner violence.

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Systemic maternal healthcare disparities disproportionately affect Black women and other women of color, particularly those also experiencing socioeconomic disadvantages. Provider training and inter-agency partnerships have the potential to buffer risks and support maternal health.

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In addition to participating in the following interviews, Ann Michelle Daniels, Dara Whalen, and Kamila Alexander also participated in our virtual congressional briefing on this topic.

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Violence (e.g., physical, psychological, and sexual) is unfortunately common and often results in victims needing immediate and long-term services.

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Contact tracing is critical to containing and mitigating the spread of COVID-19. It is a tried and true, evidence-based mechanism to identify disease patterns during a pandemic. Coordinated federal efforts, including the use of national contact tracing strategies, are effective at containing and mitigating the impact of pandemics.

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The COVID-19 pandemic is disproportionately affecting people of color, in terms of number of cases, mortality rates, pay cuts, and job loss. The health and economic devastation of this outbreak, in addition to the distress raised by the recent killing of George Floyd and many others, are significantly contributing to the stress of the nation and disproportionately impacting the mental health of people of color.

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Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, an estimated 125,000 additional mental health professionals were required to meet the nation’s mental health needs. Recent events have intensified the need for mental health professionals and the services they provide.

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The emergence of COVID-19 is not just a reminder of the digital divide in our community; it also highlights the inequities in accessing technology and online educational resources.

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This issue presents research-informed policy recommendations regarding the effects of COVID-19 on welfare-youth, and human trafficking and exploitation. The prevalence of human trafficking heightens with the growing impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable communities.

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Human trafficking is the crime of using force or fraud for the purpose of compelled labor or a commercial sex act. The United States considers “trafficking in persons,” “human trafficking,” and “modern slavery” to be interchangeable umbrella terms that refer to both sex trafficking and labor trafficking.

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Providing necessary care and social support is critical during the perinatal time period to ensure the health and well-being of parents and children. Due to concerns related to COVID-19, hospitals have limited the number of people who can be present during and following birth.

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Human trafficking involves individuals being compelled to work, provide services or engage in commercial sex through the use of force, fraud or coercion. COVID-19 has negatively impacted the screening and identification of human trafficking victims as well as reduced survivors’ access to the mechanisms associated with successful recovery (e.g., case workers, social workers and legal assistance).

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Contact tracing is a robust public health strategy to address evasive infectious disease outbreaks [i] and requires sensitive interpersonal and cultural competence to cultivate trust with patients and contacts [ii].

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Stressful situations combined with increased drug and alcohol use set the stage for potentially dangerous situations, especially for youth in abusive homes. Youth who consider school a safe haven may now be confined at home with their abusers.

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COVID-19 has created new barriers for students with disabilities. Students receiving special education services toward learning or behavioral goals are already at elevated risk for falling behind in school.

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Youth living in poverty are more impacted by the digital divide. This divide may widen as many schools transition to online learning.

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This issue presents research-informed policy recommendations regarding migrant workers and children. Particularly, attending to the impact of COVID-19 on health and economic disparities among America’s international workforce, as well as implications for educational access and linguistically diverse students

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The U.S. is the new epicenter of the Coronavirus pandemic. Mitigation strategies are more critical than they ever were before; however, they may exacerbate socioeconomic inequities and disparities that endanger the health and well-being of families.

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Nationwide, stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders have been issued in response to COVID-19 in order to facilitate physical distancing practices.

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In the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, many families are facing social shifts, economic uncertainty, and disruptions in their daily life, as well as coping with closures to school and childcare facilities and demands of providing for educational and childcare needs.

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Immigrant families and children who are infected/influenced by COVID-19 face various barriers in seeking healthcare.

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Schools, often a safe refuge for many children with an abusive parent or caregiver [i], are being closed from in-person instruction across the nation.

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COVID-19 is an equal opportunity virus, but exposure to this virus does not take place in an equal opportunity context. Although only some states and counties provide COVID-19 cases and outcomes by race, the data available indicate that disparities are stark.

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All students deserve an appropriate and effective education, including English Learners (ELs) [1] and dual language learners (DLLs) [2], collectively referred to as linguistically diverse students.

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Persons experiencing homelessness are at high risk of infection, transmission, complications and mortality from coronavirus. Persons experiencing homelessness have higher rates of physical and mental health conditions compared to the general public.

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The fast-moving Coronavirus pandemic (also known as COVID-19) has numerous implications on the health and well-being children and families.

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The fast-moving Coronavirus pandemic (also known as COVID-19) has numerous implications on the health and well-being children and families.

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What Do We Know About The Impact of Pandemics on Families?

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Social Isolation Exacerbates the Severity of Substance Use and Mental Health Disorders.

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There is Good News. China has turned the curve on the coronavirus (no new cases as of 3/19/20); South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong internationally are containing the virus….but America is not ready.

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Improve Access to Items Needed to Reduce Harm Associated with Opioid Misuse.

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Refugees face structural and cultural barriers associated with higher physical and mental health disparities, poverty, and uncertainty about their rights and legal status.

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The Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI) has led to decreased incidence of diabetes in tribal communities; however, there is room for program improvements.

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Due to issues of confidentiality that often prevent data and information sharing, the established bureaucratic process often doesn’t allow organizations to collaborate.

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Racial disparities are connected to maternal mortality, especially African American women. Inadequate healthcare has been a concern with racism being a primary cause.

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Addiction is a complex disease, and there is no “one-size fits all.” Treatment should be personalized, measure progress over time, and develop a long-term strategy for continuing care after treatment.

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Multiple organizations responded to this issue by summarizing the empirical evidence on the adverse psychological and physical health consequences of trauma anticipated from forced family separation, detention, feared deportation and acclimation.

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Domestic violence and child maltreatment co-occur in 30-60% of families experiencing violence. Yet agencies serving children and adults too often fail to coordinate, resulting in disjointed, erratic and less effective services, leaving children and adults experiencing violence and trauma unidentified, untreated, and less safe.

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Governments at all levels possess comprehensive information systems on citizen services that often exist in silos.

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How well children and their families adapt to adoption depends on a few things, including social environments, biology, and time. This document reviews information associated with adoption permanency.

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Survivors of domestic violence often need to leave their residence in order to escape abuse and it is vital the abuser not be able to find them. In order to keep survivors safe, it is important they remain hidden from their abuser.

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American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/NA) women are at an incredibly high risk to be the victim of violence. Recent estimates suggest over 500 unsolved cases nationwide of missing and murdered AI/NA women.

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High quality programs are the most successful and cost effective. These programs should focus on cultural and regional relevance, violence across genders, and risk reduction.

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The following information was gathered to respond to the efficacy of TANF in promoting self-sustainability:

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We have begun to identify researcher-oriented professionals who have expertise in the following areas...

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Many women who use substances are mothers with minor children or are of reproductive age.

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This brief summarizes child trauma and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)

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We have identified several research-oriented professionals who have expertise in intercountry (international) adoption and the quality of orphanages abroad. We are currently in the process of engaging more experts both in and outside of our network.

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We gathered the following information to respond to general interests related to substance use treatment, abstinence, and prevention.

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Over the last decade, the number of infants affected by prenatal substance exposure, withdrawal symptoms or alcohol use has significantly increased with the opioid crisis.

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6 actions for legislators to consider for budgeting that prioritize proven results

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Strategies to codify results-based policymaking, Part 1

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A look at key steps for state and county partners

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Results First provides a guide to establishing and sharing clear definitions

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Evidence-based policymaking allows government leaders to achieve the best possible outcomes by investing in programs that have been rigorously studied and proved to work.

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How one state incorporates rigorous evidence of effectiveness into budgeting decisions

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Policy efforts related to juvenile justice grew out of the initial 2016 implementation of the Research-to-Policy Collaboration by the National Prevention Science Coalition.