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While some parents eagerly await the day they become "empty-nesters", the experience can be more difficult for others.

Earlier this year, the nation's leading experts in pediatric health declared the mental health crisis among children so dire that it has become a national emergency.  It also prompted an influential group of experts to recommend for the first time, screening all children ages 8 to 18 for anxiety.

Children are returning to the classroom after more than a year of remote learning.

We asked Tamara Faulkner, LCSW, CADC, “How has the fallout from the pandemic, including increased stress and social isolation, affected those with existing substance use disorders?”

We asked Tamara Faulkner, LCSW, CADC, “Recent studies have shown a marked increase in alcohol consumption over the past year. Could you provide a useful framework for individuals to think about their alcohol consumption if they are concerned about overusing alcohol?”

Whether or not your relationship has been struggling or thriving, there’s little doubt that many of us have learned more about ourselves and about our partners during a time where privacy and solitude, social outings, work/life balance and stability were upended by a global pandemic. In addition, there has been a dramatic rise of substance use over the past year, with nearly 1 in 4 adults reporting that their alcohol consumption has increased.

We asked Daniel Lopez, M.S.W., LCSW, “As we begin to enter a new phase of public health safety, what lessons regarding loneliness, communication and community do you think can be translated into our new normal? What positive things have we learned from this experience?”

We asked Daniel Lopez, M.S.W., LSCW, “What are the biggest areas of struggle you’ve seen over the past year for those living alone & socially isolating?”