Coping with the opioid crisis: Teachers need support, right now

Abstract

Kathryn Welby’s case study of schools in regions of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine that have been touched by the opioid crisis yields eye-opening insights into the devastating impact the opioid epidemic has on schools. Students in these communities are experiencing serious trauma because of opioid addiction in their families, and this trauma affects their ability to participate and learn at school. Educators in the schools reveal that they are overwhelmed and feel helpless to do anything for their students, and they have received little support and training on how to cope with the crisis. Schools in areas affected by the epidemic need to acknowledge that the problem exists and proactively work to prepare teachers to respond.