Opioids and school leaders: bricolage leadership in Appalachian Ohio

In this qualitative study, we examined how school leaders in rural Appalachia improvise to foster and maintain external relationships with partners and community supports to address the effects of opioids. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews of 27 public school leaders (superintendents, principals, and assistant principals) in schools throughout the region of Appalachian Ohio, focusing on schools in counties that were identified as high rates of opioid-related incidents. Participants expressed a need for access to external partners and increased professional development to address issues relating to the opioid crisis. They experienced frustrations of unpreparedness and a sense of being overwhelmed and under-resourced. Nonetheless, findings indicate that both building and district leaders engage in bricolage when making decisions and mobilizing resources. Often this implies leveraging external support for the wellbeing of all stakeholders to create stable educational environments for their students that have been negatively impacted by opioid.