Overdose Grief Resource Hub
The following resources have been carefully created by Eluna and thoughtfully compiled from our partners and other leaders working in the fields of substance use disorder and grief.
We hope that this page can serve as a bookmark that you will revisit when supporting youth & families grieving an overdose or substance related death.
Click to jump the following:
Conversation Tools | Family Resources | Educator Resources | Videos| Books | Activities | Support
Resource Highlight: Watch Eluna’s Community Conversation: Supporting Youth Grieving an Overdose Death that took place on Tuesday, December 5th. Whether you’ve experienced a loss from an overdose or care for youth grieving this stigmatized loss, we welcome you to watch and continue this important conversation. Watch the recording here.
Links to help facilitate the tough conversations
- Overdose grief & Substance use disorder prevention & support: printable postcard pointers on what to say and what not to say when supporting youth
- Talking with kids about a death from addiction (substance use)
- Scripts for kids: How to answer questions about substance use death
- Explaining a Substance Related Death to Children
- Addictionary : comprehensive dictionary of person-first terms related to subtance use
Articles & activities to consider for the entire family
- Family Roles & Family Rules: articles about the dominant roles & rules that children are likely to take on while growing up in an addicted household
- Seven C’s: printable poster of important messages for youth affected by a family member’s substance misuse.
- Grandparents raising children impacted by substance use disorder
- Foster/kinship caregivers supporting children impacted by substance use
For teachers, counselors, and any school staff member
- Children impacted by addiction: A toolkit for educators
- Guidelines for responding to the death of a student or school staff
- Supporting children grieving a substance-use related death toolkit
- Natural High Education Platform free resources, celebrity videos and lesson plans
To help build understanding about the impacts of substance use disorder and opportunities for support
- Nuggets: animated illustration on addiction
- The Hijacker: video to help youth understand how the brain if affected by subtance misuse
- Importance of Mentorship: interview of Camp Mariposa mentors & staff sharing mentorship insights
- Importance of Community: video about the importance of building communities of support for youth & families affected by the drug crisis
- Sesame Street: videos and resources for youth about parental addiction
- All the Pieces – When a Loved One Dies From Substance Use: book read aloud by Hallie Riggs
Recommended books for youth grieving the death of someone due to an overdose
- All the Pieces: When a Loved One Dies From Substance Use: A picture book to help children understand and process the loss of a significant person to overdose.
- A Kids Book About Overdose: This book is carefully written for children and grownups to read together about drug overdoses, the disease of addiction, how to get help if someone experiences an overdose, and validation for a variety of grief responses.
- For more, check our list of recommended books to support youth affected by addiction
Reflective & expressive activities recommended for youth & families grieving a substance-related death.
- Art With Heart: creative expression journals for youth in grades K-12
- Your Grief is Unique: worksheet to explore the various ways that grief shows up for you emotionally, physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually.
- Grief Rights: printable poster and activity
- Goodbye Letter: sentence starter prompts to speak directly to your person who died while reflecting on feelings and memories
Nation-wide programs for youth affected by grief or a family member’s substance misuse.
- Camp Mariposa: Year-round addiction prevention and mentoring program for youth affected by the substance use of a family member. Children and teens attend transformational weekend camps every other month for a year or more. All Camp Mariposa activities are provided free of charge.
- Camp Erin: Supports children, teens, and families through in-person day and overnight sessions and online programs. Participants attend a camp experience that combines grief education and emotional support with fun, interactive activities.
- Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation: Children’s Program Offered in-person at three Hazelden Betty Ford locations as well as nationwide through virtual sessions, the Children’s Program is led by trained counseling staff and designed for youth ages 7-12.
- Alateen: In-person and virtual spaces for teens, ages 13 – 18, affected by someone else’s alcoholism.
- Grief Recovery After a Substance Passing (GRASP): Local and online support groups for adults who have lost a loved one through substance use.
- Partnership to End Addiction: Comprehensive library of resources and support groups for caregivers, including a support group for parents grieving the death of a child where substance use was involved.
NOTE: If you are looking for local support programs for youth impacted by grief or addiction, please consider Eluna’s free and confidential personalized support. We will provide you with a robust list of resources and referrals specific to the age of each child, their relationship to the individual, and the type of challenge or loss. (Available in Spanish & English)
*Special thanks to Eluna volunteer, Mary Ann Gill, for supporting the development of this resource hub!
