Summer Resource Hub for Addiction Prevention & Support

Summer can be a season of both reflection and change – especially for youth and families navigating the disease addiction. With school on pause and routines shifting, this time may bring added increased risk or big emotions, alongside new opportunities to connect and strengthen protective supports. Our Summer Resource Hub for Addiction Prevention & Support is here to walk alongside you. Thoughtfully curated, it includes engaging activities, insightful articles, and a recommended summer reading list for both youth and the caregivers.

Click to jump the following:

Activities | Summer Reading List | Caregiver Guidebook | Videos | Articles | Apps | Support Programs

Activities:

• Family Touchpoint
• Thumb Ball
• Emotion Jenga
• Inside Out – Getting to Know my Emotions
• Mindfulness Calming Jar
• Cool Down Keychain
• Feel the Beat
• Safe Place
• Remembering the 7 C’s

Summer Reading List:

• Selah Has a Secret: A children’s book about addiction
• Lambi Learns About Addiction
• The Letter: Annie’s Appalachian Adventures
• A Sickness You Can’t See
• For more book recommendations for children & teens – visit Books to Support Youth Affected by Addiction in the Family

Kinship Caregiver Guidebook:

• Kinship Caregiver Planner & Journal is a powerful and practical resource created by Onita Morgan-Edwards, one of our Camp Mariposa Dayton family participants.

Videos:

• Nuggets: animated illustration on addiction
• The Hijacker: video to help youth understand how the brain if affected by substance misuse
• Sesame Street: videos and resources for youth about parental addiction

Articles:

• Family Roles & Family Rules: articles about the 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

Apps:

• CheckDEC is a free mobile app developed by the National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children (National DEC) that immediately connects children, families and professionals to substance use related information, crisis helplines, drug and treatment information, supportive resources and services within their local area.

Support Programs:

• Camp Mariposa is a free year-round addiction prevention and youth mentoring program for ages 9-17 who are affected by the substance use of a family member. Campers build knowledge, life skills, confidence, and connect with peers and trained adult mentors.
• Camp Erin® is the largest national free grief camp network for kids, teens, and families grieving the death of a significant person in their lives. A variety of day, overnight, and online camp programs empower youth and their adult caregivers to explore their grief, build coping skills, and have fun in a supportive community through a mix of grief support and camp activities. 
• Camp Erin Online provides free, online support for families to come together, learn ways to navigate grief, and connect with others who have shared experiences. Through ongoing family grief support groups and creative grief expression events, families can be intentional about setting aside time and space to reconnect and remember together.
• The Eluna Resource Center offers confidential, personalized support in English and Spanish as well as a comprehensive online library of resources and referrals for youth and families impacted by addiction, grief and related complex challenges. On a mission to educate and equip, the Eluna Resource Center also offers Community Conversations, Care Packages, and the ability to save and share customized lists of resources within your community.