Crisis Bags
Bring Immediate Help, Hope & Support To Children
Children impacted by substance misuse and trauma often face uncertainty, fear, and distress. To provide immediate comfort and support, NADEC developed Crisis Bags—a trauma-informed intervention designed to reduce negative outcomes for children and youth affected by opioids and other substances.
These Crisis Bags serve as a critical tool for professionals working directly with children and families experiencing crisis situations. Whether you are in a DEC alliance, law enforcement, child welfare, healthcare, education, or social services, these bags offer a tangible, research-backed way to provide comfort and reassurance to children in need.
We rely on generous donations from supporters like you to make these bags available to children!
The Background
Our Director of Operations, Carrie, spent 6 months researching and consulting with psychologists on trauma-informed approaches.
It was because of her incredible dedication and determination that NADEC were able to bring all of this diverse research, knowledge and professional advice together, and create a workable product that is guaranteed to help children affected by substance misuse and drug activity.
All professionals interacting with children and families affected by substance use can use these bags to provide an immediate sense of security, engagement, and hope.
Reach out to us at info@nationaldec.org or via our online forms, if you want to get the full research and checklist to create your own Crisis Bags.
We will even give you your very own personalized logo for the bags, tailored for your community!
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What Are Crisis Bags?
Each Crisis Bag contains carefully selected items designed to support emotional regulation, resilience, and well-being in children experiencing trauma. These materials have been chosen based on scientific research on childhood trauma, cognitive science, and mental health interventions.
The Crisis Bag aims to:
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Reduce trauma-related distress by offering comfort and distraction.
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Encourage positive coping mechanisms through structured activities.
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Help professionals build trust with children in crisis situations.
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Promote resilience and emotional regulation using evidence-based interventions
Purple branded bag with items including diapers, babygrows, formula and bottles.
Blue branded bag plus items including teddy bear, blanket, coloring books, playdoh, toothpaste, gloves and bubbles.
Branded green bag including items such as soft toy, coloring books, blanket, socks, gloves, rubix cube, coloring pencils, toothbrush and toothpaste, toy car.
Black branded bag including items such as soft toy, antiperspirant, toothbrush, socks, gloves, blanket, tampax, exercise book, colored pencils, rubix cube.
The contents of each Crisis Bag may vary slightly depending upon availability in the area of distribution, however the following lists provide an idea of what is available in each age-specific Crisis Bag.
Babies' Crisis Bag:
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Onsies x 2 (Pajama and Short-sleeved), Diapers, Formula, Bottle, and Receiving Blanket.
1 - 5 Yrs Old Crisis Bag:
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Hygiene Products (Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Soap), Blanket, Socks, Gloves, Teddy Bear, Playdoh, Crayons, Coloring Book, Bubbles, Stress Ball, and Fidget Toys.
6 - 10 Yrs Old Crisis Bag:
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Hygiene Products (Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Soap), Blanket, Socks, Gloves, Stuffed Animal, Playdoh, Slime, Crayons, Coloring Book, Bubbles, Stress Ball, Card Game, Fidget Toys, Matchbox Cars, Lego Sets, and Notebook.
Teenager's Crisis Bag:
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Hygiene Products (Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Deodorant, Soap, Cellophane Bags, Tampons, Pads), Blanket, Socks, Gloves, Stuffed Animal, Slime, Notebook, Colored Pencils, Stress Ball, Rubix Cube, Fidget Toys, Lego Sets, and Finger Skateboard.
The Research
NADEC carefully reviewed academic studies, psychological research, and expert recommendations while developing the contents of the Crisis Bags. The following studies and resources support their design and effectiveness:
Cognitive Science & Trauma Reduction
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Holmes et al. (2009) demonstrated that structured cognitive tasks, such as simple games like Tetris, can reduce intrusive trauma-related memories.
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Kanstrup et al. (2021) explored brief cognitive task interventions in emergency settings to alleviate trauma symptoms.
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Lyadurai et al. (2019) provided insights into intrusive memories of trauma and potential interventions to mitigate their effects.
Visual-Spatial Activities & Emotional Regulation
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Guess & Hickey (2019) highlighted the importance of visual-spatial activities in cognitive development and stress relief.
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Brightwheel Blog (2023) emphasized how visual-spatial intelligence contributes to learning, emotional regulation, and problem-solving.
The Role of Gratitude & Resilience in Healing
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Harvard Medical School (2021) and Psychology Today (Thompson, 2020) explored the connection between gratitude practices and improved mental health.
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Simply Full of Delight (2020) developed engaging activities, such as Gratitude Scavenger Hunts, to promote positive emotions in children.
Art & Coloring as Therapeutic Tools
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Mayo Clinic Health System (Bobby, 2022) and Simmons (2016) studied the effects of coloring on stress relief and mental well-being.
How To Get Involved
If you work with children and families affected by substance use, you can incorporate these Crisis Bags into your professional practice to provide immediate, research-supported help to children in need.
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Interested in using Crisis Bags in your work? Contact us to get the FULL checklist of verified items to go in the bags, and to get your OWN exclusive DEC LOGO for the bags too!
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Want to expand access to Crisis Bags? Corporate sponsorships and individual donations help us provide these lifesaving resources to thousands of children nationwide.
Together, we can bring help, hope, and support to children impacted by trauma—one Crisis Bag at a time.