Suspenders4Hope® Kits

Providing Hope & Support in Times of Need

How to Build a HOPE Kit for Yourself or Someone You Love

Creating a personalized HOPE Kit can be an empowering and effective way to support your mental health, manage intense emotions, and calm moments of crisis. A HOPE Kit is your emotional first-aid kit, filled with small, meaningful items that help ground you when life feels overwhelming.

Rooted in gold-standard, evidence-based treatment approaches like Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), the HOPE Kit brings practical mental wellness tools into everyday life. These kits are especially powerful during acute moments of distress, when research shows suicide risk is highest and often impulsive.

The HOPE Kit equips individuals with distress tolerance strategies, offering tangible ways to calm the heat of the moment, reduce risk, and reconnect with what matters most.

Watch the video above to hear community members share what’s in their personal HOPE Kits and learn how simple it can be to build your own.

Distract

Take your mind off your troubles.

Read a book

Engage in an activity

Comfort

Self-soothe using your five senses.

Eat dark chocolate

Use scented lotions or oil

Improve the Moment

Shift your emotional state intentionally.

Journal your feelings

Take a break from screens

Mindfulness

Be present without judgment.

Breathe slowly and deeply

Meditate and focus on the moment

Reach Out

Asking for support is strength.

Call a friend or loved one

Call 988 or 911 in an emergency

Safeguard your surroundings

Create a safe space for healing.

Secure or remove firearms

Remove alcohol and other substances

Download a free guide on how to build a HOPE kit

To download the free HOPE Kit Guide, enter your email below and press “submit”.

About the Suspenders4Hope® Kit Initiative

Developed by Wichita State University’s Suspenders4Hope® team, the Suspenders4Hope® Kit initiative was created to put tangible, life-affirming mental health resources into the hands of those who need them most.

Research shows that individuals leaving emergency mental health or detox services often experience heightened emotional distress and increased suicide risk. Suspenders4Hope® Kits serve as a bridge between crisis care and ongoing recovery, offering hope, connection, and practical coping resources during this critical window.

HOPE Kits were designed to scale the benefits of DBT-based interventions across communities and bring effective mental wellness tools to those who may not have access to traditional care. Kits are currently distributed through:

  • Local emergency departments
  • Community mental health centers
  • Substance use treatment programs
  • Educational institutions
  • Partner agencies

If you’re interested in distributing HOPE Kits through your organization, contact us here.

What’s Inside a Suspenders4Hope® Kit?

Each kit includes a personalized selection of items designed to increase coping skills, build resilience, and reinforce reasons for living. Examples include:

A Hope Journal

for reflection and emotional expression
Download the Hope Kit Handbook

Emotion Regulation Tools

like coloring books or fidget items

A Suspenders4Hope® Lapel Pin

to promote connection and reduce stigma

Resource Guides

connecting users to national and local mental health services

Family & Support Education Materials

to help loved ones offer informed care

Safety & Prevention Tools

for crisis planning and harm reduction

Donate Today to Support Someone in Need

Your gift helps us place HOPE Kits into the hands of individuals facing crisis.

Join the Movement

Together, we can bring HOPE to those in despair and make sure support is always within reach.

Partner with Us

Are you part of an organization ready to make an impact? Partners help distribute kits, host trainings, and expand access to mental health tools.

Advocate as an Individual

Want to help as one person with a big heart? Advocates share the message, build their own kits, and inspire others to do the same.