by Cheryl Guerin
I’m an eighties child, so the term “fast forward” to me means pushing the button on the cassette player to get to the next song. Of course, you have to push it just a little bit, then a little bit more, trying to find that exact right place where the next song begins. (Inevitably, I would then have to hit rewind because I went too far.)
So, when I was contacted by the Family Peer Support Coordinator from NAMI New Hampshire in December 2021 offering me the opportunity to participate in the FAST Forward program, I truly had no idea what she was talking about. What I did know is that I would take whatever family support I could get.
As a young child, my son struggled with anxiety. When he was 10 years old, he started running from school, was then unable to get to school at all, and eventually unable to leave his room and leave his bed. I spent four years navigating NH’s systems seeking support and services. Our family faced challenges such as emergency room boarding, a Hampstead stay, truancy, and more.
Simply put: my family was in crisis.
That December, I engaged in the process of enrolling in the FAST Forward program. As I said, I had no idea what “FAST Forward” or “wraparound” meant, but I was willing to give anything a try. Here’s what I learned and why it matters.
FAST Forward is New Hampshire’s high-fidelity wraparound program, which provides a comprehensive suite of youth and family-driven services focused on keeping the child/youth in their home community. The program also aims to support not just the youth, but the entire family as they navigate services. The FAST in FAST Forward, I later learned, stands for families and systems together.
In the program, a Care Coordinator and Family Peer Support Specialist meet with the youth and their family to understand their story and walk alongside them in their journey. In our first meeting, our Care Coordinator helped me to understand what is meant by “wraparound”. She explained that my son and I were in the driver’s seat, and that she was a passenger helping us navigate our way.
It was a relief for her to tell me not to expect a quick fix and that the process often lasts as long as eighteen months. At that point in my family’s journey, I had learned that there were no simple answers to complex problems. I was ready and more than willing to spend whatever time it would take to help my family thrive.
In addition to the process taking time, we acknowledged that some struggles won’t go away. The key is having support to live with and through those struggles. We discussed how sometimes behaviors are a result of an unidentified or unmet need. By exploring those unmet needs, we could potentially change behaviors.
In the first four to six weeks of the program, I shared my story, we created a family vision, identified the strengths of each family member, did some support planning, and scheduled family meetings. Every meeting we talked about celebrations, taking the time to reflect on progress, and count our blessings.
Throughout the following months, we invited individuals from my own support network to participate. They attended meetings, learned about my family’s needs and how they could help. I learned how to ask for help and created plans that allowed me to feel more secure. During this time (and through the encouragement of my Care Coordinator and a Family Peer Support Specialist), I was able to ask my neighbor to be available to help my son, who was then fifteen, if something happened when I wasn’t home. My neighbor was honored that I would ask her, and it’s a good thing I did. A few weeks later, our dog got loose when I was over an hour away from home! Our neighbor met my son outside, and they worked together to get our dog back home safely.
The services we received through FAST Forward were not novel on their own, but participating in the program as a whole had a huge impact. Before getting involved with FAST Forward, I experienced isolation, shame, stigma, and exhaustion. I had lost my hope.
Through FAST Forward, I felt seen, heard, and validated. I recovered my own hope.
Though I didn’t understand it at first, it turns out that the FAST Forward program was a lot like how I defined fast forward as a child of the eighties. We pushed the buttons to move forward a little bit at a time. We sometimes had to rewind a bit and try again. In the end, I got to the exact right spot where a new song began.
My son is now nineteen. He has his driver’s license and owns his own car. He’ll graduate online high school with a 3.83 cumulative GPA. He likes to cook dinner for me. Last December, five years after we started the FAST Forward program, he took a trip to NYC by himself.
A new song indeed.
If you or someone you know is in need of support, help is available.
NAMI New Hampshire’s Information & Resource line can help connect you with services and support throughout the Granite State. Contact info@naminh.org or call 1-800-242-6264 +4 (+8 for Spanish) to leave a confidential message. Please note: This is not a hotline or a crisis service, but is a phone line for families and individuals affected by mental health conditions.
Call or text 988 for 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.
