In her early teens, Katie struggled deeply with making friends and exhibited symptoms of severe anxiety. As she got older, her symptoms and behavior led to a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and anxiety. Her parents were aware of her difficulties with mental health and were proactive when it came to getting her the care she needed. However, following a particularly eventful manic episode in which her parents feared she may harm herself; Dan and Beth made the decision to seek inpatient psychiatric treatment for Katie.
After exiting the residential facility in which Katie was treated, Dan and Beth applied to the TrECC program in the hopes of receiving safe support and access to resources to make the transition back into the community easier on their daughter. At the beginning, the family worked with their dedicated care coordinator to identify their immediate and long-term needs both individually and as a family. Katie was indifferent to the program at first, and did not necessarily protest to the care team’s efforts, but was not overly enthusiastic to be participating. Katie worried about returning to her school after being out for a significant amount of time, and worried that the time she missed would only heighten her mental health struggles. She was hesitant to participate because she was hopeless that there wasn’t more that could be done beyond residential psychiatric care, and her parents worried that she would shut down and regress as a result.
Over the next few months, a dedicated care team led Katie and her family through an individualized care plan, which was customized to specifically meet her and her parents’ needs. Dan and Beth were given access and referrals to professional services that worked directly with adolescents and teens who are working through managing their mental health. Katie was provided peer and community support resources and was encouraged to become more vocal in group settings during her team meetings. Eventually, Katie began to show noticeable changes to her mood and overall outlook on life, and even joined her school’s after school art club to work on building friendships while also occupying her time with something she has become passionate about. Her parents have learned to promote a safe and understanding environment that encourages Katie to be honest about how she is feeling and where she is at when it comes to her mental health without having to fear judgement. As a family, the three have learned how to be better communicators and have learned the importance of patience and understanding when it comes to problem solving and behavior management. The TrECC program provided resources and the supportive platform their family needed to stabilize themselves and return to their community in a stress-free manner.
About Connected Families NH
Funded by a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and contracted by the Bureau for Children’s Behavioral Health within New Hampshire’s Department of Health and Human Services, Connected Families NH is a collaborative family-led program designed to improve the emotional health of children and young adults. We recognize the importance of emotional health and provide free, flexible services and support through our statewide and regional programs. Reach out or submit a referral to learn more about how Connected Families NH can help you. Connected Families NH is under the governance of Cheshire County. Connected Families NH is not an emergency service. If you or someone you care about is having a mental health or substance use crisis, you can call and speak to trained care staff at the NH Rapid Response Access Point at 833-710-6477 or 988 or NH988.com.
