Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service

We will help you find the right service for your needs and provide specialist treatment if appropriate.

We may offer you an assessment with a registered mental health professional to understand your needs fully.

Depending on your mental health needs, we may be able to:

• Help with initial mental health difficulties arising from your transition out of the armed forces.
• Introduce you to the right health service to meet your needs, whether that is within the Op COURAGE treatment pathway for specialist military-focused treatment, or other appropriate organisations or NHS services, such as NHS Talking Therapies or community mental health teams.
• Guide you to local and national organisations or veteran charities who can help you with other areas of your life, such as employment, housing, finances, personal relationships, alcohol/substance use concerns, general wellbeing, or criminal justice issues.
• Work with other NHS services to support your care and treatment, where required.

We accept self-referrals direct from veterans who live in the east of England, or you can ask a friend or family member to make that first contact for you. Your GP or any other professional can also refer you. Find out how to refer to our service.

If you identify that a Veteran you support may need some additional help, you may wish to make them aware of our Op COURAGE service. If they struggle to make that first step, you may make a referral on their behalf, with their consent. Find out how to refer to our service.

At Op COURAGE we provide a military-sensitive and trauma-informed approach to our veterans and their partners, families and other significant people in their lives.

We recognise the huge contribution and sacrifice that you make in supporting our veterans, and your continuing role in their long-term recovery. We acknowledge the toll it can take on all areas of family life. This is reflected in the Armed Forces Covenant commitment to Veterans and their families.

If you are supporting a Veteran who is open to our service then we welcome you, with their consent, to accompany them to an appointment to be involved in their care, and to provide you with information and support regarding the impact that post-service life can have on loved ones. We may also be able to offer some family focused interventions or educational offers on PTSD.

We can offer you a Carer’s Assessment with one of our Mental Health Nurses, to help identify if you have any personal support needs. We can then provide recommendations on how to gain support for yourself, as we know that caring for someone can be emotionally and practically challenging at times.

If you would like to refer someone to our service, please use this link for information on how to do this. Please provide as much information as you can about the circumstances of the person you are referring, so we can provide the best support and as quickly as possible.

If you’d like more information about Op COURAGE, or you’d like to discuss a current or potential referral, you can contact us on 01206 228774 (9am to 5pm Monday to Friday) for a professional consultation, or email us with your query at [email protected].

If you feel your team would benefit from some brief training on the Armed Forces Community and the support that our services can provide, please do not hesitate to contact us.

• Those who have left the armed forces.
• Armed forces personnel who are within six months of their discharge date.
• Reservists who are not currently mobilised.
• Those who have served in the merchant navy in support of military operations.

• Live in the East of England.
• Have served in the UK Armed Forces for a full day.
• Be registered with a GP practice.

Provide your military service number and suitable evidence of service.

Once you have made your referral via telephone or email, this referral is passed to the clinical team. Within one working day of receiving it, the clinical team will meet to review the information provided. If the team have enough information about your circumstances and treatment history, we may be quickly able to offer advice and support. You, or the person referring you, will be contacted to discuss this.

If we need to explore and understand your needs in more depth, we may offer you a full initial assessment with a registered Mental Health professional. These appointments usually last 60-90 minutes and you are welcome to bring someone with you for support if required. We offer telephone and video appointments, or can arrange a face-to-face appointment with you if this is preferable. We strive to provide a trauma-informed approach, so we acknowledge that there may be things you are not ready to talk about yet.