Mental health problems are common and can affect anyone, including veterans, serving personnel, reservists, and their families. It is important to get help and support if you or someone you know has mental health problems. Locally there are a range of services that can support members of the armed forces community with mental health issues:
- The Military Mental Health Alliance led by Solent NHS brings local providers together to work closely together to ensure that there is no wrong door.
- Veterans Outreach Support (VOS) offers welfare, wellbeing and clinical provision to UK Armed Forces & Merchant Navy Veterans, as well as to spouses/partners. VOS have an in-house dedicated clinical team, delivering psychiatry and psychology services, mental health therapy and substance misuse support.
- Op COURAGE is an NHS mental health specialist service designed to help serving personnel due to leave the military, reservists, armed forces veterans and their families. There are three core services offered:
– The Veterans’ Mental Health Transition, Intervention and Liaison Service (TILS)- provides a first point of contact for veterans and their families who are experiencing mental health difficulties
– The Veterans’ Mental Health Complex Treatment Service (CTS)- offers treatment for a range of military related difficulties, including PTSD, depression, anger, and other complex mental health difficulties.
– The Veterans’ Mental Health High Intensity Service (HIS) – for veterans and their families in need of urgent mental health support or at a high risk of a mental health crisis. This service is provided by Solent NHS.
Contacting Op COURAGE
For services in Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Berkshire, Oxfordshire or Buckinghamshire, call 0300 365 2000 or email gateway@berkshire.nhs.uk
For the Op COURAGE urgent care and support service, call 02394 387 924 or email snhs.veteranshis.se@nhs.net
In addition to dedicated mental health services there are a number of other local services that can support with housing, employment and finance; you can find more information about this in Access our Services and Other Support sections.