If you know or someone you know is struggling with their mental health or wellbeing, expert help is available from Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service.
It does not matter if you’re due to leave the armed forces, just left the armed forces or left many years ago. Op COURAGE are here to help and understand the courage it takes to speak to someone.
When you contact Op COURAGE, you’ll speak to people who:
- understand the armed forces and military life
- are either from the armed forces community or highly experienced in working with serving personnel, reservists, veterans, and their families
- will work with you to make sure you get the right type of specialist care, support, and treatment
You can contact the service yourself or ask your GP, a charity or someone else, such as a family member or friend, to do this for you. The service will arrange for you to have an assessment, to make sure you get the right care and support. Everyone is different, so the service offers a range of treatments including:
- working with Defence Medical Services to make sure you get mental health care and support as you transition from the military to civilian life
- recognising the early signs of mental health problems and providing care and treatment for this
- therapeutic treatment for more advanced mental health conditions and psychological trauma
- intensive emergency care and treatment if you’re in a crisis
- helping you to access other NHS services if needed
- working with charities and local organisations to support you with your wider health and wellbeing needs, such as housing, relationships, finances, employment, drug and alcohol misuse and social support
The service also supports the family members get care and support from local services.