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Veterans: NHS Mental Health Services

Op COURAGE: the Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service

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.

How Op COURAGE can help

Op COURAGE can help you and your family with a range of support and treatment, including:

  • supporting you with intensive emergency care and treatment if you’re in a crisis
  • helping you transition from military to civilian life by providing mental health care with Defence Medical Services (DMS)
  • supporting armed forces families affected by mental health problems, including helping you access local services
  • helping you recognise and treat early signs of mental health problems as well as more advanced mental health conditions and psychological trauma
  • helping you to access other NHS mental health services if you need them, such as finding an NHS psychological therapies service (IAPT) and eating disorder services
  • helping you get in touch with charities and local organisations who can support your wider health and wellbeing needs, such as housing, relationships, finances, employment, drug and alcohol misuse and social support

Who will I speak to?

Everyone at Op COURAGE is either from the armed forces community or is experienced in working with serving personnel, reservists, veterans and their families.

They understand military life and the courage it takes to speak with someone. They will work with you to make sure you get the right type of specialist care, support and treatment.

Who Op COURAGE can help

To receive help and support from Op COURAGE, you must:

  • be a resident in England and have served in the UK armed forces for a full day
  • be registered with a GP practice in England or be willing and eligible to register with a GP
  • provide your military service number

It does not matter how long ago you left the armed forces. You can contact Op COURAGE even if you left many years ago.

You can also contact Op COURAGE if you are still serving but have a discharge date.

Contacting Op COURAGE

You can contact the service in many ways, including:

  • directly getting in touch yourself, or through a family member or friend
  • asking a GP to refer you
  • asking a charity to refer you

The service will arrange for you to have an assessment, to make sure you get the right care and support.

It is important to contact the Op COURAGE for your local area. This allows them to give you the best support they can provide.

Who to contact

Telephone
0300 323 0137
E-mail
mevs.mhm@nhs.net
Website
NHS Mental Health Support For Veterans Webpage

Other Details

Availability

Referral required
No
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