I'm a veteran

How do I get help?

You can get in touch in different ways:

• You can contact the service yourself
• A family member or friend can contact us for you
• Your GP or another health worker can refer you (this could be your military medical officer if you are due to leave the Armed Forces)
• A charity can also make a referral for you

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

Call 0300 323 0137 or email mevs.mhm@nhs.net

There is also an emotional support line available by calling 0300 323 0139. This line is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.​​​   

Your journey with Midlands Op COURAGE

When you start your journey with Op COURAGE, your care may come from different organisations that work together.

You will always have one main person who looks after your care. All the teams work together to give you and your family the best support.

Step 1: Referral

The first step is a referral. This is handled by Mental Health Matters, who run our phone and email support lines.

You can be referred by:

• Yourself
• A family member or friend
• A healthcare professional (like your GP or military medical officer)
• A charity or any other organisation supporting you

Step 2: Assessment and care

After your referral, you will have an assessment. Then we will plan your care and treatment with the right team.

These teams include:

• Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
• Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust
• Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
• St Andrew’s Healthcare

What support could you get?

You may be offered different types of support, depending on what you need:

• Help with early signs of mental health problems
• Treatment for more serious mental health conditions and trauma
• Support for addictions and substance misuse
• Help with housing, money, relationships, and jobs
• Referrals to other NHS services
• Support for your family and carers

Other partners who help

Some support may also come from our trusted partners:

• Walking With The Wounded
  They offer therapy through their Head Start programme.
• The Ripple Pond
  They support the families and carers of veterans.
• Tom Harrison House
  They run a 12-week residential programme for veterans recovering from addiction.

Personal safety plan

When you start with Op COURAGE, we help you make a personal safety plan.

This plan helps if you:

• Feel unwell
• Have a crisis
• Feel unsafe

It shows:

• What helps you
• What doesn’t help you
• Who to contact in an emergency

The plan also includes important phone numbers and contact details. These are for when you are in a crisis, feel unsafe, or need urgent help.

Who will I speak to?

At Midlands Op COURAGE, you will be supported by trained professionals. Many of them have worked with, or been part of, the Armed Forces community. 

Hear from some of the team

Ben, Reservist and Senior Veterans Mental Health Practitioner 

"I am really passionate about supporting veterans and their families. I believe their personal, selfless sacrifices should not go unnoticed or unrewarded."

Sarah, Army veteran and Community Support Worker

“I served in the Army for 22 years. During that time, I was deployed on various operations including Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan. 

“I had been out of the military for almost six years before joining the NHS.

“As a veteran, I understand how difficult it can be for fellow veterans to reach out for the support they desperately need. I want to help veterans overcome the barriers and mental health stigmas that are within the Armed Forces community, to ensure they get all the appropriate help that they absolutely deserve.”

Edmund, Army veteran and Mental Health Nurse

"My experience as a soldier means I have a good understanding of military culture. I know how hard the transition can be for some people."

Caroline, RAF veteran and Senior Veteran Liaison Nurse

“I served in the RAF as a personnel administrator from 1988 to 2000.

“I trained as a mental health nurse in Staffordshire and joined LPFT in January 2004 as a rotational nurse, after my husband was posted to RAF Coningsby, starting on the wards and then moving to the community.

“I made the switch to the NHS as I experienced first-hand the lack of support for serving and ex serving military and wanted to make a difference to the care and journey that veterans undertook.”

Peer Support Workers

You may also meet a peer support worker.

This is someone who has had their own experience with mental health problems and now helps others on their recovery journey.

Hear from some of our peer support workers who use their own lived experience to support veterans like you.

Toby

Toby is a Peer Support Worker for Midlands Op COURAGE. Prior to that, he worked part-time in activities support for Tom Harrison House, one of our charity partners. 

He is a veteran who has lived and is still living through recovery.

Toby said: 

“My treatment and ongoing recovery were facilitated by Midlands Op COURAGE, and I will be forever grateful to the service for literally saving my life. I wanted to give back and help other veterans that are still in the dark place that I was in. 

“After serving 24 years in the Army, I have a good idea of how it feels being at the point where you need help, one of the most important things to me at that point was being involved in the planning of the care that I needed. I want to help give that power back to the veteran, to help them find a sense of worth, help restore their honour and find that will to carry on with life.” 

Gary 

Gary is a Peer Support Worker for Midlands Op COURAGE. Although not a veteran, Gary grew up on military bases as his father was a policeman in the RAF As a teenager, Gary was a member of the Air Training Core before embarking on an apprenticeship to become a butcher with Navy, Army, Airforce Institute (NAAFI). 

Gary can resonate with the challenges veterans and their families face. 

Gary said: 

"My role is to support and provide hope to veterans and their families who may also be going through a challenging period of their lives. I try to normalise the experiences they are having, support them to finding solutions, and connect them with others that can help. As a team, we assure them that they are not alone, and that meaningful support is available. This alone can make all the difference.

"I’m often asked why do I do it. Well, I grew up in the military, then as an adult I worked on military bases in Germany for the NAAFI. Leaving that unique community for a life in ‘civvy street’ was challenging. I recognise now, sometimes we need the help of others when we are unable to help ourselves, despite our best efforts. I will be forever grateful to those that helped me.

"For me, it really is as simple as wanting to help."

Crisis support

Mental health support 

NHS

• A&E or call 999 in an emergency
• NHS 111: Call 111 and choose the mental health option
• Your GP or local mental health team

Veteran-specific support

• Midlands Op COURAGE: Call 0300 323 0139 (Emotional support line, open 24/7)
• Combat Stress: Call 0800 138 1619 or text 07537 173 683 
• Samaritans Veterans line: Call 0808 175 3075 or use the Samaritans Veterans app

Mental health charities 

• Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM): Call 0800 58 58 58 (5pm to midnight)
• MIND: Call 0300 102 1234 (9am to 6pm)
• SANEline: Call 0300 304 7000 (4.30pm to 10pm)
• National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK: Call 0800 689 5652 (6pm to midnight)
• Shout: Text ‘Shout’ to 85258 (if you would prefer not to talk but want some mental health support)

Veteran peer support

• No Duff: Call 07985 411 154
• Sapper Support: Call 0800 040 7873 or text 07860 018 733

Help with PTSD

• For information and support, visit the PTSD UK website

Veterans' Voices

What is Veterans' Voices? 

Veterans’ Voices is a service user forum, that listens to veterans and uses their ideas to influence and help improve the Midlands Op COURAGE service. 

The group does this by using the principles of co-production so that veterans are consistently involved in the design, delivery and evaluation of Op COURAGE services across the Midlands. This means their voices are heard and their experiences matter.

Who is in the group?

• Veterans whose mental health has been affected by their time in the Armed Forces. Some may have used Op COURAGE, some may not
• Staff from different organisations in the Midlands Op COURAGE Partnership who want to help by sharing their own experiences. Some are also veterans themselves

When and where are the meetings?

• Meetings happen every two months
• They last 90 minutes
• Usually on Wednesdays from 3:30pm to 5pm
• Meetings are held online using Microsoft Teams
• There will be at least one in-person event each year

Meeting dates for 2025

How to get involved

Would you like to join Veterans’ Voices or help with any of these activities?

• Research - like filling in surveys or joining group discussions
• Promoting the service - helping others learn about Op COURAGE
• Veteran advocate - speaking up for other veterans
• Staff recruitment - helping choose new staff
• Training - sharing your experience to help train others

Want to take part?

You can:

Fill in our online form (coming soon)

Or email us at lpft.midlandsopcourage@nhs.net to find out more.