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Support for ex-armed forces personnel
- Address: The Railings, CV21 2NP
About us
Telephone number: 08081 866798
Referral criteria: Self-referral, health professional
How to get help
When entering services please ensure that you make your veteran status known to GPs or other agencies as this could influence the care that you receive.
- Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT): IAPT services are for people with mild, moderate and severe symptoms of anxiety of depression.
- GP: Your GP can be your first port of call for healthcare and can also make referrals onto specialist services. To find a GP in your area, click here.
- Don't Panic (Audio Self-Help): The project provides easily accessible information in five areas: Don't Panic, Don't Worry, Dealing with Anger, Dealing with Negative Thinking and Relaxation.
- Warwickshire County Council
Click here to read stories of Ex-Armed Forces (Veterans) Stories who have used our services.
Reading and Information
Key Reports
Fighting Fit: A Mental Health Plan for Servicemen and Veterans 2010
MP Dr Andrew Murrison was commissioned by the Governemnt to produce a report on mental health services and serving personnel and veterans. View the report here.
Key Websites
Armed Forces Health Partnership Programme
This is a joint initiative between Combat Stress and the Royal British Legion. Funded by the Department of Health the aim is to build knowledge amongst professionals on the health needs of serving personnel and veterans. Information, support and resources are available. View the site at www.armedforceshealthpartnership.org.uk.
Warwickshire County Council
www.warwickshire.gov.uk/communitycovenant
Key Journals
NEW - Anger in the UK Armed Forces – Strong Association with Mental Health Childhood Antisocial Behavior, and Combat Role by Roberto J. Rona, FFPH, Margaret Jones, BA, Lisa Hull, MSc, Deirdre MacManus, MRCPsych, Nicola T. Fear, DPhil (Oxon), and Simon Wessely, FMedSc.
Kapur.N, While.D, Blatchley.N, Bray.I and Harrison.K (2009). 'Suicide after leaving the UK Armed Forces - A cohort study.' PLoS Med 6(3), pp 1-8.
Iverson.A, Dyson.C, Smith.N, Greenberg.N, Walwyn.R, Unwin.C, Hull.L, Hotopf.C, Ross.J and Wesley.S (2005. 'Goodbye and good luck: the mental health needs and treatment experiences of British ex-service personnel.' The British Journal of Psychiatry, 186, pp 480-486.
Brewin.C, Garnett.R and Andrews.B (2010). 'trauma, identity and mental health in UK military veterans.' Psychological medicine 41, pp 1733-1740.
Fear.N, Wood.D, Wessely.S (2009). 'Health and social outcomes and health service experiences of UK military veterans: A summary of the evidence.' King's Centre for Military Health Research. (this is a 15 year report on the health of serving personnel and veterans).
Iversen.A.C, Van Staden.L, Hacker Hughes.J, Greenberg.N, Hotopf.M, Rona.R.J, Thornicroft.G, Wessely.S and Fear.N (2011). 'The stigma of mental health problems and other barriers to care in the UK armed forces.' BMC Health Research, 11 pp 1-10.
Jones.E and Fear.N (2011). 'Alcohol use and misuse within the military: A review.' International review of psychiatry 23, pp 166-172.
Fear.N, Jones.M, Murphy.D, Hull.L, IversenA.C, Coker.B, Wessley.S (2010). 'What are the consequences of deployment to Iraq and Afganistan to the mental health of the UK armed forces? A cohort study.' Lancet 375, pp 1783-1797.
Support for Professionals
Significant work has been undertaken to establish and foster excellent links with key partners and to develop networks that Veterans are better engaged by through their awareness of military culture in order to access the mental health services that they require. The CWPT enhanced pathway for veterans has not focused on developing completely different treatment pathways but instead on making necessary, meaningful adjustments to the mainstream mental health pathways - particularly at the point of engagement - to ensure that the Veteran is able to get the support they need as and when required. The degree of adjustment made depend on the particular needs of the veteran patient and if necessary their care can be stepped up to specialist clinicians.
We regularly facilitate training for Trust staff to support them in working alongside the Ex Armed Forces community.
This enhanced care provision is displayed in the diagram:
Ex Armed Forces enhanced care pathway final version.pdf [pdf] 59KB
AFCC News Issue 1st issue.pdf [pdf] 3MB