Welcome to Op COURAGE East of England. Each member of our team has either a military background, or experience working with the armed forces community. We understand military life and are here to help and support you.
We are an NHS community mental health service for UK Armed Forces Veterans, non-mobilised Reservists and Service Leavers, who live in Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Milton Keynes.
We supplement existing NHS mental health services by providing specialist guidance and support to those who may be struggling with their mental health.
We strive to:
• Help with initial mental health difficulties arising from transition out of the armed forces.
• Introduce you to the right health service to meet your needs, such as NHS Talking Therapies or Community Mental Health Teams. If local services are either not available or not suitable for you, we can in some cases provide treatment including specialist treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• Guide you to local and national organisations or veteran charities who can help you with other areas of your life, such as employment, housing, finances, personal relationships, alcohol/substance use concerns, general wellbeing, harmful gambling support, or criminal justice issues.
• Work with other NHS services to support your care and treatment, where required.
We accept self-referrals, referrals from family and friends, or via any professional or charity working with Veterans.
Call the referral line number 0300 034 9991 (between 8am – 8pm every day) or send a completed referral form to mevs.mhm@nhs.net at any time.
You will need to:
Live in the East of England.
Have served in the UK Armed Forces for a full day.
Be registered with a GP practice.
Provide your military service number and suitable evidence of service.
Our services are available to people living in Luton and Bedfordshire, Essex, and Suffolk.