Over the last three years, NHS England and NHS Improvement have launched the Veterans’ Mental Health Transition, Intervention and Liaison Service (TILS), the Veterans’ Mental Health Complex Treatment Service (CTS) and more recently the Veterans’ Mental Health High Intensity Service (HIS).  Together these form a complete mental health care pathway.

Informed by feedback from veterans and their families, all NHS specialist veterans mental health services will now come under one new name from March 2021:  Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service.

If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health or wellbeing, expert help is available from Op COURAGE. It does not matter if you're due to leave the armed forces, just left the armed forces or left many years ago - the service is available for all veterans and reservists. Our teams are here to help and understand the courage it takes to speak to someone. When you contact us, you’ll speak to people who understand the armed forces and military life, and are either from the armed forces community or highly experienced in working with serving personnel, reservists, veterans, and their families.

NHS mental health services in the Midlands and East work in partnership with Mental Health Matters and charity Walking with the Wounded to improve access to mental health services for Armed Forces veterans, their families and carers.

The Midlands and East Veterans Service (MEVS) will be working together to ensure there is a proactive approach to care and treatment and a point of contact for servicemen and women and veterans when they need help support and advice.

The Veterans Mental Health TIL Service

The Veterans’ Mental Health TIL Service can provide veterans with a comprehensive assessment of mental health, including social needs and a physical health check-up. Family members, friends or significant others who have been supporting you on a regular basis, will also be offered an assessment of their needs. We will work with you to produce a ‘care plan’ and liaise with your local mental health service to ensure you are able to access the support and treatment you need in a location as close as possible to your home.

The service provides a range of treatment, from recognising the early signs of mental health problems and providing access to early support, to therapeutic treatment for complex mental health difficulties and psychological trauma. Where appropriate, help is also provided with other needs that may affect mental health and well-being, for example housing, finances and employment, reducing alcohol consumption, and social support.

TILS is a unique collaboration of multi-national award winning NHS Trusts and two highly credible charities specialising in mental health and veterans. Our dedicated team of mental health clinicians, many of whom are ex-MOD or veterans themselves, are here to support you.

Veterans Mental Health High Intensity Service (HIS)

LPFT are the lead provider to deliver the Veterans' Mental Health High Intensity Service (HIS) Midlands, which launched on 1 October 2020. The Midlands HIS is a new specialist community service working in conjunction with the current veterans' specialist mental health services under Op COURAGE and alongside established NHS mental health services to enhance those already available when an individual is in mental health crisis.

The service provides an intensive package of support to a limited number of veterans and their families. It is a unique collaboration of award-winning NHS Trusts and charities specialising in veterans' mental health. The Trust is working in partnership with Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust and Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust, to deliver the service across the Midlands. The service will also work collaboratively with specialist mental health charities, Mental Health Matters and Tom Harrison House, to offer a bespoke package of care to veterans and their families.

The teams are based in three locations across the Midlands, in Lincoln, Coventry and Birmingham, and provide a range of interventions to assist with complex mental health difficulties. The team also aim to provide support to the wider family of veterans or reservists to ensure the needs of carers and families are also met.

The HIS teams are highly experienced mental health clinicians and support staff with knowledge of working with the veteran and Armed Forces community. Some staff are military veterans themselves and this enables the team to have a real understanding of the Armed Forces culture.

Referrals to veterans' mental health services

Individuals can access the NHS Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service, including TILS and HIS, by contacting their GP or by calling the 24-hour Single Point of Entry (SPE) Line on 0300 323 0137 for an assessment of their needs. SPE is managed by charity partner, Mental Health Matters.

Types of referral

• Self-referral
• Single Point of Entry - 0300 323 0137
• 24/7 helpline - 0300 323 0139
• Professional referral

Email [email protected] to request a referral form from Mental Health Matters.