Useful links to mental health and wellbeing support
We have included a list of helpful contacts below if you are struggling with your mental health.
Please note, the organisations listed below are not endorsed or promoted by the Trust. Other organisations are available.
If you need immediate assistance with your mental wellbeing, you can also call the emergency services on 999 or visit your nearest Accident and Emergency service. You can also talk to your GP who can refer you to a specialist.
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.
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 or other healthcare representative 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’s important to contact the Op COURAGE service for your local area. This allows them to give you the best support they can provide. Mental health support for veterans, service leavers and reservists – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Veterans First Point Scotland provides a Veteran-led mental health and welfare support service. The partnership aims to maximise engagement with Scottish Veterans and support recovery from mental health issues through welfare and psychological support. Welcome to Veterans First Point | Veterans First Point
Veterans Wales is an NHS service for Veterans in need of mental health support in Wales. Veterans can self-refer to receive support from a Veteran Therapist with experience in Service-related mental health. Visit the Veterans Wales website for more information. Referrals – Veterans Wales
From April 2023, the UDR & R IRISH Aftercare Service and the services provided by it, moved to a newly formed Veterans Welfare Service Northern Ireland (VWS NI), part of the MOD’s Veterans Welfare Service (VWS). These welfare and support services are available to all British Armed Forces Veterans in Northern Ireland.
Veterans Welfare Service Northern Ireland (VWS NI) formerly UDR and Royal Irish After Care Service 028 90 420 145
To talk about anything that is upsetting you, you can contact Samaritans 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can call 116 123 (free from any phone), email jo@samaritans.org or visit some branches in person. You can also call the Samaritans Welsh Language Line on 0808 164 0123 (7pm–11pm every day).
If you’re under 35 and struggling with suicidal feelings or concerned about a young person who might be struggling, you can call Papyrus HOPELINEUK on 0800 068 4141 (weekdays 10am-10pm, weekends 2pm-10pm and bank holidays 2pm–10pm), email pat@papyrus-uk.org or text 07786 209 697.
Togetherall is a mental health support service that provides, anonymous, round-the-clock online support with trained counsellors; a supportive community, including forums for safe conversation; free resources to help you improve your mental health. All Armed Forces serving personnel, Reservists, Veterans, and their families can access these services at any time. https://togetherall.com/en-gb/
If you have served or are currently serving in the UK Armed Forces, you can call the Combat Stress’ 24-hour mental health helplines. Visit: combatstress.org.uk or e-mail: helpline@combatstress.org.uk. Tel: 0800 323 4444 open 24/7 Text: 07537 404 719. Veterans and their families can call 0800 138 1619.
If you’re experiencing a mental health problem or supporting someone else, you can call SANEline on 0300 304 7000 (4.30pm–10.30pm every day).
Offers a supportive listening service to anyone with thoughts of suicide. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK on 0800 689 5652 (6pm–3:30am every day).
You can call the CALM on 0800 58 58 58 (5pm–midnight every day) if you are struggling and need to talk. Or if you prefer not to speak on the phone, you could try the CALM webchat service.
If you identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, you can call Switchboard on 0300 330 0630 (10am–10pm every day), email chris@switchboard.lgbt or use their webchat service. Phone operators all identify as LGBT+.