Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service

Who we are

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. Find out more about who we help here.

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.

Six experienced organisations work together to deliver the Op COURAGE East of England service. EPUT is the lead provider and works in partnership with Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, St Andrew’s Healthcare, Mental Health Matters, Walking With The Wounded and The Warrior Programme.

For information on Op COURAGE in other regions across England, please visit the NHS website. Please note that we do not provide immediate crisis support. If you need urgent help, please visit the ‘Urgent Help’ section at the top of the page.

Other services support

Op NOVA
This is a service that helps Veterans who are in contact with the criminal justice system, by providing emotional and practical support

Op RESTORE
This is a service that helps Veterans who have service-related physical health problems (previously known as the Veterans Trauma Network). Only your GP can refer in to this service, so please contact them if you require a referral.

Op FORTITUDE
This is a service that helps Veterans who are at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness.

Referral information

It does not matter how long ago you left the forces, your rank, what gender you identify as, or your reason for leaving.

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 [email protected] at any time.

We know that completing a referral form can be overwhelming, so please feel free to call us and we will take the required information over the phone. We offer a call-back service in the event that there is a wait for your call to be answered.

If you choose to complete the form yourself, please fill out what you can to help us best understand your situation. You do not need to go into detail about specific experiences on the referral form, please answer only the questions that you feel comfortable with, and ensure that at minimum, you have provided your contact details, service number and a brief description of your current circumstances. If we need further information to proceed with your referral, we will call you or email you.

Please note that as this is a service specifically for the Armed Forces Community, we may require suitable evidence of military service.

Please note, the referral number and email address is purely for new referrals. If you are a current client and wish to speak to someone, or you have queries about the service, please contact the Admin office directly on 01206 228774 or [email protected].

Warm Welcome Afghan Mental Health Service

Afghan people living in the UK who previously assisted the British Armed Forces in Afghanistan between October 2001 – August 2021 can refer into the service using the portal below.