SERVICE DETAILS
The first step to access our services is to contact our free 24-hour confidential mental health Helpline. You can call, text or email our Helpline. Family members, friends and carers can also contact us for help and advice. Our specially trained team will provide advice and support about how we, or other organisations, can help.
Call 0800 138 1619.
You can also text on 07537 173683 or email helpline@combatstress.org.uk
Standard charges may apply for texts, please check with your provider.
What happens next...
THE VETERAN JOURNEY
Referral...
The first step for you to access our services is to contact our free 24-hour Helpline on 0800 138 1619.
You will speak to an advisor who will ask you questions about your military service, areas of your life which you need help with, particularly your mental health, but also occupation, physical health, housing and finances or relationships.
Alternatively text 07537 173683 (standard charges may apply for texts) or email helpline@combatstress.org.uk.
Assessment...
Our team of mental health specialists will review your referral. If we think we can offer services that might be suitable for you, we will ask you to attend an assessment with a member of the team to discuss your issues. Sometimes there might be other services that are better suited to help you. Our teams will work with that service to help you access the treatment you need.
Treatment...
After assessment a personalised treatment pathway will be designed for you. This will include treatment modules delivered by our Clinical teams to help you with your mental health. Your treatment pathway might include modules from the following treatment packages: Building Resilience and Manage Better, Managing the Consequences of Trauma, Trauma-Focused Therapy and Looking to the Future.
ARE WE THE RIGHT SERVICE?
Who can we treat?
We offer treatment to veterans of the UK Armed Forces, non-operational reservists and former members of the Merchant Navy. They will be domiciled in the UK and registered with a UK GP and have complex trauma-related or stress-related mental health issues resulting from military service, such as:
- PTSD
- Complex-PTSD (this is PTSD plus some specific other difficulties)
- Anxiety
- Depression
Who are we not able to treat?
Veterans who currently:
- Have difficulties that severely affect their relationships with others
- Are experiencing severe psychotic symptoms
- Are at high risk, whether it be self-harm, feeling suicidal or at risk of causing harm to others
- Are experiencing a mental or physical health crisis
- Experience mental health problems mainly due to trauma or adverse life events that did not happen during their military service e.g. childhood trauma.
Waiting Time Information
We aim to carry out a screening assessment of referrals within 2 working days, to decide initially if our services are likely to be suitable for the veteran who has been referred or self-referred. The screening assessment sometimes involves contacting the veteran, but usually does not, and is based on the referral information we receive.
We aim to provide a full clinical assessment (which always involves seeing or speaking to the veteran) within 4 weeks of receiving a referral, and to provide treatment within 14 weeks later (i.e., within 18 weeks of receiving a referral).
Our waiting times vary across the UK according to demand, with times fluctuating on a weekly basis above and below the target times mentioned above, but usually not to a significant extent.
