A half-day workshop to improve access to mental health support for veterans will be held next week [4 November 2013] at Abbey Conference Centre in Norwich.
The workshop sees Veterans Norfolk join forces with Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust to promote improved co-ordination of mental health support available in the area.
Gary Page, Chair at Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We believe there are really good services in the area provided by the public sector and by Armed Forces charities, but it isn’t always clear what help is out there or how to get it.
“Before we do anything else, we need to hear from veterans about their own experiences; what has worked well in the past and what hasn’t. The workshop will see veterans meeting with service providers to help shape the way in which we will promote and improve access to existing services.”
The event is being held less than a week before Remembrance Sunday, a time when the country comes together to commemorate those who have served their country in conflicts since the First World War.
General the Lord Dannatt, President of Veterans Norfolk, said: “I believe mental health issues are the big challenge for the serving and veteran armed forces community now and well into the future.
“We now have a growing understanding of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which in the early days manifests itself in a variety ways such as adjustment disorders, alcohol misuse, depressive disorders, personality disorders and drug misuse. And if we do not get this right for our people too many might end up on the wrong side of the criminal justice system or tragically succumb to despair.”
Gary Page added: “We hope that by working together with Veterans Norfolk, which represents all the key Armed Forces charities operating in Norfolk, we can make seeking help easier and therefore get people the support they need, when they need it most.”
This event is being supported by the Norfolk Armed Forces Community Covenant, which has identified the mental health needs of veterans as a priority area of work in 2013/14.
Notes:
The Armed Forces Community Covenant is a voluntary statement of mutual support between a civilian community and the serving members, veterans and families of their local Armed Forces community.
Norfolk’s Covenant was signed on 7 March 2012 and aims to:
- Ensure our local servicemen and women do not feel disadvantaged because they have been serving away from home.
- Support service personnel, veterans and their families who live and work in Norfolk.
- Recognise and remember the sacrifices made by this Armed Forces community.
- Use our knowledge, experience and expertise to assist and advise members of the Armed Forces community, building on work that has already been established.
