Mental Health - Time to Talk

[MostlyBollocks]

@Old Stab and others who may be concerned - just had an hour on the phone with him - briefly, he's OK.

PM me if you want to know a bit more - it's not in my gift to put it on an open forum.

 

[Old Stab]

@Old Stab and others who may be concerned - just had an hour on the phone with him - briefly, he's OK.

PM me if you want to know a bit more - it's not in my gift to put it on an open forum.

As long as he's ok.

 

[David Powell]

For Information here is the bones of the contracts, no secrets its publicly available.
The contracts as far as I know have been awarded, we wait for the minutiae.
Tender to Provide Veterans' Mental Health Services

 

[David Powell]

Transition, intervention and liaison mental health service for armed forces personnel approaching discharge and veterans
Brief
On 1 April 2017, NHS England is launching the transition, intervention and liaison (TIL) mental health service for armed forces personnel approaching discharge and veterans.
Provided across England, the service will seek to increase the access and treatment to appropriate and timely mental health services for armed forces serving personnel approaching discharge and veterans with mental health difficulties. There are three elements to the service:
1. Service for those in transition, leaving the armed forces 2. Service for veterans with complex presentation 3. General service for veterans.
Appointed service providers will support delivery of The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health through partnership working with local public, private and voluntary sector organisations, recognising the contributions of each to improving mental health wellbeing.
Improved mental health services The new service builds on the success of existing NHS England veterans’ mental health services with a key difference being that for the first time, armed forces personnel approaching discharge will also benefit from receiving NHS care and treatment.
Informed by the views of veterans and their families, the TIL mental health service will provide local care and treatment in a range of locations and settings and via different methods, such as Skype. Furthermore, patients will be involved in the development of holistic care packages that seek to achieve positive outcomes relating to mental health, employment, reduction in alcohol consumption, housing and socialising. As part of this, the service will work closely with the wider NHS, relevant local authority and third sector organisations to ensure the appropriate support is in place for patients and their families.
For those patients using existing NHS England veterans’ mental health services, transition plans are being implemented to facilitate the ongoing provision of high quality care.
Further information Further information on the new service and appointed providers will be issued towards the end of March. If you have any queries in the meantime, please email england.south-armedforces@nhs.net.

 

[jarrod248]

Transition, intervention and liaison mental health service for armed forces personnel approaching discharge and veterans
Brief
On 1 April 2017, NHS England is launching the transition, intervention and liaison (TIL) mental health service for armed forces personnel approaching discharge and veterans.
Provided across England, the service will seek to increase the access and treatment to appropriate and timely mental health services for armed forces serving personnel approaching discharge and veterans with mental health difficulties. There are three elements to the service:
1. Service for those in transition, leaving the armed forces 2. Service for veterans with complex presentation 3. General service for veterans.
Appointed service providers will support delivery of The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health through partnership working with local public, private and voluntary sector organisations, recognising the contributions of each to improving mental health wellbeing.
Improved mental health services The new service builds on the success of existing NHS England veterans’ mental health services with a key difference being that for the first time, armed forces personnel approaching discharge will also benefit from receiving NHS care and treatment.
Informed by the views of veterans and their families, the TIL mental health service will provide local care and treatment in a range of locations and settings and via different methods, such as Skype. Furthermore, patients will be involved in the development of holistic care packages that seek to achieve positive outcomes relating to mental health, employment, reduction in alcohol consumption, housing and socialising. As part of this, the service will work closely with the wider NHS, relevant local authority and third sector organisations to ensure the appropriate support is in place for patients and their families.
For those patients using existing NHS England veterans’ mental health services, transition plans are being implemented to facilitate the ongoing provision of high quality care.
Further information Further information on the new service and appointed providers will be issued towards the end of March. If you have any queries in the meantime, please email england.south-armedforces@nhs.net.

So who got the contracts, no doubt be a third sector organisation.

 

[David Powell]

NHS did, Coventry and Warwickshire NHS n partnership with Lincoln and North Essex NHS (Veterans First) picked up east midlands, to be called MEVS midland east veterans service, partnership with walking with the wounded. London and south won by Camden and Islington NHS who already run the London veterans service. Don't know other two areas, national brief out soon

 

[ViroBono]

I hope Pennine Care and GM West got the NW contract - really good services there.

 

[David Powell]

I hope Pennine Care and GM West got the NW contract - really good services there.

Absolutely great service.

 

[jarrod248]

NHS did, Coventry and Warwickshire NHS n partnership with Lincoln and North Essex NHS (Veterans First) picked up east midlands, to be called MEVS midland east veterans service, partnership with walking with the wounded. London and south won by Camden and Islington NHS who already run the London veterans service. Don't know other two areas, national brief out soon

That's a relief.

 

[blimey69]

Mr Powell sir.

You have a namesake in Manchester. He is also involved in mental health.

I shall be having words with the oik, as he claimed responsibility in spreading this information around. A cad for certain. At least his heart was in the right place.

I did actually get some help. From L. Bolger no less. However due to other unrelated non service issues at the time. Dropped like a hot rock.

With everything only being related to service history as a pre requisite. The tone of help offered, was severely affected by the relationship between civvy and army, regardless of related conditions not visible due to a lack of research (interest).

I'm not bitter though. The help I did receive, was exactly what I needed. It really helps. I would recommend a call to military arm of the NHS (I think seperated by army, navy, blue job/rockape). The header on my docs being NHS Army, not armed forces. Unless of course the funding for it has been removed.

 

[Tytus_Barnowl]

I think I have suffered mental health issues since I left the Army. I am now for example very possessive of my money , so much so that I plan for the future. I am also very aware of my state of health, so much so that I visit the Doctor every year although I do not always go along with his recommendations. I also feel very personally guilty that I actually care about my family, mentally ill or what? For some reason I cannot bring myself to wallow in my past trauma which I do not share with anyone including arrse members. I wish the NHS would step in and help me with all of these issues but I feel I would benefit more from an organisation like Lloyds bank giving me an annual donation of say £30,000. This and only this would treat my mental health issues suffered during and after my 15 years in service.

 

[blimey69]

Wow. You have a family? Good job you didn't mention the dog or the firearm.

Not everyone is as balanced as you. Not everyone copes without the order of army life, as it was, or how it is now.

Maybe it's just a case of having the right nco's in training. Maybe other things like trauma, inducing flashback. Are just an occupational hazard. And as the majority are not affected. They must be registered as liggers?
My Grandads flashbacks were legendary. Sunk 3 times in 1 hour, attained the nickname Jonah, and was shore based until demobbed. In the winning Portsmouth gun crew 3 years on the trot. And (he claimed fairly) requested my presence at his local, then punched me full in the face for joining the army.
Only after immediately telling him, there was no way on Gods green earth I was going to spend 6months of the year with a load of hairy arsed matloes. Did he renage his attack, in favour of demanding I buy him a drink.

He was a bit of an odd bird. Completely fucked up in the convoys he did sail on. He had a pension. And needed the support after being demobbed.

My other Grandad. Didn't appear affected at all. Mind you, it is alleged he took some Africans to Burma and had a successful career. He, like you. Appeared to have everything in order. In every respect. In retrospect and the story he gave as to why his adenoids and sense of taste were missing, was he drank out of the wrong tap, while working in Battersea power station after the war. He said acid. It never occurred to me that there were probably no taps distributing acid, and certainly no chance of accidentally drinking from one.

Didn't see any untoward actions, or affects. He was bob on.

I agree that there are those that take the piss. And don't deserve the help they get.

Not everyone is that lucky. Some are genuinely in need of help.

Still doesn't excuse the scrounging barstewards though. Hey?

 

[Tytus_Barnowl]

Thanks for the perceptive reply. The point I am making is that the world as a whole does not give a flying solderflux about anybody's previous trauma or experiences. I have interviewed many people for jobs in the past and usually it is possible to assess suitability for a client facing role inside 30 mins or so. Mental health is a no no in my field because the tasks require exceptional level headedness (if that is a word). "If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you", Rudyard Kipling is in demand. To precis what I posted in a different thread, here are the coping scenarios:

Cpl/ Sgt J leaves after 12 or 22, on his third wife with 4 external dependent children, no home , no savings, no education, no training cannot hack ZHC employment then suffers anxiety related issues which he blames on his service life experience , never on himself. In reality he is and always will be a knackered loser.

WO M Leaves after 22, married with a stake in his own home purchased years earlier because he has seen the future prospect, gains employment, sorts his family, then has a few anxiety flashbacks but is able to seek professional help. Does not blame his service life (nobody forces you to join up) but tries to find a way of dealing with his past traumas because his future is to a degree fairly secure.

I can talk at length on this because I am also professionally involved to some extent with an organisation that recruits ex servicemen as volunteers for rehab activities. This is pure coincidence, the parent company is within my client base but at least it keeps the finger on the pulse.

 

[Roti]

Massive complex issues to be answered and auctioned

Quite. But don't be surprised if the hammer comes down on this noble aspiration.