Veterans & Mental Health

These are organisations which can offer support/advice/information to Veterans (see also Adult Mental Health Specialist Services – Veterans NHS Wales and Traumatic Stress Service).

• Change Step
• Combat Stress
• Royal British Legion
• SSAFA Forces Help – confidential helpline and Cardiff & Vale Branch contacts

We realise that this is not an exhaustive list. If you have any additions, please contact us Cardiff & Vale Action for Mental Health (cavamh) on 029 2022 2000 or [email protected].

Change Step

Change Step – Change Step is a mentoring and advice service lead by veterans for veterans who wish to make positive changes to their lives.

Listen In – Listen In supports the significant role families and friends of veterans play in promoting recovery from problems associated with military service and the transition to civilian life

David Ireland (Change Step – Peer Mentoring Officer)
Huw Williams (Listen In – Development Officer)

Change Step Contact – 07956579700

Listen In Contact – 07572275088

Central Referral Number – 0300 777 2259

Email:
Change Step -d[email protected]

Listen In – [email protected]

Website: www.changestepwales.co.uk

Combat Stress

Combat Stress delivers dedicated treatment and support to Ex-Service men and women with conditions such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety disorders. Our services are free of charge to the Veteran.
We would be delighted to hear from anyone who needs our help – or indeed from anyone who’d like to help us, perhaps by way of a donation or as a volunteer fundraiser.

Our services are free of charge

Contact: 0800 1381619

The Chief Executive, Combat Stress, Tyrwhitt House, Oaklawn Road, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 0BX
Registered Charity: England & Wales No. 206002; Scotland No. SC 038828.Company Limited by Guarantee No. 256353.

Royal British Legion

The Royal British Legion
One number for all initial contact:  0808 802 8080

Website: www.theroyalbritishlegion.org.uk

SSAFA [Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association] Forces Help

Confidential Support Line

SSAFA Forces Help’s Confidential Support Line is completely independent of the military chain of command and is totally confidential. Our experienced civilian staff provide a supportive, listening and signposting service for Serving personnel and their families as well as former members of the Armed Forces. You can talk to us about anything including personal concerns and problems. Where possible, we will give you factual information or signpost you to appropriate ways forward, but we will not judge you.

The telephone support line is available 365 days a year and provides a service which is outside the chain of command. The line is open from 10.30am – 10.30pm.
Confidential support line – freephone 0800 731 4880

Cardiff & Vale Branch contact:

Maindy Barracks
Cardiff
CF14 3YE

Tel: 0800 260 6767

Office Hours: Monday to Friday 09:00 – 17:00

You can also make contact via webchat: https://www.ssafa.org.uk/get-help/forcesline

Some more information about SSAFA Forces Help… The services reflect the financial, practical and emotional issues people face today and they are freely available to virtually everybody with a Service connection. Some are more appropriate for those currently serving, some for those who have served and there are those which apply to everybody. But whatever your status, the enquiry will be treated as confidential and SSAFA Forces Help aim to ensure that you are always treated with dignity and respect.
You and your immediate dependants are eligible for our help if:

• You are currently serving
• You have served one paid day’s service in any of the Armed Forces
• You have completed one year’s service in the Reserve Forces, one day’s service on operations or you have done National Service
• You served one paid day in the Mercantile Marine including the Korea, Falklands and Gulf operations
• You have completed one year’s service in the Association’s Nursing and Welfare Service
• As a UK Citizen, you have received one day’s pay whilst stationed overseas as part of the Armed Forces and for a period ending no more than six months after your return to the UK

Further SSAFA Services:

The Wales Regional Hub

We are a Single Point of Contact in Wales for our Armed Forces community and we understand the unique demands of service life and life in Civvy Street.  Support is available for people at any stage in their military career; from the youngest recruit to the oldest veteran – no one’s service is ever forgotten.

Our trained Regional Casework Coordinators work with each person to find out exactly what they need.  Once we’ve assessed what is required, we’ll help the individual or family access the support they need. This may just be someone to listen to them, but, more often than not, we access financial assistance from statutory and military benevolent funds or foundations that we work with.  In addition, we signpost to our other charity partners who can give much needed assistance to help people get their lives back on track.

Whatever they’re facing – from debt or addiction to mental health problems – our Forces and their families can rely on SSAFA and our personalised support to help them through it, for as long as it takes to get that person’s life back to where they want it to be.

When anyone in our Forces family finds themselves in need, SSAFA is the charity they can turn to. Whether it’s financial, practical or emotional, we provide the right kind of support, ensuring independence and dignity is protected at all times.