Military Veteran Psychological Health and Social Care: Contemporary Issues

✍ Scribed by Jamie Hacker Hughes (editor)

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2017
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 233
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

When servicewomen and men leave the armed forces, their care transfers to the statutory and third sector where the quality and provision of services can vary enormously. This edited book, encompassing a range of perspectives, from service user to professional, provides a comprehensive overview of services available. Each chapter, in turn, examines the policy underpinnings of systems and services covering the psychological health and social care of military veterans and then focuses on the needs of a discrete number of types of military veterans including early service leavers, veterans in the criminal justice system, older veterans and reservists, together with the needs of the children of veterans’ families.

This is the first UK book to examine the whole spectrum of contemporary approaches to the psychological health and social care of military veterans both in the United Kingdom and overseas. The book is edited by Professor Jamie Hacker Hughes, a former head of healthcare psychology within the UK Ministry of Defence and all contributors are experts in policy, service provision and academic research in this area. It will be of special interest to those designing and planning, commissioning, managing and delivering mental health and social care to military veterans and their families

✦ Table of Contents

Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication Page
Table of Contents
List of Figures
List of Tables
Preface
List of Abbreviations
List of Contributors
Part 1 The British Veteran
Chapter 1 Introduction
The British military in the twentieth century
Current aims and strategic objectives of the MOD
Defence aim
Life in the modern British Armed Forces
Who makes up the military?
Childhood factors and early adversity
Military service: Health and wellbeing
British veterans
Increasing clinical need
Summary
References
Chapter 2 The Policy
Introduction
NHS Mental Health Services for veterans
The Armed Forces Covenant
Fighting Fit: A Mental Health Plan for Servicemen and Veterans
Challenges
Conclusion
References
Chapter 3 Early Service Leavers: History, Vulnerability and Future Research
Introduction
Literature review
Current thinking and research priorities
Discussion
Conclusion
Notes
References
Chapter 4 Veterans’ Children
Introduction
What is so different about service children?
Who is responsible for service children?
Review of the literature
Service children
Veterans and their families
What are the consequences of leaving the Armed Forces?
Veterans’ children
Children and young people in their own words
The transition cycle
Conclusions, best practice and recommendations
References
Chapter 5 The Ex-Armed Forces Offender and the UK Criminal Justice System
Introduction
Ex-service personnel in prison: The truth behind the headlines
Support for veterans in the UK CJS: The drivers behind service development
Pathways to offending: Are ex-Armed Forces offenders different from offenders in the general population?
Current interventions for ex-Armed Forces offenders
Identification
Court diversion and liaison
Support in custody
Police custody support
Care pathways out of the criminal justice system
Conclusion
References
Chapter 6 The Health and Social Care of Older Veterans in the UK: Raising Awareness of Needs in Later Life
Introduction
Impact of service experience on later life
Trauma throughout the life course
Cognitive change, memory loss and dementia
Social resources, loneliness and isolation
Cohort differences and the impact of different wars
Current policy
The Armed Forces Covenant
Care Act 2014
Combining the policies
Possible interventions
Conclusion
References
Chapter 7 Veterans and Reserves Mental Health Programme for British Forces: Meeting Need … or Managing Expectation?
Introduction
History of the programme
Accessing the programme
Veterans referred to the programme
Case example: ‘Scott’
Reserves referred to the programme
Case example: ‘Dan’
How does work with reserves mental health inform lessons about veterans’ mental health?
The meaning of psychological trauma
Case example: ‘Ron’
Veterans and civilian healthcare services
Reflections and implications for practice
Conclusion
Notes
References
Part 2 Models of Service Provision
Chapter 8 The North West Perspective
Introduction
The set-up
Staffing
Non-diagnostic
Regional background factors
Evolution of the Military Veterans’ Service
Referral data
Individualised, targeted and tailored
Interventions
Sequenced and phased
Therapeutic rehearsal
Early intervention, in-reach and outreach
The ‘undesirables’
Pre-service factors
Training, consultation and supervision
Transparent outcomes
Key successes and innovations
Crowded landscape
Conclusion
References
Chapter 9 Veterans’ NHS Wales (VNHSW): The Only NHS National Veterans’ Service in the UK?
Introduction
The development of a Welsh NHS veterans’ service
Aims
Outcomes
Eligibility
Access
Staffing
Management and professional accountability
Staff training
Veterans’ mental health clinical networks
Engagement issues
What treatments work with veterans?
Integrated care pathways
VNHSW service
Who gets referred?
Service evaluation
Referrals to VNHSW in 2014 and 2015
Sources of referral
Main sources of referral by local health board
Referral outcomes
Sign-posting to other services
Services signposted
Waiting times for assessment 2014 to 2015
Branch of service
Employment status
Primary mental health diagnosis
Clinical outcomes of treatment
Research activity within the VNHSW
National Centre for Mental Health (Wales)
Conclusion
References
Chapter 10 The Scottish Perspective
Introduction
Scottish veteran context
Support organisations for veterans in Scotland
Veterans F1rst Point: The Lothian service
Veterans F1rst Point Scotland
Veteran focus group findings (2015)
Implications of these themes for development of services
Helping veterans: Whatever their needs may be
What are the needs of our veterans?
Peer support
Housing
Finance
Employment
Mental health
Reflections on Jack’s case
Reflections on Donald’s case
Conclusion
References
Chapter 11 The Role of the Third Sector Charity Combat Stress: An Update
Introduction
Combat Stress: The charity and service provider
The need
Clinical presentation
Treatment philosophy
Services
Access and engagement
National helpline
Community, outreach and outpatient services
Alcohol and illicit drug case management programme
Residential programmes
Wellbeing and recovery and social reintegration programme
Research
Conclusion
References
Chapter 12 Veteran Psychological Health and Social Care: A Dutch Perspective
Introduction
The Dutch context
Services and care for Veterans16
The Veterans Institute
The National Veterans Healthcare System
Conclusion
Notes
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Yvon M. de Reuver and Melanie Dirksen for their helpful comments on earlier drafts of this chapter.
References
Chapter 13 An International Perspective on Transition
Introduction
Transition
Disability
Stigma and barriers to care
The military and veteran family
Benefits to society
Conclusion
References
Chapter 14 Postscript
Index