HOW WE HELP: HELPLINE
It’s good to talk The Combat Stress Helpline is open all day, every day offering support and advice to veterans and their families
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uring our last financial year, the Combat Stress Helpline was contacted more than 9,500 times but making that first call to ask for help can be daunting. We have an experienced team who provide confidential help and advice day and night, 365 days of the year, to veterans, serving military personnel and their families. Ian, one of our Helpline advisors, explains what happens when someone calls. What happens when you ring the Helpline? First of all, you’ll hear a short recorded message about confidentiality and then there’s a brief silence whilst your call is added to the call handling system. Your call will then be answered by one of our Helpline advisors or, if they are already on calls, you can either hold or leave a message so we can call you back. What do you ask when you answer the phone? I’ll ask the caller for their name – a first name is fine. I then ask if they are calling
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about themselves or on behalf of someone else. Once I know these two details, I’ll ask how can we help? It’s a chance for the caller to tell me about their problems. Who calls the Helpline? The majority of callers are veterans looking for help with their mental health issues. The reasons vary hugely – sometimes it might be that they are finding it hard to sleep, having nightmares or flashbacks, or simply feel something isn’t quite right. Whatever the reason for calling, it doesn’t matter – just pick up the phone and call. We’re there to listen. The second biggest group of callers are family members worried about a loved one and looking for information about how to help them.
often able to provide the caller with the help they need in just one call. I normally refer people to one of our triage and referral nurses (providing the veteran agrees). This means they can start the process to receive help and support for their mental health issues straight away.
How long does a call last? I’d say that on average a call lasts about ten minutes – some are longer and some are shorter.
What happens if someone can’t get through to the Helpline? If it is a busy time and it’s not possible to get through, veterans can leave a message and we’ll call them back. You can also text or email us and I know that some veterans find that this a good way to start the conversation with us before calling the Helpline for more help and advice.
How many times can someone call the Helpline? There’s no limit on the number of times you can call the Helpline. However, I am
What sort of advice do you provide? I always try to get callers to understand that help is available for mental health issues. If appropriate, I’ll explain how
24-hour Helpline: 0800 138 1619