Wednesday of the month , in Swindon , on the last Monday of the month , and in Plymouth . Help for Heroes is keen to get them started around the country .
© SDI Productions via Getty Images
Expected and unexpected benefits of the hub are that it provides :
• Informal supervision for the staff who are all working from home in isolation , seeing colleagues face-to-face .
• A reflective space for discussion between professional groups .
• Increased knowledge of and links to the resources available for the veterans .
• Staff link in with each other between hubs to explore options available for veterans .
• Meeting veterans face-to-face , who previously have been seen only online .
• Having had an initial face-to-face meeting with organisations , people are then able to access support online , thus reducing travel for subsequent appointments , increasing staff output .
• A one-stop shop for the veterans ; at least 90 per cent of the veterans see more than one provider when they attend the hub .
• Well-behaved dogs are attending ; staff dogs have provided a grounding activity function for some dysregulated veterans .
• Peer support and introductions for veterans .
• Access to the outside ; walking around the large green space , having difficult conversations side-by-side and de-escalation when veterans are stressed or overwhelmed .
• Partners and families are welcomed and supported by staff ; they can sit in with appointments and have their own confidential support as well .
Vaughan-Horrocks H , Reagon C , Seymour A ( 2021 ) The experiences of veterans with mental health problems participating in an occupational therapy and resilience workshop intervention : an exploratory study . British Journal of Occupational Therapy . 84 ( 9 ): 531-540 . DOI :
10.1177 / 03080 22620977818 .
Wilson G , Hill M , Kiernan M D ( 2018 ) Loneliness and social isolation of military veterans : systematic narrative review . Occupational Medicine , 68 ( 9 ): 600-609 . https :// bit . ly / 40EAXWr .
Words JOANNE LAWSON , Occupational Therapist , Op Courage and NHS Veterans Mental Health Service , South West England , Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership Trust , and KATHRYN GUY , Occupational Therapist , Help for Heroes
... at least
90 %
of the veterans see more than one provider when they attend the hub
The Veterans Hub has been such a success in Bristol that one has started in Gloucester , at the Kingsholm Rugby Ground , on the second
18 OTnews April 2023