News and blogs

Recovering from mental ill-health as well as problem alcohol or drug use can feel like an uphill battle: mental health services need your addiction addressed so you can engage fully in treatment and addiction services need your mental health problems stable so you can take part in a recovery programme.

Op COURAGE, our specialist mental health team for veterans, is one of the first of its kind to develop a new way of addressing addiction and mental health difficulties together. Colleagues showcased their approach at the national Quality Network for Veterans Mental Health at the Royal College of Psychiatrists in London on 29 September 2026.

Over a third of people with mental health problems also have a drug or alcohol problem, and — according to our clinical team - some military veterans struggle with this too.

Op COURAGE have developed a new pathway which includes peer support recovery groups, part of a national programme known as SMART and led by lived experience practitioners. We also have a dedicated in-reach worker to bridge the gap with the many non-statutory addictions providers across Thames Valley, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Find out more

Visit the OpCOURAGE website treatment page at www.opcouragesoutheast.nhs.uk/treatments

Find out more about how Berkshire Healthcare supports members of the armed forces community into work Armed forces support | Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust