Coventry Hospital Directory of Services
ASSIST Trauma Care is a specialist Third Sector (Not-for-Profit) Organisation offering therapeutic help to adults and children, individuals and families, affected by a wide range of traumatic occurrences.
Based at a central clinic in Rugby in the Midlands, ASSIST therapists have been trained to use evidence-based models to help sufferers rebuild their lives and move on, following a traumatic experience that has impacted them. They also have specialist Outreach Therapists located across England and Wales, who may be able to provide more local help. ASSIST therapists work with both the symptoms of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and also with Traumatic Bereavement and Grief.
Occasionally grants are available to support the cost of referral. Where this is not the case funding needs to be agreed by Primary Care Trust Commissioners.
When a patient experiences a major trauma it is not just they who are affected. The patient’s whole support network has to cope with stresses and challenges that come with lengthy hospital stays and rehabilitation.
Care for the Family is a national family-run charity which aims to promote strong family life and to help those who face family difficulties. For over 25 years, they have provided parenting, relationship and bereavement support through their events, resources, courses, training and volunteer networks.
Grief is a natural process, but it can be devastating. Cruse Bereavement Care is a leading national charity for bereaved people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
They offer support, advice and information to children, young people and adults when someone dies, and work to enhance society’s care of bereaved people. Cruse offers face-to-face, telephone, email, local services, and a website (www.hopeagain.org.uk) specifically for children and young people. The services are provided by a network of 5,000 trained volunteers and are confidential and free.
Many trauma patients can start to feel sad, depressed or anxious about life after they leave hospital. Your GP may prescribe you a course of talking based thereapy to help you, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Often these services are provided face to face, but they are now also available over the internet or telephone. For some areas, the NHS have set up services with private companies to provde these services to patients on behalf of the NHS. In most circumstances, you don’t need to visit your GP to access them.
IESO Digital Health provides evidence-based mental health therapy online on behalf of the NHS to patients in most areas of England.
They can offer you a discreet one-to-one therapy session delivered in real time using written (typed) conversation, with patients meeting an accredited therapist in a secure virtual therapy room, at a time and location that is both convenient and comfortable for you. Therapy delivered using the IESO system has been clinically validated within the NHS to deliver excellent clinical outcomes with high levels of patient engagement.
Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) can support you if you are stressed, anxious, low in mood or depressed, when this is affecting your everyday life, like working and going out. Speak to your doctor or contact the IAPT Services directly. IAPT can work with people who are aged 16 and over, who are registered with a doctor in Coventry, Warwickshire or Solihull, and who are not already under the care of specialist mental health services.
Involve Coventry (previously Coventry AIMHS) promotes self-resilience, community participation, and reduces the need for people to access primary services. They do this by encouraging community involvement for people to maintain their mental health, self-confidence, life skills and social capital. Involve Coventry delivers mental health co-production, service user involvement and engagement activities to adults aged 18 and over and their carers living in Coventry via a mix of peer support (groups), training opportunities and self-advocacy.
The Kaleidoscope Plus Group is a Midlands-based charity that provides mental health and wellbeing support. They offer talking therapies, self help support groups, educational and vocational groups, individual therapies, eco therapies, social, leisure and physical groups and events, as well as provide information, advice and signposting.
The Laura Centre offers specialist bereavement counselling to parents whose child has died, and to children or young people who have been bereaved of a parent or significant person. They offer counselling, group work and complementary therapies.
Mental Health Matters operates a free 24 hour phone line to the residents of Coventry and Warwickshire. It is open 365 days a year, and provides an independent and confidential service to anyone who has a query about mental health related issues. Trained operators offer emotional support as well as information on mental health related matters.
A road death is not a normal death, it is sudden, violent, unexpected and premature. Losing a loved one in a crash is devastating. Lives are shattered, and some never recover from the trauma. Family breakdown, job loss, depression and even suicide can be the unfortunate consequences of losing a loved one in this way.
RoadPeace has been campaigning since 1992 to change this, and is a leading charity working for people bereaved and injured on the roads. They provide emotional and practical support and advocacy.
RoadPeace operates a national helpline that provides support and information to those affected by road death and injury. They also work closely with other support organisations, and can refer people onto other sources of specialist support and information.
Their website offers detailed information guides and briefing sheets that you can access for free.
Thrive Birmingham manages a gardening project within the TV gardens at King’s Heath Park. Thrive uses social and therapeutic horticulture, which is the process of using plants and gardens to improve physical and mental health, as well as communication and thinking skills. They work with a wide range of people; those who have a physical or learning disability; people with mental health support needs; people who may have sensory loss or autism; people with age-related conditions such as dementia, heart problems, diabetes or stroke survivors and also young people who have social, emotional or behavioural difficulties.
Everyone reacts differently to experiencing crime. How you react depends on lots of different things — such as the crime itself, the sort of person you are, and the support you have around you.
Victim Support is an independent charity. They help whether or not the crime is reported to the police and their support is free, confidential and tailored to the person’s individual needs. It doesn’t matter when the crime took place – they offer support at any time, and for however long you need it.
Victim Support helps anyone affected by crime, not only those who experience it directly, but also their friends, family and any other people involved. The specially trained staff and volunteers are based locally across England and Wales, and give people the emotional and practical help they need to recover from the impact of crime.