Military mental health sector review & case management: Challenges & opportunities A half-day online conference co-hosted by the Contact Group & Northern Ireland Veterans’ Support Office Date: Tuesday 16 March 2021 ​ Time: 0930-1300 ​ MS Teams event link: The link is live from now and can be tested at any time - please test it in advance of the event to make sure it works for you. If you will be logging in as a guest rather than a registered user of Teams (please insert your full name), you may see a message stating ‘Someone will let you into the meeting soon’ - this is fine as it means the link will work for you once the event has started. For any issues, please email: [email protected]. Please note the event will be recorded for possible ​ external use afterwards. Attendance indicates agreement to this and attendee cameras can be kept turned off if preferred. Microsoft Teams instructions The event will take place on Microsoft Teams. ● You can access Teams via a smartphone, laptop, tablet or computer, as long as you have access to the internet. All you need to do is click on the Teams link above on the event day and time. ● If you do not have the Microsoft Teams app, you can choose ‘watch on the web instead’. This will open a webpage that will take you direct to the event. Please note that there may be issues using Teams with Internet Explorer so use an alternative browser if you choose the web option. ● Alternatively, you can choose ‘Download the app’. This will download the Teams app software for free. It is also possible to download a mobile app for use on a phone. ● If you are not a registered user of Teams, you can register for free quickly and easily (follow the prompts), or you can attend the event as a guest. If you choose the guest option, please ensure you insert your full name when prompted so we know who you are when you enter via the virtual ‘lobby’ (see below). ● If you have trouble with audio or video quality on the day, please check your system settings, including for your speakers/headphones. If problems persist, try leaving and re-entering the event, turning off your camera or the incoming video (for audio only), and/or any other online household devices (if possible) to maximise bandwidth. Joining information ● Please click on the link above and join in good time before the event starts promptly at 0930. Virtual arrivals will be open from 0920 for attendees and 0910 for speakers only. ● Please do not forward or circulate the above event link. If you have colleagues or contacts who would like to attend, please ask them to register first by emailing: [email protected] ● On arrival, registered attendees will be let in through the virtual ‘lobby’. ● Attendee microphones will be automatically muted on arrival into the event. ● It will be possible to submit questions and comments via the ‘chat’ function throughout the event (visible by clicking on the ‘speech bubble’ icon in the function bar towards the top right of the screen). This will be monitored and questions/comments collated and relayed to the session Chair and speakers. ● There are over 150 registered attendees - please be respectful of others when participating. Misuse of the chat or any other functions may result in removal from the event. Post-event feedback After the event, a link to a short, online feedback form will be emailed to all attendees - please take 1-2 minutes to complete it to enable us to evaluate this event and improve future events. About the event: Aims The conference is open to all professionals working in military mental health and those with an involvement or interest in veterans’ case management, as well as veterans and families. The aims of the conference are to review recent developments in the UK military mental health sector (with a particular focus on N​ orthern Ireland for part of the event), including ​ identifying any challenges and opportunities to address them. Also to share details of (and seek feedback on) the v​eterans’ mental health information system (​VMHIS) proposed by ​ ​ the Cobseo/Contact case management working group and presently being scoped by consultants. The programme (see below) includes keynote speakers, speaker panels and opportunities for Q&As, comment and discussion. The keynote speeches and first session will focus on Northern Ireland, as Contact is a collaboration of organisations from all four nations of the ​ UK and this conference was originally due to take place in Belfast. The second and third sessions will focus on v​eterans’ mental health and case management in the UK (c​ase ​ management ​is one of Contact’s p​riority work areas)​, including outlining and inviting feedback on the proposed v​eterans’ mental health information system. Conference programme (also available on the C​ ontact website)​ ​ Co-hosted by Liz Brown, Head of N​ orthern Ireland Veterans’ Support Office ​(NIVSO) and Charles Winstanley, Chair of C​ ontact Group 0910-0920: Speaker arrivals only 0920-0930: Attendee arrivals 0930-0935: Welcome & introduction – Liz Brown 0935-0940: V​ ideo message: Robin Swann, Minister of Health, Northern Ireland Assembly – introduced by Liz Brown ​ 0940-1000: K​ eynote: Veterans’ mental health in Northern Ireland ​ Speaker: Danny Kinahan, Northern Ireland Veterans’ Commissioner (10 mins) ​ Followed by audience Q&As – chaired by Liz Brown 1000-1100: V​ eterans’ mental health in Northern Ireland Speakers will comment (3 mins each) on their top three strategic issues: – J​ohnny Rollins, Chief Executive, Reserve Forces & Cadets Association for NI ​ – C​ iaran Mulholland, Clinical Director, NI Regional Trauma Network ​ – P​ eter Baillie, Director, UDR & R IRISH Aftercare Service ​ – C​ herie Armour, Professor of Psychological Trauma & Mental Health, Queen’s University ​ Belfast – D​ avid Cameron, Clinical Lead Psychologist, Inspire Wellbeing ​ – B​ en Higgins, Welfare Officer, The Ely Centre; Volunteer Caseworker, SSAFA NI; ​ Vice-chairman, Not Forgotten Association – A​ rt O’Malley, Head of Clinical Services ​ Followed by audience Q&As and discussion – chaired by Liz Brown 1100-1115: Break 1115-1155: P​ roposed veterans’ mental health information system (VMHIS) presented ​ by members of the Cobseo/Contact case management working group (5-7 mins each), including: – R​ oy Brown, Director of Governance Support, Confederation of Service Charities ​ (Cobseo) – J​ames Greenrod, Head – Armed Forces People Support, Ministry of Defence ​ – A​ ndy Bacon, Head of Policy & Strategy for Armed Forces, NHS England & NHS ​ Improvement – N​ icola Cook, Assistant Director of Operations, Royal British Legion ​ Followed by audience Q&As and discussion – chaired by Charles Winstanley 1155-1255: U​ K military mental health & case management Speakers (5-7 mins each) will include: – D​ avid Richmond, Director, Office for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA) ​ – C​ harlie Wallace, Scottish Veterans’ Commissioner ​ – N​ eil Greenberg, Professor of Defence Mental Health, King’s College London & Lead for ​ Military & Veterans’ Mental Health, Royal College of Psychiatrists – D​ avid Rowley, Head of Operations: Regional & Specialist Services, Leeds & York NHS ​ Partnership Trust – N​ eil Kitchiner, Director & Consultant Clinical Lead, Veterans NHS Wales ​ – C​ atherine Kinane, Medical Director, Combat Stress ​ – S​ arah Jones, Head of Psychological Wellbeing, Help for Heroes ​ – J​ohn McColl, Chairman, Confederation of Service Charities (Cobseo) ​ Followed by audience Q&As and discussion – chaired by Charles Winstanley 1255-1300: Summary of key points – Charles Winstanley 1300: End Chair & Speaker biographies (in order of appearance) ​ ​ Co-chairs Liz Brown, Head, Northern Ireland Veterans’ Support Office (NIVSO) Lt Col (Ret’d) Liz Brown served for some 20 years in Germany, Canada, Bosnia and UK within MoD Headquarters, retiring in 2009. After a short break, she went back to work part time with the NI office of ABF The Soldiers’ Charity for 7 years, before taking up a new post in April 2018 with Cobseo/RFCA NI as Head of the NI Veterans’ Support Office with the core role of developing the capacity to deliver the Armed Forces Covenant in NI. The NI Veterans’ Support Office (NI VSO) is responsible for building capacity to deliver the Armed Forces Covenant in Northern Ireland and for providing support to veterans where the latter’s needs are not met through statutory bodies and/or the charitable sector. The office has a nationally recognised mandate and delivery targets which are reported to the OVA and has formal, embedded links to the Veterans’ Champions in each local authority in NI as well as Other Government Departments, other stakeholders and the third sector. The office works closely with that of the Veterans’ Commissioner for NI. Charles Winstanley, Chair, Contact Group Dr Charles Winstanley became the independent Chair of Contact in Sept 2018. The UK Academy of Medical Royal Colleges appointed him Chair in 2016 and again in 2019. He also chairs the military sub-committee of the Cabinet Office Honours, Decorations and Medals Committee. Prior to these roles, Charles served on Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital board for two terms, then chaired NHS Lothian, the UK’s second largest health system (during which time he also served as Chair of Scotland’s NHS Chairs). He has also been a non-executive director at the Ministry of Defence and the Scottish Government. Trained at Sandhurst and Staff College, Charles was a regular soldier with 16th/5th Lancers in Northern Ireland, BAOR, and the Middle East. In later territorial service he led BAOR-roled armoured recce squadrons in London and Belfast (North Irish Horse), before two MoD staff appointments. After manufacturing and communications roles, he ran his own strategy consultancy for 18 years. Charles has masters and doctoral degrees in business management from Henley Business School. Video message Robin Swann, Minister of Health, Northern Ireland Assembly Robin Swann was appointed Minister of Health in the Northern Ireland Assembly on 11th January 2020.