STAND TO is an alcohol service dedicated to Derbyshire’s Ex-Forces community. Whether you were Regular or Reserve forces, served 22 years or 22 days (or less!) STAND TO are here to help. We cover the whole of Derbyshire (with the exception of Derby City).
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For those affected by substance misuse, referral to Derbyshire Recovery Partnership may be appropriate.

Our dedicated, experienced and highly trained staff (most of whom have direct experience of the Armed Forces) have a particular awareness of the issues veterans and their families may experience. 
We acknowledge, understand and appreciate the sacrifices that ex-forces personnel and their families have made. We understand some of the challenges individuals may face in admitting their alcohol use is a problem and the conflict often felt in asking for support. 
​We work closely with other organisations in the local area to deliver a comprehensive service for those affected by alcohol misuse.

 
Have you ever considered the impact of your drinking on your health?
We offer advice and support to minimise the risks to your health from drinking. 
How your drinking affects your relationships with family and friends?
Our Alcohol Workers have experience of working with Veterans and their families.
How much your drinking is costing you financially?
We can refer you or signpost you to relevant organisations for help and advice.
Do you use alcohol to help you cope with stress or mental health issues?
STAND TO can provide access to DAAS in-house counselling team or refer you to veteran-specific mental health services. 
Are you ready for a change? STAND TO are ready when you are.....
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What can you expect?
STAND TO is a free, confidential alcohol support service offering evidence based individual, long term support to those who need it throughout Derbyshire.
This can include:

•   Referral to a dedicated Nurse Prescriber
•   1-2-1 individual support including Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Relapse Prevention, 
•   Harm Reduction, Information, Advice and Guidance
•   Counselling
•   Complimentary Therapies available in some areas
•   Signposting and direct referral to other Veterans’ and Families organisations and services

We always encourage self-referrals, however we also accept referrals from other professionals, services and agencies.
An online referral form is located at the foot of each web page on this site.
​To make a referral please call the Single Point of Contact for Derbyshire Alcohol Advice Service on 01246 206 514 and they will be happy to take your details and guide you through the referral process. A STAND TO worker will contact you to arrange an assessment either in your home, at the DAAS office or a venue of your choice.

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​TO CALL US ON
01246 206 514

Case Study
P is an ex-soldier and served with the Royal Logistics Corps. He joined the Army in 1992, progressing to the Parachute contingent of the Corps after his basic training. During his Airborne training he was admitted to the Medical Centre after collapsing on a run and was subsequently diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. He was not able to continue his Para training and his Commanding Officer found him a position working on camp security duties, whilst also playing golf for the Army Golf Team. He was eventually medically discharged from the army on medical grounds in 1996.
He approached STAND TO for help in getting his drinking under control in October 2017. He described himself as an emotional and impulsive drinker.
After his assessment by a STAND TO case worker, he decided to get pro-active with his own recovery. His goal was to cut his drinking down and eventually become abstinent. His drinking patterns were driven by stress and emotion – he’d stop at the off-license on his way home from work and regularly buy 3 x 660ml bottles of 5% lager. He would occasionally go to the pub and carry on drinking after he got home. His initial alcohol intake was 98 units per week. This started to cause friction in his family relationships and was having a negative effect on his health.
Our approach initially was to use a drinking diary to identify patterns of alcohol use, triggers for his drinking and strategies for alcohol reduction with the help of his STAND TO caseworker. He also wanted to get fit and used an on-line coaching resource run by an ex-Royal Marine. He essentially replaced alcohol with fitness training. He started playing golf again and made changes to his work-life balance. After around five months he felt he’d made significant progress and started to discuss the possibility of volunteering for STAND TO as a peer-support volunteer. His alcohol intake at discharge was 0 units.
P has done some training with DAAS to equip himself for a voluntary role with STAND TO and continues to help out at events whilst our volunteering policies and processes are being updated.
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Confidentiality
The service we provide at STAND TO is confidential. This means that we do not give out information about the people we see without their knowledge and consent. In some circumstances we do have to share information without permission. For example, if we know that a child or a vulnerable person is at immediate risk or if we know that a law is being broken we are bound to share this information with the appropriate services. If you have any concerns about this, please contact us and speak to a member of our team.