"It's not just about recovery" The Right Turn Veteran-Specific Recovery Service Evaluation

Executive Summary: Each year roughly 17,000 people leave the UK Armed Forces and the vast majority make a successful transition into civilian society. A small but increasing number of ex-forces personnel however experience poor physical and mental health, substance misuse and/or come into contact with the criminal justice sector. Poor transition is estimated to have cost the UK £98 million in 2015 alone. Addaction's Right Turn initiative is a pioneering project operating on the premise that the comradeship and mutual resilience underpinning military life can be re-directed to support recovery from addictions and desistance from crime journeys. The project utilises a model of peer support and facilitates engagement in meaningful social and community activities for veterans. We present the findings from the first ever study investigating the experiences of UK veterans as they progress through this recovery project.