MOBILE — At the age of 17, John Kilpatrick of Mobile joined the U.S. Marine Corps. For the past 38 years, he has continued to serve in the military and is now serving his community.
For Kilpatrick, "community" is much more than his surrounding area of Mobile. It's a brotherhood, a state of mind and a way of life. He is the founder and CEO of Vets Recover, a program that helps veterans and first responders dealing with substance abuse.
In September, Gov. Kay Ivey called for Kilpatrick's resignation from the Alabama State Board of Veterans Affairs following controversy over the agency's alleged and arguable "mishandling" of ARPA grant funds.
Kilpatrick has not stopped his mission of helping others and saving the lives of veterans and first responders. 1819 News sat down with Kilpatrick to discuss why the mission is so important.
Much of Kilpatrick's life was plagued with alcohol abuse, Kilpatrick admitted. That was until he was able to put down the bottle and help others.
"Ten years in the Marine Corps, I struggled with alcohol really my whole life," Kilpatrick told 1819 News. "After Desert Storm, I had a really tough time, like a lot of returning veterans do. Stayed drunk for about five years. Got sober in April of 1996."
In 1997, Kilpatrick joined the U.S. Army and became a medical service corps officer. During his time, he served as Chief of Healthcare Operations for Central Command, worked at the Pentagon and worked on the Army's substance abuse program.
Following a deployment in June 2015, Kilpatrick began developing a clinical program. He worked with local judges to help veterans get the help they needed, but he still knew there was more to do.
In December 2020, Vets Recover began working to rehab a dilapidated building in Mobile. Mobile County Public Schools owned the building, which Vets Recover turned into a world-class healthcare facility with a $8.9 million renovation.
The outpatient clinic has served around 4,000 people, including veterans, first responders and their families, with primary care, mental health and addiction treatment.
In 2021, Vets Recover received a $4 million federal grant to implement certified community behavioral health services.
Now, the facility has a detox and residential treatment facility.
"Just keep fighting, keep moving," Kilpatrick said of the struggles he endured to grow the facility. "We got that. So, now we have the only detox facility south of Birmingham."
Kilpatrick said he has a reason to help veterans because of his own fight. His mission is to remove barriers to care for them. He said the VA has been difficult to navigate, and the mental health system in Alabama has been difficult to access.
"So, for us, it doesn't matter how you come to us," he said. "You can call our phone 24 hours a day and you're going to get an appointment."
"Somebody is going to talk to you within 24 hours and you're typically going to get an appointment with a clinical provider within 40 hours," he added.
The facility is only for those who want to be there. Kilpatrick said patients have to want to get better. But Kilpatrick often visits veterans with suicidal thoughts. He has put himself in hopeless situations to try and save lives.
"We saved four lives last week," he told 1819 News. "We graduated four guys from this program. I mean, one of them was like a whole overdose, like he was literally dead when he came in."
"Then we get those suicide calls, at least one a week, and we go," he said. "I mean, I do it personally, I mean, that's kind of what keeps me going, really."
An important aspect of Vets Recover is the peer support offered. Many of those helping veterans are also veterans. Patients undergo an initial assessment, and then treatment is implemented depending on their needs.
Everyone gets what Kilpatrick calls "the secret sauce," and that is daily contact with other people in recovery.
Although Vets Recover doesn't turn anyone away, Kilpatrick said it can be challenging. The facility has several doctors, two nurse practitioners, a nursing staff, psychologists and social workers.
"We get reimbursed less than 10%," he explained. "So, most of the people we treat don't have a way to pay. That's not sustainable."
For now, the organization operates on grants, fundraising and service revenue. Vets Recover hopes to soon be accredited by the Joint Commission so they can begin to accept insurance. Kilpatrick hopes his organization can continue for years to come.
"I don't need a job. I mean, I've retired four times," Kilpatrick said. "I do it just for my own recovery. I mean, there's rarely a day that goes by that we don't make a major, major impact on somebody's life and I get to do it personally."
Kilpatrick said he would like to see Vets Recover expanded to other regions.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email erica.thomas@1819news.com.
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