About Us
A 501C3 That Is Ready to Serve
RecoVET HealthCare, a non-profit 501c3 is a Veterans Social Service Organization. Our programs are designed specifically for Veterans, Active Duty Military members, and their families. We are a behavioral health organization providing a full continuum of integrated services to clients with substance use and behavioral disorders. Our goal is to partner with our clients and their loved ones so they can lead rewarding prosperous lives that build on their assets, skills, and capabilities. American soldiers who might be struggling with fatigue, depression, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), etc.
Our Story
President of the Board, Frank Robinson, was born and raised in Perryville, MO. He attended Southeast Missouri University and after graduating joined the military. During his first tour in Vietnam, Frank was injured and came back to the United States. When he arrived back, he was connected to the Missouri construction industry and established Robinson Construction. At 37 years old, he and his wife Joan adopted Andrew Robinson.
When Andy was 11 years old, he got involved with multiple kinds of drugs that he found while attending school. Between ages 11 and 32, Andy was frequently involved with the justice system. By the time Andy hit 30 he had been to prison once. In between sentences, the Robinson Family tried connecting Andy to multiple treatment facilities practicing a variety of treatment methods and nothing was working for him.
When Andy was let out of prison the second time, he realized that it was time to start making a change. Knowing that many treatment options were not working out for him, Andy and Frank reached out to Andy’s old friend at ARCA’s Recovery House to get him connected to services.
It was not until Frank found the linkage with ARCA and Recovery House that Andy was truly able to find his way out of addiction. The transitional, supportive living model saved Andy’s life, and both are forever grateful to the model. Frank saw the connection of a life-saving treatment model for addiction and realized that he could combine his passion for his Veteran community and his desire to give back to the veteran community with his personal story of helping his son. In 2021, Frank Robinson approached Suneal and Percy Menzies to begin planning ways on how to replicate ARCA’s Recovery House successes and hyper focus them into a Veteran’s led, supportive living, behavioral health organization.
Knowing that this model has a strong success rate of getting men out of the cycle of addiction, Frank thought that replicating the model, but tailoring all services to be Veteran specific would be an impactful way to give back to his community. In recent years, story after story has been released about the number of veterans who die from completing suicide or by way of overdose. Pairing the recent news stories with the “22 a day” national social media campaign is a key influencer to creating services that are tailored to the needs of veterans.
RecoVET was formed in early 2022 to help any veteran living with mental health or substance use diagnoses. The overarching strategic goal is to provide a haven for Veterans who need assistance with access to care in addition to housing and job employment. By providing the linkage between all aspects of the social determinants of health, RecoVET is well positioned to be the leader of veterans behavioral health care in the St. Louis Area. In fact, RecoVET is the only transitional living support facility specifically tailored for veterans in the St. Louis Metro Area.
Some additional statistics that fuel our mission:
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Veterans who have an SUD are 3 to 4 times more likely to be diagnosed with depression and/or PTSD.[1],[2]
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Nearly ¾ of all veterans experiencing homelessness have a SUD.1
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Only 35% of veterans who are treated for opioid use disorder at the VA receive medication-assisted treatment.1
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Alcohol is the primary substance for veterans entering treatment centers, with men being twice as more likely to have a diagnosed AUD than females.1,2
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Veterans are the highest group to most likely misuse substances tied to multiple factors such as:
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Multiple deployments, the added stress of being deployed from civilian life turns veterans to substances to cope
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Combat exposure, PTSD, depression, anxiety, and other mental health diagnoses may be self-medicated through substance use when they return from deployment
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Military related injuries, misuse of over-the-counter pain medication and prescribed painkillers to numb combat related and chronic pain after service.
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[1] National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2019, October). Substance use and military life DrugFacts.
[2] Teeters, J.B., Lancaster, C.L., Brown, D.G., & Back, S.E. (2017). Substance use disorders in military veterans: Prevalence and treatment challenges. Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation, 8, 69-77.
Our Board of Directors
Frank Robinson,
President
Frank Robinson is the CEO of Robinson Construction Company. Frank inherited his passion for construction from his father, Ed, and began working as a plumber in high school. He has led the company since 1973 with a two-pronged management approach shaped by his bachelor's degree in sociology and psychology from Southeast Missouri State University and U.S. Army Officers School - nurture and inspires employees to their maximum potential; plan meticulously with ample contingencies. This approach has engendered loyalty in employees and clients alike.
Always eager to master new challenges, Frank expanded our capabilities into utility, municipal and heavy industrial manufacturing markets; in-house fabrication; and complete design-build services. He remains personally involved on projects with difficult technical requirements such as deep excavations, marine work, and unusual soil conditions.
Frank is a pillar in the community, utilizing his knowledge, resources, and leadership skills to help foster growth in the communities in which his team members live and work. In addition to the many civic organizations that Frank supports on a regular basis, he also currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Bank of Missouri (1995-present), is an advisory director for Missouri's National Veterans Memorial (2017-present), and is a member of the Perry County Economic Development Authority (1985-present) and Perry County Community Foundation (2013-present). Frank was named Perry County Community Foundation Humanitarian of the year in 2015.
Percy Menzies,
Vice President
Percy Menzies is the president of Assisted Recovery Centers of America, LLC, a center for the treatment of alcoholism and drug addiction based in St. Louis, Missouri which was established in 2001. He worked for over 18 years for DuPont Pharmaceuticals, the company that developed naloxone (Narcan) and naltrexone. His responsibilities involved training physicians and other healthcare professionals on using these breakthrough non-opioid medications. As associate product director for naltrexone, Percy was involved in developing treatment protocols and policies to treat opioid and alcohol use disorders and bring treatment into the mainstream of medicine. He has worked closely with drug courts and provided training on the use of anti-craving medications for addiction to reduce recidivism within the criminal justice system. He has conducted workshops for a wide range of audiences both in the US and overseas on evidence-based treatments for substance use disorders. He has been invited to serve on expert committees to develop guidelines for the treatment of addictive disorders and alcoholism. Percy served two terms on the Missouri State Advisory Council for the Division of Behavioral Health.
Percy’s ongoing interest is developing prevention programs to protect patients from relapsing to alcohol and opioid use. Relapse is a major contributor to the increasing overdose deaths due to the widespread supply of drugs like fentanyl and increased abuse of alcohol related to the isolation due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The prevention programs involve increasing access to medications like naloxone and naltrexone through community pharmacies to avoid harm from the effects of increasingly potent opioids. His particular focus on long-term recovery is providing safe housing and job training.
Percy holds a master’s degree in pharmacy and emigrated to the United States in 1977 from India.
Joanie Robinson,
Treasurer
Joanie is a lifelong Missouri resident. She and Frank Robinson were high school sweethearts and married when Frank completed U. S. Army Officer’s School. They settled in their hometown Perryville when Frank returned from Vietnam.
She has a Classical Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Louis University and a Bachelor of Science in business from Southeast Missouri State University. Her working years were spent in governmental and educational settings. She has been active in volunteer work and community boards such as the Perryville
Higher Education Advisory Board and the University of Missouri Extension Council.
As a former Army wife and a mother to someone with an addiction illness, Joanie is personally invested in the work being done by RecoVET. She credits the recovery
community and its dedicated individuals with saving her son’s life.
She has been associated with RecoVET since its inception and is the current treasurer for the organization.
Joanie is an avid reader and gardener with a particular interest in Missouri’s native plants.
George Billings,
Board Member
George K. Billings retired, and was employed by Saint Louis University for ten years working as a major gift officer assigned to the School of Medicine. Prior to his tenure at S.L.U., he held a similar role in fundraising and alumni relations at Webster University in Saint Louis, MO.
Billings’ military experience includes serving as a Chaplain for the U.S. Army with the “Big Red One” in Ansbach, Germany, The U.S. Army War College, and Fort Gordon, Augusta, GA.
He earned a doctoral degree in Theology from the Gregorian University in Rome, Italy, Masters degree in Theology from DePaul University in Chicago, IL, a Masters degree in Human Resources from Washington University in St. Louis, MO, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from St. Mary’s of the Barrens Seminary, Perryville, MO.
George is married to his wife, Jane. The couple is actively involved in their Parish Church, St. Paul’s, in Fenton, MO., They share a ministry as legal guardians for a woman who has multiple disabilities. George and Jane enjoy spending time with family, friends, and six grandchildren.
Our Partners
