The Importance of Honoring and Serving Our Veterans
The Importance of Honoring and Serving Our Veterans
Veterans Day – November 11 of each year – is designated to honor those who have served in all branches of the United States military during wartime and peacetime.
On this Veterans Day, we thank our patients past and present who have served, and we are pleased to highlight two members of our staff, below, for their contributions to help safeguard our country.
But, before we do that, we would be remiss if we did not point out that according to SAMHSA*, one in 15 service veterans has had a substance abuse disorder in the past year, often with a co-occurring mental health disorder such as anxiety, depression or PTSD from combat, sexual assault or other reasons.
Our doors are open to Veterans seeking recovery. You have done a tremendously valuable job completely focused on helping others. If you need help, let us focus on you.
Honoring the Service of Kayla Hovatter and David Phippin
David Phippin
Maintenance Dept, HBH since 2019
United States Navy, Signalman 3rd class
Active Duty 1979-1983
Reserves 1983-1985
David served on board the USS Mt Whitney, Command ship for Second Fleet Atlantic Seaboard. He was able to choose that assignment after graduating 1st in his Navy A School class. David recalls that “during deployments, the ship went to many beautiful city ports all over Europe and the Caribbean. I made many wonderful friends and am still in touch with some of them to this day.”
After leaving the military he decided not pursue a career in the field of visual communications and identification, which was his field of training. Instead, he became a carpenter, building residential homes for 12 years before moving into carpentry in a maintenance setting.
When asked what the military taught him, David remarked that it “taught me professionalism and to do anything given to me to the best of my ability.” These lessons have transferred well to Hudson, because what David likes most about working in this environment “is having the knowledge and skills to make repairs needed and to extend the life of and beautify our properties.”
Behavioral Health Aide, HBH since 2020
Maryland Army National Guard, SPC
Active since 2018
Kayla joined Hudson this fall and has been in the Maryland Army National Guard since 2018, where she serves as a Military Police and Corrections Specialist. She was activated recently for four months during the pandemic and is currently back at work at Hudson.
She is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Psychology: Substance Abuse and Addictions at Purdue Global University, which is what brought her to Hudson.
“What I like best about my job is interacting with patients and learning their stories,” says Kayla. “My military experience helps me with my job at Hudson as well as with every other aspect of my life. My military bearing and interpersonal communication are the two lessons I have learned that help me the most.”
* SAMHSA is the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Learn more about Veterans and substance abuse: https://bit.ly/2UevSn8
About us
Hudson Behavioral Health was formed in 1980 (as Hudson Health Services, Inc.) to bring the first residential recovery program to the Eastern Shore. Today, thousands of patients later, we remain the leader in recovery programs and resources, with our staff of 100 committed to serving each patient as an individual.
