Reach out periodically (every 6 months or so)—even when you don’t have an active patient there—so your relationship remains current. Check in to make sure that your contact is still working at the facility in the same role. If you maintain contact, hopefully they will let you know if they transition to another role and identify a new contact for you. Likewise send them updates in your have staff or information changes. You may also want to share the following documents so they have them at their fingertips.

• One-page educational handout on bleeding disorders and behavioral health admissions.

• A link to the bleeding disorder treatment team’s website.

• Tour local programs to understand:

  • Physical layout and accessibility.

  • Level of medical support available.

  • Types of therapy and programming offered.

• Share your impressions with patients and families so they know what to expect before admission.

• Offer yourself as a point of contact for questions about bleeding disorder care during treatment.

• Attend Regional Conferences and Summits
  Participate in events that attract inpatient and residential treatment facilities in your state or region (e.g., New Hampshire’s annual Behavioral Health Summit). Make the rounds to:

  • Meet staff from inpatient and residential programs.

  • Learn about new facilities, program changes, funding shifts, and emerging resources.

  • Network with funders and state agency representatives who influence placement access.

• Bring the Bleeding Disorders Perspective
  Use these opportunities to educate providers about bleeding disorders, addressing misconceptions and explaining how patients’ medical needs can be safely managed in behavioral health settings.
  

• Keep in touch with referral sources such as “Doorway” programs or other centralized intake systems to:

  • Learn about changes in available services.

  • Stay updated on new programs and providers in your region.

• Sign up for email lists from local facilities so you receive real-time bed availability updates.

• When working with a patient who may require behavioral health care:

  • Research facilities in the patient’s area.

  • Share information with the patient and their family about what is available.

  • Work with the ED, primary care office, and other members of the care team to align on the patient’s needs.

• Proactively expand the patient’s care team to integrate bleeding disorder expertise with behavioral health and other medical specialties—this helps ensure consistent communication and reduces the risk of patients “falling through the cracks.”