Brief History of the Bleeding Disorder Substance Use & Mental Health Access Coalition (BD SUMHAC)

The mission of BD SUMHAC is to advocate for access to appropriate substance use disorder and mental health treatment facilities for all people with bleeding disorders, with a focus on inpatient and residential facilities.

In 2021, a 20-year-old person with a bleeding disorder asked their hemophilia treatment center (HTC) to assist them in finding a residential treatment facility for their substance use disorder. Although the HTC nurse called many residential substance use disorder treatment facilities, none would admit a person with a bleeding disorder who required intravenous (IV) infusions during their stay. Without access to appropriate treatment, the young man overdosed and died.

After her patient's death, the hemophilia treatment center nurse contacted the New England Hemophilia Association to ensure that no one else would be denied access to necessary substance use disorder or mental health treatment because of their bleeding disorder. The coalition includes stakeholders from the Hemophilia Federation of America, the National Hemophilia Foundation, HTCs, other regional and state chapters, and bleeding disorder community members.