August 2025 E-Newsletter: The latest from BD SUMHAC

Authored by: The BD SUMHAC Team


The latest from BD SUMHAC
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Hi there!

We’re excited to share highlights from the past few months — including a refreshed Provider Toolkit, national presentations, and building momentum through state-level advocacy.

As always, thank you for reading and for your continued support of BD SUMHAC!

Together, we’re improving access to inpatient and residential behavioral health facilities for people with bleeding disorders, and making a real difference in our community.


In our last update, we previewed a refresh of the Provider Toolkit — and are thrilled to announce that it's now complete!

In response to your feedback, the updated toolkit is more streamlined and user-friendly. It’s easier to navigate, helps providers quickly find key information, AND now includes more resources than ever to support providers in helping individuals with bleeding disorders access inpatient and residential behavioral health treatment.

This was a big project, and we’re grateful to our incredible team and the generous donors who made it possible.

Stay tuned — a refresh of the Access Toolkit is up next!

BD SUMHAC is presenting at the National Bleeding Disorders Foundation’s (NBDF) annual Bleeding Disorders Conference (BDC), taking place August 21–23.


This event brings together patients, families, healthcare professionals, and advocates from across the country for three impactful days of learning, networking, and exhibits.


BD SUMHAC Chair Kate Bazinsky, MPH, and coalition member Joanne Wagner, LICSW, will speak in a session titled “Discover Your Path to Mental Wellness.” They will address the barriers individuals with bleeding disorders face in accessing inpatient and residential behavioral health care and highlight resources that can help. Joanne will also share insights on teen and young adult mental health and substance use.


If you’re attending BCC, join us for our session on August 21, 2:30-3:40 PM MT, in Cottonwood 2-3 | Convention Center Level 1. We’d love to see you there!


We’re grateful for the opportunity to shed light on these pressing issues and connect people with effective resources. Thank you to NBDF for helping elevate these important conversations.

BD SUMHAC’s state advocacy teams are hard at work across the country as part of the State Advocacy Program.


In both Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, the teams have successfully identified champions at the state level who will advocate for individuals with bleeding disorders denied access to behavioral health treatment.


Over the past six months, we’ve held multiple advocacy meetings in these states, connecting with departments of health and behavioral health facilities. These conversations have laid the foundation for strong relationships, opened the door to ongoing collaboration, and created opportunities for increased awareness and education.


In California, we’ve been invited to participate in the process of updating the state’s substance use facility regulations for 2026. This gives us a direct role in ensuring that the language and guidelines are equitable and inclusive for the bleeding disorders community.


The California Department of Health Care Services has also offered to help us navigate the state’s particularly complex regulatory landscape. This partnership is both encouraging and promising — and we’re optimistic about the improvements to access it will help bring about.

This year, BD SUMHAC played a vital role in a major state advocacy initiative: the drafting and introduction of Texas Senate Bill 2769 (SB 2769). This bill aimed to improve access to inpatient mental health treatment for individuals with bleeding disorders in Texas.

The effort was spearheaded by BD SUMHAC coalition member Melissa Compton, Executive Director of the Lone Star Bleeding Disorders Foundation and a member of the Texas State Advocacy Team. Melissa’s leadership in drafting and navigating this initiative was instrumental. She was supported by fellow BD SUMHAC coalition member Shanna Garcia, Director of Development at Texas Central Bleeding Disorders and also a member of the Texas State Advocacy Team.

While SB 2769 was not taken up during this legislative session, the groundwork laid for future work was both significant and strategic. Read the full article to learn more.

BD SUMHAC’s Chair, Kate Bazinsky, was recently featured on a few podcasts where she had the opportunity to discuss access barriers to behavioral health treatment for the broader bleeding disorders community.

In a two-part episode on Beyond the Bleeds, Kate shared about BD SUMHAC’s work and our ongoing efforts to advocate for fair and equitable mental health and substance use treatment. She also joined the Global Hemophilia Report to continue the conversation around mental health in the bleeding disorders community.

Find the episodes here:

🎧 Beyond the Bleeds — Part 1: BD SUMHAC: Advocating for Fair Mental Health and Substance Use Treatment Part I with Kate Bazinsky & Joe Hoelscher


🎧 Beyond the Bleeds — Part 2: BD SUMHAC: Advocating for Fair Mental Health and Substance Use Treatment Part II with Kate Bazinsky & Joe Hoelscher


🎧 Global Hemophilia Report: I’m Fine. This Is Normal. Old Faithful Works for Me! Mental Health Challenges to Progress


These are powerful and insightful episodes — we encourage you to listen to and share them!

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BD SUMHAC appreciates the generous support of the following organizations. We are grateful for these sponsors and our many other supporters!

If you have questions about BD SUMHAC, the information on this website, or would like to support this work, please contact:

  • Kate Bazinsky, Chair, Bleeding Disorders Substance Use & Mental Health Access Coalition

    info@bdsumhac.org

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Building Momentum for Improved Access in Texas