About BD SUMHAC

In 2021, a 20-year-old individual with a bleeding disorder (BD) asked his hemophilia treatment center (HTC) for help finding a residential treatment facility for his substance use disorder. Although the nurse called many residential substance use disorder facilities, none would take a person with a bleeding disorder who required IV infusions. Without access to appropriate treatment, the young man overdosed and died.

After her patient’s death, the HTC nurse contacted the New England Hemophilia Association to ensure that no one else would be denied access to necessary treatment because of their bleeding disorder and the Bleeding Disorders Substance Use and Mental Health Access Coalition (BD SUMHAC) was born. The coalition includes members from the Hemophilia Federation of America, the National Bleeding Disorders Foundation, hemophilia treatment centers, local BD chapters, and the BD community.

The mission of BD SUMHAC is to advocate for access to appropriate substance use disorder and mental health treatment facilities for all individuals with BD with a focus on inpatient and residential facilities. BD SUMHAC is not a mental health or substance use disorder treatment organization and does not offer behavioral health treatment or recommendations, but it does support providers in getting people with BD the access they need.

If you have any questions about the coalition or would like to help advocate for better access on behalf of the community, please contact us at info@bdsumhac.org.