Breaking Down Barriers in Michigan
Guest authors of today’s post:
Zach Ryan, Government Relations and Communications Manager, Hemophilia Foundation of Michigan
Kaite Scott, Program Social Worker, Hemophilia Foundation of Michigan
Dave Rushlow, Social Worker, Munson Medical Center Northern Regional Bleeding Disorders Center
In the fall of 2022, we were shocked to hear of a young man with hemophilia in Massachusetts who overdosed after being repeatedly denied access to residential substance use disorder facilities because of his bleeding disorder. We were even more concerned when it became clear that this was a national pattern. People are often denied access to inpatient and residential mental health and substance use treatment facilities because of their bleeding disorders, including in the state of Michigan. Recognizing access to behavioral health care is a priority for the bleeding disorders community in Michigan, the Hemophilia Foundation of Michigan (HFM) and the Munson Medical Center Northern Regional Bleeding Disorders Center felt compelled to act.
In late 2023, with the support of the Hemophilia Alliance Foundation, BD SUMHAC launched a State Advocacy Program to improve access in states where people with bleeding disorders had been denied access because of their condition. We applied as a Chapter-HTC team and became one of five states engaged in this important work. We now meet bi-weekly to achieve the following goals:
Identify champions in state government who can help facilitate access to mental health or substance use facilities for a person with a bleeding disorder in Michigan,
Map the regulatory landscape so that we know whether there are any regulatory barriers that prevent people from using infusion or injection medications in behavioral health facilities, and
Identify next steps for advocacy, such as educating local behavioral health facilities about bleeding disorders.
We are thrilled to report that with the support of BD SUMHAC, our team is making progress! We have already met with staff at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services who offered to partner with us to improve access.
We are grateful for the leadership that BD SUMHAC has demonstrated in developing this program and for the opportunity to partner with other like-minded HTC clinicians and chapter leaders who are also committed to breaking down barriers to behavioral health access in the states of Minnesota, Montana, North Carolina, and Texas.
Through collaboration and teamwork with state government, local providers, and other advocates across the nation, HFM and Munson Medical Center Northern Regional Bleeding Disorders Center are breaking down barriers to behavioral health access for the bleeding disorder community in Michigan and beyond.