2025 State Advocacy Program Application
BD SUMHAC is now accepting applications for the 2025 State Advocacy Program.
Applications are due on December 6th, 2024
Overview of BD SUMHAC’s 2025 State Advocacy Program
Goals
Support states in identifying and building relationships with state agency contacts who are able to:
Serve as champions for the bleeding disorder (BD) community and help facilitate access for individual people with bleeding disorders who have been denied access to behavioral health (substance use disorder and mental health) treatment facilities in their states.
Help us map the regulatory landscape and identify any specific state regulations that would either be a barrier to access to inpatient/residential treatment facilities for the bleeding disorders community or would be helpful in terms of ensuring access to these facilities.
Identify additional opportunities to improve the ability for the BD community to access behavioral health treatment in the state. (For example, opportunities for BD SUMHAC to educate local MH/SUD treatment facilities about bleeding disorders, or to advocate for changes to problematic state regulation)
Identify specific next steps for advocacy efforts in the state.
Who is eligible to apply?
A NBDF chapter or HFA member organization/HTC partnership from a state that has identified a denial to a mental health or substance use disorder (SUD) treatment facility. Preference will be given to states that have worked with BD SUMHAC in the past and have a track record of successful advocacy.
BD SUMHAC will offer states access to a BD SUMHAC member who will:
Conduct research to identify appropriate state regulatory agencies
Identify specific contacts at those agencies or contact at a state organization who can be helpful in mapping the regulatory landscape.
Draft emails to the state agencies/organizations requesting virtual meetings with the state team/BD SUMHAC.
Coordinate the scheduling for two virtual meetings with state agencies/organizations and the members of the coalition.
Prepare a slide presentation to be used by state team/BD SUMHAC in the meetings with state agencies/ organizations.
Host calls with the state team members to prepare them for each of the two meetings with the state agencies/ organizations.
Take notes at the two meetings with the state agencies, identifying any action items
Coordinate with the coalition members about the response to any action items or other follow-up including drafting a thank you note to the state agency contacts
Work with the state team to developed with proposed next steps for advocacy
Track the hours spent on state advocacy activities
Host monthly state team meetings
Host monthly state specific team meetings
Chapter/Member Organization and HTC Requirements/Expectations:
The chapter/member organization and HTC apply together as an advocacy team.
The chapter/member organization and the HTC each identify specific contacts that agree to participate in the state-specific advocacy meetings.
Both the chapter/member organization and the HTC agree to send emails/meeting requests to state organizations and other stakeholders (that are drafted by the BD SUMHAC).
The chapter/member organization and the HTC contacts are comfortable with presenting and speaking in person and at virtual meetings.
All state team participants track all time spent on this project.
Both the chapter/member organization and the HTC contacts commit to spending approximately 2-6 hours per month (time will vary by month) participating in meetings, sending emails, and conducting research.
Willingness to coordinate with and share information/ findings from this advocacy work across all chapters/member organizations /HTCs in the state.
State Team members agree to actively participate in the following meetings:
An introductory meeting to provide an overview of program.
Monthly all-state teams coordinating meeting (while the entire team is encouraged to attend, only one person from each state team is required to participate in this meeting).
Monthly state-specific organizing meetings (the full state team with at least one HTC contact and one chapter/ member organization contact needs to participate in this meeting)
Two preparatory meetings for the each of the state meetings with agencies/organizations
Two meetings with state agencies/organizations
Two post-agency debrief meetings to discuss next steps for follow-up
A final meeting to suggest changes/ improvements to the state advocacy program and discuss next steps.