Date: Wednesday, September 10th, 2025
Time: 1:00pm – 2:00pm ET
WEBINAR TITLE:
Mental Health and Substance Use in the Bleeding Disorders Community.
DESCRIPTION:
The bleeding disorders community does not have the same access to inpatient and residential mental health and substance use treatment that the general population does. This webinar will talk about the barriers to access the BD community faces and the strategies and resources available to support HTC providers in addressing their patients’ mental health and substance use needs. It will also encourage HTC providers to ask their patients about mental health and substance use concerns early and often and advocate on their behalf when necessary.
OBJECTIVES:
- To describe the mental health and substance use needs of the bleeding disorders community.
- To outline the barriers to inpatient and residential mental health and substance use treatment the bleeding disorders community .
- To provide data demonstrating that HTC provider advocacy on behalf of patients can overcome barriers to access.
- To share tools and resources to support your patients’ behavioral health journey and assist in getting people with bleeding disorders access to mental health and substance use care.
AUDIENCE:
All HTC Providers.
SPEAKERS:
Kate Bazinsky, MPH.
Kate Reinhalter Bazinsky has spent over two decades working in health policy and advocacy at the federal, state, and local levels. When her son was diagnosed with severe hemophilia A, she became a passionate advocate for the bleeding disorders community. She co-founded and now serves as the Chair of the Bleeding Disorders Substance Use & Mental Health Access Coalition (BD SUMHAC). BD SUMHAC is a national, multi-stakeholder coalition committed to ensuring equitable access to appropriate substance use and mental health treatment facilities for all individuals with bleeding disorders, with a focus on inpatient and residential facilities. Kate has a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University, She lives in Wellesley, MA with her husband and two children.
Lucy Ramirez, LCSW.
Lucy Ramirez is a licensed clinical social worker for the Rush Hemophilia and Thrombophilia Treatment Center at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois. In her current position, Ms. Ramirez’s practice primarily involves counseling and educating individuals with bleeding disorders, their caregivers and family members. She has served as facilitator and guest speaker for patient educational events sponsored by the National Bleeding Disorders Foundation, the Bleeding Disorder Alliance of Illinois, the VWD Connect Foundation and the Coalition for Hemophilia B. She serves as the current vice chair of the National Bleeding Disorders Foundation’s Social Work Working Group.
