When the Data Tells a Different Story

# Evidence should challenge assumptions

Before entering public service, Dr. Darshana Patel worked as a research scientist. She applies the same mindset to policy: when data contradicts assumptions, change the questions and the approach. That lesson shaped her examination of California's substance use treatment system.

# What the data actually shows

Nearly three million Californians live with a substance use disorder, yet 81% of those who need treatment never receive it. The common assumption is that the system lacks enough treatment capacity. Expanding capacity remains important, but the data pointed to a second, less obvious barrier.

# Why navigation matters

Seeking treatment is often the result of a fragile, time‑limited decision process. Families and individuals may take months or years to reach the moment they decide to act. Every extra step—another phone call, another form, another website—adds what behavioral scientists call friction. Friction reduces the chance that intention becomes action.

Concrete examples of friction include unclear information about provider licensing, missing descriptions of services, lack of cost transparency, and no easy way to compare programs. Even when a facility is available geographically, these informational and administrative barriers mean it isn't truly accessible.

# Policy response: Assembly Bill 2343

Dr. Patel sponsored Assembly Bill 2343 to address navigation rather than capacity. The bill strengthens California's statewide treatment directory and quality rating system so that individuals and families have one reliable place to:

• Find licensed providers.
• Compare services across programs.
• See cost information and quality indicators relevant to decision making.

The bill's intent is pragmatic: reduce friction at the moment someone decides to seek care so more people can follow through with dignity and a realistic chance of recovery.

# What this changes for people seeking care

If the directory and rating system work as intended, a family member making a single call or a person searching online should be able to identify licensed treatment options that match their needs, understand cost implications, and choose with confidence. That support targets the fragile window when decisions are made and can increase service take‑up without necessarily adding new treatment slots.

# The broader point for policymakers

Using data to test assumptions can reveal different problems and different solutions. In this case, evidence showed that improving navigation—reducing small, cumulative barriers—can be as important as increasing supply. The policy approach in AB 2343 reflects that finding by focusing limited resources on interventions that make existing services reachable and usable.

# Closing

Treatment should enable people to rebuild work, relationships, education, and independence. When systems obscure care rather than make it discoverable and affordable, they fail that goal. Strengthening the tools that help people find and choose treatment is a concrete step toward converting intention into action during critical moments.