More than 48 million Americans meet the criteria for having substance use disorder, and 19% of them receive no treatment (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2025). 

Individuals with SUD experience substantial barriers to receiving treatment from health care professionals. These barriers can stem from multiple factors, including bias and prejudice regarding race, class, and beliefs about willpower (McGinty, & Barry, 2020). Such attitudes and biases among providers toward people with SUD are directly associated with poor access to treatment (Khenti et al., 2017) and poor outcomes (van Boekel et al., 2013; Cuto et al., 2018) for those with SUD. Stigma further isolates individuals from needed care, exacerbating treatment gaps.