Michael and Caroline Fierman Professor in Public and International Affairs

Curriculum Vitae

Amanda J. Abraham, Michael and Caroline Fierman Professor in Public and International Affairs (PhD, Louisiana State University, 2006), specializes in addiction health services research. Her work focuses on the impact of federal and state policy on the accessibility and quality of substance use disorder treatment, the adoption, diffusion and implementation of evidence-based practices for substance use disorder treatment, organizational change, and workforce development. She currently serves as Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator on numerous federal grants including a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to examine the association between medical cannabis laws and health care utilization among a nationwide cohort of patients with chronic pain. She is also the Principal Investigator of the UGA SBIRT Interprofessional Training Program. This SAMHSA funded training grant provides alcohol and drug screening and brief intervention training to students in the Doctorate of Pharmacy program, Master of Social Work program, and Clinical Psychology Doctoral program at the University of Georgia and the Master of Social Work program at Georgia State University. Dr. Abraham’s work has been published in top journals, including Health Affairs, JAMA Internal Medicine, American Journal of Public Health, Health Services Research, Psychiatric Services, Drug and Alcohol Dependence, and Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

Research Interests

Health policy; impact of federal and state policy on the accessibility and quality of SUD treatment services; adoption, diffusion and implementation of evidence-based practices for SUD treatment; organizational change; workforce development

Selected Publications

Yarbrough, C.R., Abraham, A.J., & Bagwell Adams, G. (In Press). The Relationship of County Opioid Severity to Changes in Access to Substance Use Disorder Treatment (2009-2017). Psychiatric Services. Grogan, C.M., Bersamira, C.S., Singer, P.M., Pollack, H.A., Smith, B.T., Andrews, C.M., & Abraham, A.J. (In Press). Are Policy Strategies to Address the Opioid Epidemic Partisan? A View from the States. Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law. Shover, C.L., Abraham, A.J., D’Aunno, T., Friedmann, P.D., & Humphreys, K. (2019). The Relationship of Medicaid Expansion to Psychiatric Comorbidity Care within Substance Use Disorder Treatment Programs. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 105, 44-50. Andrews, C.M., Pollack, H.A., Abraham, A.J., Grogan, C.M., Bersamira, C.S., Friedmann, P.D. (2019). Medicaid Coverage in Substance Use Disorder Treatment After the Affordable Care Act. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 102, 1-7. Abraham, A.J., Smith, B.T., Andrews, C.M, Bersamira, C.S., Grogan, C.M., Pollack, H.A., & Friedmann, P.D. (2019). Changes in State Technical Assistance Priorities and Block Grant Funds for Addiction After ACA Implementation. American Journal of Public Health, 109(6), 885-891. Jayawardhana, J., Abraham, A.J., & Perri, M. (2019). Death Among Opioid Users: Impact of Potential Inappropriate Prescribing Practices. The American Journal of Managed Care, 25(4), e98-e104. Andrews, C.M., Abraham, A.J., Grogan, C.M., Westlake, M.A., Pollack, H.A., & Friedmann, P.D. (2019). Impact of Medicaid Restrictions on Availability of Buprenorphine in Addiction Treatment Programs. American Journal of Public Health, 109(3), 434-436. Abraham, A.J., Bagwell Adams, G., Bradford, A.C., & Bradford, W.D. (2019). County-Level Access to Opioid Use Disorder Medications in Medicare Part D (2010-2015). Health Services Research, 54(2), 390-398. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13113 Andrews, C.M., Grogan, C.M., Smith, B.T., Abraham, A.J., Westlake, M.A., Pollack, H.A., & Friedmann, P.D. (2018). Medicaid Benefits for Addiction Treatment Expand After Implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Health Affairs, 37(8), 1216-1222. Andrews, C.M., Grogan, C.M., Westlake, M.A., Abraham, A.J., Pollack, H.A., D’Aunno, T.A., & Friedmann, P.D. (2018). Do Benefits Restrictions Limit Medicaid Acceptance in Addiction Treatment? Results from a National Study. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 87, 50-55. Abraham, A.J., Andrews, C.M., Grogan, C.M., Pollack, H.A., Humphreys, K.N., D’Aunno, T., & Friedmann, P.D. (2018). State-Targeted Funding and Technical Assistance to Increase Access to Medication Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder. Psychiatric Services, 69(1), 448-455. Abraham, A.J., Andrews, C.M., Yingling, M., & Shannon, J. (2018). Geographic Disparities in Availability of Opioid Use Disorder Treatment for Medicaid Enrollees. Health Services Research, 53(1), 389-404. Bradford, A.C., Bradford, W.D., Abraham, A.J., & Bagwell Adams, G. (2018). Association Between US Medical Cannabis Laws and Opioid Prescribing in the Medicare Part D Population. JAMA Internal Medicine, 178(5), 667-672. Abraham, A.J., Bagwell Adams, G., & Jayawardhana, J. (2017). Availability of Tobacco Cessation Services in Substance Use Disorder Treatment Programs: Impact of State Tobacco Control Policy. Addictive Behaviors. 71, 12-17. Abraham, A.J., Rieckmann, T.R., Andrews, C.M., & Jayawardhana, J. (2017). Health Insurance Enrollment and Availability of Medications for Substance Use Disorders. Psychiatric Services. 68(1), 41-47. Abraham, A.J., Andrews, C.M., Grogan, C.M., Pollack, H.A., D’Aunno, T., Humphreys, K.N., & Friedmann, P.D. (2017). The Affordable Care Act Transformation of Substance Use Disorder Treatment. American Journal of Public Health, 107 (1), 31-32. Grogan, C.M., Andrews, C.M., Abraham, A.J., Pollack, H.A., Smith, B., Humphreys, K.N., & Friedmann, P.D. (2016). Survey Highlights Difference in Medicaid Coverage for Substance Use Treatment and Opioid Use Disorder Medications. Health Affairs, 35(12), 2289-2296. Dugosh, K., Abraham, A.J., McLoyd, K., Seymour, B., Chalk, M., & Festinger, D. A. (2016). Systematic Review on the Use of Psychosocial Interventions in Conjunction with Medications for the Treatment of Opioid Addiction. Journal of Addiction Medicine, 10(2), 91-101. Andrews, C.M., Abraham, A.J., Grogan, C.M., Pollack, H.A., Bersamira, C.S., Humphreys, K.N., & Friedmann, P.D. (2015). Despite Resources From The ACA, Most States Do Little To Help Addiction Treatment Programs Implement Health Care Reform. Health Affairs, 34(5), 828-835. Rieckmann, T.R., Abraham, A.J., Zwick, J., Rasplica, C., & McCarty, D. (2015). A Longitudinal Study of State Strategies and Policies to Accelerate Evidence-Based Practices in the Context of Systems Transformation. Health Services Research, 50(4), 1125-1144. Abraham, A.J., Knudsen, H.K., Rieckmann, T.R., & Roman, P.M. (2013). Disparities in Access to Physicians and Medications for the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders Between Publicly and Privately Funded Treatment Programs in the United States. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 74, 258-265. Bride, B.E., Abraham, A.J., Kintzle, S., & Roman, P.M. (2013). Social Workers’ Knowledge and Perceptions of Effectiveness and Acceptability of Medication Assisted Treatment of Substance Use Disorders. Social Work in Health Care, 52(1), 43-58. Abraham, A.J., O’Brien, L.A., Knudsen, H.K., Bride, B.E., & Roman, P.M. (2013). Patient Characteristics and Availability of Onsite Non-Rapid and Rapid HIV Testing in US Substance Use Disorder Treatment Programs. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 44(1), 120-125. Knudsen, H.K., & Abraham, A.J. (2012). Perceptions of the State Policy Environment and Adoption of Medications in the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders. Psychiatric Services, 63(1), 19-25. Schmidt, L. Rieckmann, T., Abraham, A.J., Molfenter, T., Capoccia, V., Roman, P., Gustafson, D., & McCarty, D. (2012). Advancing Recovery: Implementing Evidence-Based Treatment for Substance Use Disorders at the Systems Level. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 73(3), 413-422. Abraham, A.J., Knudsen, H.K., & Roman, P.M. (2011). A Longitudinal Examination of Alcohol Pharmacotherapy Adoption in Substance Use Disorder Treatment Programs: Patterns of Sustainability and Discontinuation. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 72(4), 669-677. Abraham, A.J., O’Brien, L., Bride, B.E., & Roman, P.M. (2011). HIV/AIDS Services in Private Substance Abuse Treatment Programs. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 115, 16-22. Knudsen H.K., Abraham, A.J., & Roman, P.M. (2011). Adoption and Implementation of Medications in Addiction Treatment Programs. Journal of Addiction Medicine, 5, 21-27. Rieckmann, T.R., Kovas, A.E., McFarland, B.H., & Abraham, A.J. (2011). A Multi-level Analysis of Counselor Attitudes toward the Use of Buprenorphine in Substance Abuse Treatment. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 41, 374-385. Abraham, A.J., Rieckmann, T.R., McNulty, T., Kovas, A.E., & Roman, P.M. (2011). Counselor Attitudes Toward the Use of Naltrexone in Substance Abuse Treatment: A Multi-level Modeling Approach. Addictive Behaviors, 36(6), 576-583. Knudsen, H.K., Abraham, A.J., Roman, P.M., & Studts, J.L. (2011). Nurse Turnover in Substance Abuse Treatment Programs Affiliated with the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 40(3), 307-312. Abraham, A.J., & Roman, P.M. (2010). Early Adoption of Injectable Naltrexone for Alcohol-Use Disorders: Findings in the Private-Treatment Sector. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 71, 460-466. Abraham, A.J., Knudsen H.K., & Roman, P.M. (2010). The Adoption and Implementation of Alcohol Pharmacotherapies in the Clinical Trials Network: The Influence of Research Network Participation. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 38(3), 275-283. Abraham, A.J., Ducharme L.J., & Roman, P.M. (2009). Counselor Attitudes Toward Pharmacotherapies for Alcohol Dependence. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 70(4), 628-635. Ducharme, L.J., & Abraham, A.J. (2008). State Policy Influence on the Early Diffusion of Buprenorphine in Community Treatment Programs. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention & Policy, 3,17.