The project, Organizational factors associated with quality of care for opioid use disorders among transition-age adults in Medicaid, is a subaward from the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and funded by the National Institutes of Health. 

This research aims to investigate the quality of opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment for vulnerable Transition-Age (TA) adults (ages 18–25), who currently have low rates of effective treatment adherence. The OUD treatment system fails TA patients as they struggle to access scientifically supported care and often leave treatment early. 

The research team, with Dr. Tod Mijanovich serving as the expert on advanced statistical methods, will analyze data from approximately 65,000 TA adults between 2012 and 2025, focusing on access to medications, treatment adherence, and adverse outcomes like overdoses. Ultimately, the project seeks to identify program characteristics and delivery changes (like telehealth) that lead to higher quality care, thereby informing organizational and policy changes to benefit this underserved population.

Publications

• Perspectives of treatment providers overseeing substance use disorder treatment among transition-age adults, aged 18-25 years
  • Aleksanyan et al., Journal of Substance Use & Addiction Treatment, 2025
• Lost in transition: A protocol for a retrospective, longitudinal cohort study for addressing challenges in opioid treatment for transition-age adults
  • Aleksanyan et al., PLOS One, 2025.