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Blogs from August, 2025

Idaho businesses partnering with community organizations to prevent opioid misuse and protect employees

Building Stronger Partnerships to Tackle the Opioid Crisis in Idaho

Idaho has a growing network of organizations, programs, and resources that employers can tap into to protect their teams and support those affected by opioid misuse.

Let us join forces with local health organizations and authorities to address the crisis head-on. The opportunities to do that in Boise and the nearby areas are stronger than ever.

Collaborating with Local Health Organizations and Authorities

Idaho’s State Opioid Response (SOR) program is actively expanding access to treatment, distributing naloxone, and building prevention programs in communities from Boise to Pocatello. The initiative brings together the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, behavioral health providers, and public safety agencies to make sure people have access to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), counseling, and recovery support services (Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, n.d.-a; Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [CMS], 2024).

In the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), partnerships between public health and public safety have already shown promise in sharing overdose data, distributing naloxone to first responders, and forming task forces to reduce fatalities (Myers et al., 2023). This means there are established channels to connect with. Whether it’s a local crisis center, county public health department, or law enforcement-led prevention program.

Practical ways employers can engage:

  • Join or support local overdose reduction task forces in your county.
     
  • Connect with regional crisis centers to learn how to respond if an employee or family member needs urgent help.
     
  • Coordinate with local law enforcement on naloxone access and overdose prevention training.

Using Idaho’s Community Resources as Support

Southeastern Idaho Public Health has compiled an extensive directory of opioid and substance use disorder resources including where to access free naloxone, where to find inpatient and outpatient treatment, and how to connect employees to peer-led recovery groups (Southeastern Idaho Public Health, 2022).

Statewide, you’ll find:

  • Crisis lines and local crisis centers for immediate intervention.
     
  • MOUD clinics in nearly every major Idaho community, offering evidence-based treatment options.
     
  • Drug take-back locations to safely dispose of prescription opioids.
     
  • Recovery housing programs for individuals returning to the workforce after treatment.

Having a ready list of contacts and programs means you can act quickly when an employee reaches out for help.

Where Fastest Labs of Boise Fits In

Fastest Labs of Boise partners with employers across Idaho to create safer, healthier workplaces. While treatment and recovery are essential parts of the solution, prevention starts with strong workplace policies and reliable testing.

Our services help you:

  • Implement pre-employment and random drug testing programs that meet Idaho and federal guidelines.
     
  • Provide post-accident and reasonable suspicion testing with rapid, accurate results.
     
  • Access mobile and after-hours testing, so safety isn’t limited to a 9-to-5 schedule.
     
  • Review and strengthen your workplace drug and alcohol policy to align with current laws and community best practices.

By combining your internal policies with the network of community and state resources available in Idaho, you can protect your workforce, support those in need, and contribute to the broader fight against opioid misuse.
 

Phone: (208) 408-8197
Website: www.fastestlabs.com/boise

 

References

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2024, March 29). Idaho behavioral health transformation [Approval of amendment]. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. https://www.medicaid.gov/

Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. (n.d.-a). Idaho’s state opioid response. https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/providers/behavioral-health-providers/idahos-state-opioid-response

Myers, A., Phibbs, S., White, J., Breuner, N., Stewart, H., & Headley, K. (2023, May). A needs assessment for public health and public safety partnerships in the Oregon Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). Oregon State University Center for Health Innovation. https://extension.oregonstate.edu/

Southeastern Idaho Public Health. (2022, December). Opioids & substance use disorder resources. https://www.siphidaho.org/community-health/dopp.php