Addiction treatment in Boise, Idaho, could expand for one of the city’s hardest-to-reach populations if a new federal grant application succeeds. The City of Boise has applied for a $5 million grant from SAMHSA to launch a street-based care program for adults experiencing homelessness who also live with severe mental illness, substance use disorders, or both.
Even though The Gem State features a wide range of inpatient and outpatient addiction programs, the opioid crisis continues to take its toll on residents of all ages. Boise officials hope that this new initiative will make care more accessible and save lives.
The program, Boise STREETS, stands for Safety Through Recovery, Engagement, and Evidence-based Treatment and Support. The city announced the application on August 5, 2026, and expects a decision from the federal government later this fall.
Boise STREETS in Action
If funded, the grant would build a coordinated street-based network connecting people to immediate treatment, recovery support, and housing navigation. It also tightens coordination among agencies that already serve them.
Mayor Lauren McLean announced that Boise STREETS will enhance housing stability, health outcomes and public safety throughout all of Ada County.
Rather than requiring folks to navigate multiple systems by themselves, Boise STREETS connects first responders, healthcare providers, the justice system, street outreach teams and recovery housing into one massive care unit.
Coordination is the Focus
Jessica Barawed, the mayor’s advisor on homelessness, described how the program disrupts the cycle of homelessness and addiction.
“People experiencing chronic homelessness and significant behavioral health challenges often interact repeatedly with the same agencies,” she relayed. Even though each agency offers valuable services, they don’t always connect well. The lack of connection, especially in a largely rural state like Idaho, can make it difficult for folks to receive long-term, coordinated care for lasting stability.
Understanding Co-occurring Disorders
A co-occurring disorder means a person has both a substance use disorder and a mental health condition such as depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, or schizophrenia. The two feed each other. Someone may drink or use drugs to quiet symptoms, but the substance use deepens those symptoms over time.
This combination is common among people experiencing long-term homelessness and is a major reason single-service programs often fall short. Treating the addiction without treating the mental health condition, or vice versa, tends to leave the underlying problem in place.
Common signs that someone may need addiction treatment include using more or longer than intended, withdrawal symptoms when substances are unavailable, giving up activities or relationships to keep using despite clear harm to health, housing or work. When a mental health condition is also present, look for symptoms that persist or worsen even during stretches without substance use.
The Takeaway for Idaho Residents
The grant hasn’t been awarded. But the application signals where Ada County is directing attention: toward integrated care that treats housing instability, mental illness, and substance use as one problem rather than three.
For families in the Boise area trying to help someone who cycles through emergency rooms and incarceration without ever reaching sustained treatment, that framing matters.
Addiction Treatment in Boise & Beyond
Help is available now regardless of how the grant decision lands. When comparing addiction treatment centers in the Ada County area or anywhere else, ask whether the program treats co-occurring mental health conditions, the levels of care, whether it accepts Medicaid or offers sliding-scale payment, and how quickly an assessment takes.
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