About the Idaho Office of Drug Policy
The Office of Drug Policy (ODP) was established by HB 106 (Idaho Code 67-821). The purpose of the Office is to coordinate policy and programs related to drug and substance abuse.
In 2005 the Office of Performance Evaluation (OPE) conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the substance abuse service delivery system in Idaho. OPE concluded that the current system was fragmented and that a revised, more coordinated and comprehensive approach was needed. Based on this report, the 2006 Legislature created the Interagency Committee on Substance Abuse Treatment (ICSA) and the Office of Drug Policy. This Interagency Committee is charged with the responsibility of improving the coordination and effectiveness of substance abuse services across state agencies and the Judiciary. The Director of ODP, Debbie Field, was appointed by the Governor in 2007 to serve as the Chair for ICSA and to provide overall guidance to state agencies for the purpose of developing a more coordinated and comprehensive substance abuse service delivery system in Idaho. In addition to the role of encouraging greater communication and cooperation across state agencies, ODP is committed to involving local communities and private substance abuse service providers in the ongoing process of improving the effectiveness and availability of both treatment and prevention services across all 44 Idaho counties. Please do not hesitate to call, write or email us with your comments and suggestions.
Our Staff
Debbie Field, Director
Debbie Field was appointed to the Idaho House of Representatives in 1995 and was elected to serve the people of Boise’s District 18 (southeast Boise) for twelve years. She served on the State Affairs and Revenue and Taxation Committee and served as Chair of the House Judiciary and Rules Committee, where she worked to help secure a consistent funding stream for drug and mental health courts. Debbie served 10 years as a Board Member for the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections. In January 2007Governor Otter named her Director of the State Office of Drug Policy. Debbie’s work with the Office of Drug Policy has taken her all over the great state of Idaho, to meet with folks and listen to their stories. Debbie has been raising awareness on behalf of the “Idaho Meth Project,” modeled after Montana’s highly successful “Montana Meth Project”. The goal of the project is to work with federal, state and local partners to help eradicate Meth in the state of Idaho over the next five years.
Debbie serves as Chair of the Interagency Committee on Substance Abuse, Prevention and Treatment. The purpose of the interagency committee is to focus on statewide efforts to address substance abuse by assessing statewide needs, developing a statewide plan, and coordinating and directing efforts of all state entities that use public funds for efforts to address substance abuse. Debbie and her husband, Mike Field, are the parents of three grown children and two grandchildren.
Kathy Skippen, Training and Development Manager
Kathy Skippen's background has given her a unique perspective in working at the Office of Drug Policy (ODP). She has worked as a substance use disorder (SUD) counselor for the Department of Health and Welfare, as well as in the private sector. She was director of a treatment facility for adolescent girls with emotional problems and has served as a county commissioner and in the Idaho legislature as a member of the House of Representatives. She also has served on various committees for state agencies dealing with the issues surrounding mental health and substance abuse service delivery for Idahoans. She spent 13 years on the advisory board for State Hospital North and sought funding for and served as co-chair of the legislative interim that studied the substance abuse and mental health delivery system for the state of Idaho in 2006. Much of the legislation that advanced statute support for improved SUD services in Idaho was the result of work done by this committee. At ODP, Kathy's main focus has been training and certification for the GAIN assessment tool, which is now the standard SUD assessment tool for Idaho.
Maggie Black, Administrative Services Manager
Maggie is a native Idahoan,born in Boise to native Boiseans! She is a graduate of the University of Utah with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Consumer Economics and is currently pursuing her Paralegal Certifiction at Boise State University.
Along with raising a family she owned her own business for ten years. She has spent time in the legal world as a legal assistant which in conjunction with her degree in Economics has prepared her for her current position in the Office of Drug Policy. When not working, Maggie is busy with her children Abbey, David, Max and Will! Along with spending time with her family and friends. Her favorite hobbies are running, gardening, tennis, skiing, and being in the great outdoors of Idaho.
