Wound Care: Why It Matters
2025-02-26 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
Please join us on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, at 1 PM for the “Wound Care: Why It Matters” training session. You can register for this free event here.
According to the National Institutes for Health (NIH), “Wounds and skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) are common complications of injection drug use (IDU) that disproportionately affect people who inject drugs (PWID) and are a major source of morbidity and mortality for this population.” (Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8312019/.)
Stigma and shame among people who inject drugs can lead them to share or reuse needles, leading to infections such as sepsis, gangrene, amputation, and death. The illicit drug supply has also grown more dangerous where synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and carfentanyl are cut with substances such as xylazine, a large animal tranquilizer, known to create ulcers and abscesses that are slow to heal without adequate and consistent wound care. This panel discussion, featuring local experts and practitioners, will provide an overview of wound care, why it is essential, and where wound care resources can be accessed in rural Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region.
Featured speakers include:
*Rachel Katz, NP Director, Addiction Services, and Katy Robbins, RN, FOH/Medical Respite, CSO
*Amy Pierno, PT, CWS, Wound Specialist, Tapestry
*Alyssa Ayala, PA and Medical Director, Western MA Woundcare
*Kristen Cuddy-Pease, Program Associate, Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region
This presentation is part of CONNECT’s 2024-2025 Education and Training Series. CONNECT is Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region’s post-opioid overdose follow-up and outreach initiative, providing support to individuals who have experienced or witnessed an overdose within 72 hours. It includes free naloxone distribution, overdose prevention and naloxone training, and other community outreach services to address substance and opioid use disorders.

Overdose Prevention & Narcan Training
2025-02-27 13:00 - 14:30, 2025-03-20 13:00 - 14:30
Please join Tapestry and the Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region for this online overdose prevention training. You can register for this free event here.
Participants will learn the answers to these questions:
-What is an opioid overdose?
-How do you recognize and respond to an opioid overdose?
-How do you administer Narcan to reverse an opioid overdose?
The event is free and open to the public.
This is part of our 2025 virtual Overdose Prevention and Narcan training series, organized by Tapestry and the Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region.

Harm Reduction Workgroup Meeting
2025-03-05 10:00 - 11:00
Please join us for our Harm Reduction Workgroup meeting, a project of OTF’s Treatment & Recovery Committee. For more information on how to participate, please contact Nicole St. Hilaire, Outreach Manager/CONNECT, at nicole@opioidtaskforce.org.
Note: Please note time change for the March meeting.

Treatment and Recovery Committee Meeting
2025-03-07 10:00
Please join us for the monthly meeting of the Treatment & Recovery Committee. For more information on how to participate, please contact Debra McLaughlin, Coordinator/OTF, at debmc@opioidtaskforce.org.

Emergency Services for Unhoused Individuals Task Force Meeting
2025-03-10 09:30 - 10:30, 2025-04-14 09:30 - 10:30, 2025-05-12 09:30 - 10:30
Please join our monthly meeting to discuss the emergency needs of unhoused individuals in the Franklin County and North Quabbin Region. To learn more about how to participate, please contact Kristen Cuddy-Pease, Program Associate and Project Coordinator/The HUB Project, at kristen@opioidtaskforce.org.

Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking Workgroup Meeting
2025-03-10 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-04-14 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-05-12 13:00 - 14:00
Please join us for the Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking Workgroup meeting, co-facilitated by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the Opioid Task Force. For more information on how to join, please email Karen Carmona, Program Associate/OTF at karen@opioidtaskforce.org.

Education and Prevention Committee Meeting
2025-03-11 09:30 - 10:30, 2025-04-08 09:30 - 10:30, 2025-05-13 10:00 - 11:30
Please join us for our Education & Prevention Committee meeting. For more information on how to participate, please contact Karen Carmona, Program Associate, at karen@opioidtaskforce.org.

POSTPONED: DCF 101: How Massachusetts DCF Supports Families Navigating Substance Use Disorder
2025-03-26 15:00 - 16:00
Due to circumstances beyond our control, this event has been postponed. It will be rescheduled at a future date in 2025. If you have questions, please email us at info@opioidtaskforce.org.
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Please join us on Wednesday, March 26, 2025 at 3 PM for DCF 101 with Diane Hawkins, Substance Use Counselor. This session will help explain the array of resources available for parents impacted by substance use disorders. Register here.
This is part of the CONNECT 2024-2025 Education and Training Series. For more information, please email Nicole St. Hilaire at nicole@opioidtaskforce.org.

Joint Healthcare Solutions and Treatment & Recovery Committees Meeting
2025-03-28 10:00 - 11:30
Please join us for a joint meeting of the Opioid Task Force’s Healthcare Solutions and Treatment & Recovery Committees. For more information on how to participate, please contact Debra McLaughlin, Coordinator/OTF at debmc@opioidtaskforce.org.
Please note that the April 4th Treatment & Recovery Committee meeting has been canceled.

Harm Reduction Workgroup Meeting
2025-04-02 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-05-07 11:00 - 12:00
Please join us for our Harm Reduction Workgroup meeting, a project of OTF’s Treatment & Recovery Committee. For more information on how to participate, please contact Nicole St. Hilaire, Outreach Manager/CONNECT, at nicole@opioidtaskforce.org.

MOVED to March 28: Treatment and Recovery Committee Meeting
2025-04-04 10:00 - 11:30
This meeting has been moved and combined with OTF’s March 28th Healthcare Solutions Committee gathering. The April 4th meeting has been canceled.
Otherwise, please join us for the next monthly Treatment & Recovery Committee meeting in May. For more information on how to participate, please contact Debra McLaughlin, Coordinator/OTF, at debmc@opioidtaskforce.org.

Public Safety & Justice Committee Meeting
2025-04-07 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-06-02 13:00 - 14:00
Please join us for our Public Safety & Justice Committee meeting. For more information on how to participate, please contact Nicole St. Hilaire, Outreach Manager/CONNECT, at nicole@opioidtaskforce.org.

CAM Workgroup Meeting
2025-04-08 11:00 - 12:00
Please join us for our Complementary & Alternative Medicines (CAM) Workgroup meeting, a project of OTF’s Healthcare Solutions Committee. For more information on how to participate, please contact Karen Carmona, Program Associate, at karen@opioidtaskforce.org.

Methadone Workgroup Meeting
2025-04-10 15:00 - 16:00
Please join us for our Methadone Workgroup meeting, a project of OTF’s Healthcare Solutions Committee. For more information on how to participate, please contact Debra McLaughlin, Coordinator/OTF at debmc@opioidtaskforce.org.

Housing and Workforce Development Committee Meeting
2025-04-11 10:00 - 11:30
Please join us for our Housing & Workforce Development Committee meeting. For more information on how to participate, please contact Kristen Pease, Program Associate and Project Manager/HUB Project at kristen@opioidtaskforce.org.

Building a Resilient Community Workgroup Meeting
2025-04-16 11:00 - 12:00
Please join us for our Building a Resilient Community Workgroup, a project of OTF’s Education & Prevention Committee. For more information on how to participate, please contact Karen Carmona, Program Associate at karen@opioidtaskforce.org.

Overdose Prevention and Naloxone Training
2025-04-17 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-05-15 13:00 - 14:00

Together We Act: United We Change - Addressing Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking in Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region
2025-04-30 14:00 - 15:00
To commemorate Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2025, you are invited to a workshop called “Together We Act: United We Change – Addressing Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking in Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region” on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, from 2 PM to 3 PM. You can register for this free event here.
This effort will focus on sexual exploitation and trafficking (SET) in our rural communities. It will provide an opportunity to learn and collaborate, understanding that together we can build stronger communities where all individuals feel safe, valued, and respected. We’ll hear from these local experts with experience and insights in this area:

Kelly Broadway, CSEC Coordinator and Community Educator, Children’s Advocacy Center of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region
Jen Brzezinski, Assistant Deputy Superintendent, Franklin County Reentry Center, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office
Lisa McGahan, Individual & Family Advocate and Training Coordinator; and Eliza Galaher, Justice Collaboration Specialist & Advocate, The Salasin Project

Karen Carmona, Program Associate with the Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region, will moderate this session.
The workshop will cover key topics, including the definition of SET, risk and vulnerability factors specific to rural areas, indicators of SET, and available local resources for both children and adults. Additionally, we will share updates on the SET Workgroup, which is jointly facilitated by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the Opioid Task Force, as well as our ongoing efforts in this critical area since 2019. There will be time for questions and discussion.
This is part of the 2024-2025 CONNECT Education Series. For more information, contact Nicole St. Hilaire, CONNECT’s Outreach Manager, at nicole@opioidtaskforce.org.

Moved to May 9th: Treatment and Recovery Committee Meeting
2025-05-02 10:00
Please note that this meeting has been moved to May 9th and combined with OTF’s Healthcare Solutions Committee meeting. The May 2nd Treatment and Recovery Committee meeting has been canceled. For more information on how to participate, please contact Debra McLaughlin, Coordinator/OTF, at debmc@opioidtaskforce.org.

Joint Healthcare Solutions and Treatment and Recovery Committees Meeting
2025-05-09 10:00 - 11:30
Please join us for the joint Healthcare Solutions and Treatment and Recovery Committees meeting, to be held on May 9th at 10 AM. For more information on how to participate, please contact Debra McLaughlin, Coordinator/OTF at debmc@opioidtaskforce.org.
