Understanding Section 35: Involuntary Commitment for Substance Use Disorders
2025-06-25 15:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
Please join us on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, from 3 PM to 4 PM for “Understanding Section 35: Involuntary Commitment for Substance Use Disorders”, featuring Aidan Novo, Program Director, with Jessica Hughes, Recovery Specialist Supervisor, of Behavioral Health Network (BHN). Section 35 permits courts in Massachusetts to involuntarily commit individuals with an alcohol or substance use disorder to an inpatient treatment facility when their substance use presents a serious risk of harm to themselves or others.
In this session, you will learn:
*How the Section 35 process works
*Who does and does not qualify
*What resources and alternatives are available for families
*What happens when a person is committed, and after they complete the program
*Whether this type of intervention may be appropriate for someone you care about
This event will provide clear, practical information and supportive guidance for families navigating the challenges of substance use and treatment options.
Questions? Please get in touch with Nicole St. Hilaire, Outreach Manager, for CONNECT at nicole@opioidtaskforce.org.
This is part of the CONNECT 2024 – 2025 Education & Training Series. (CONNECT is a post-opioid overdose and community outreach effort sponsored by the Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region in collaboration with its partners.)

Overdose Prevention and Naloxone Training
2025-06-26 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-07-17 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-08-21 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-09-18 13:00 - 14:00
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.

Franklin County and North Quabbin Mobile Outreach Block Party
2025-06-27 10:00 - 14:00 | Greenfield Community College, One College Drive, Greenfield, MA, 01301, United States

Canceled: Education and Prevention Committee Meeting
2025-07-08 09:30 - 10:30
This meeting has been canceled for July. For more information on how to participate, please contact Karen Carmona, Program Associate, at karen@opioidtaskforce.org.

Harm Reduction Workgroup Meeting
2025-07-09 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-08-06 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-09-10 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-10-01 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 July 18: Treatment and Recovery Committee Meeting
2025-07-11 10:00
This meeting is being combined with the Healthcare Solutions Committee meeting, to be held on July 18th. 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
2025-07-14 09:30 - 10:30, 2025-08-11 09:30 - 10:30, 2025-09-08 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
2025-07-14 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.

Joint Treatment & Recovery and Healthcare Solutions Committees Meeting
2025-07-18 10:00 - 11:30
Please join us for a joint Treatment & Recovery and Healthcare Solutions Committees meeting on July 18, 2025, from 10 AM t0 11:30 AM. For more information on how to participate, please contact Debra McLaughlin, Coordinator/OTF at debmc@opioidtaskforce.org.

CONNECT Now and Then: An Overview of Our Post-Opioid Overdose Follow-up and Community Outreach Effort
2025-07-30 14:00 - 15:00
Since its launch on July 1, 2021, CONNECT has grown and evolved to meet people where they are—adapting to the ever-changing social, political, and geographic challenges our region faces.
Whether it’s identifying gaps in services for unhoused individuals with substance use disorder, launching a mobile outreach initiative to address geographic and resource disparities, working with law enforcement and healthcare systems to create more accessible pathways to addiction services and follow-up care, or convening local organizations and political leaders—CONNECT has been committed to ensuring that advocacy, education, and equity remain at the forefront of our efforts to #EndOverdose in Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region.
We invite you to join us to learn more about our life-saving program, its history, and what is on the horizon for CONNECT on Wednesday, July 30, 2025 from 2 PM to 3 PM. Register here today!
For more information, please contact Nicole St. Hilaire, Outreach Manager for CONNECT at nicole@opioidtaskforce.org.
This is part of CONNECT’s 2025 Community Education and Training Series.

Canceled: Treatment and Recovery Committee Meeting
2025-08-01 10:00 - 11:30
The August Treatment & Recovery Committee Meeting has been canceled. For more information on how to participate, please contact Debra McLaughlin, Coordinator/OTF, at debmc@opioidtaskforce.org.

CANCELED: Housing and Workforce Development Committee Meeting
2025-08-08 10:00 - 11:30
This meeting has been canceled. Please contact Kristen Pease, Program Associate and Project Manager/HUB Project at kristen@opioidtaskforce.org with any questions.

Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking Workgroup
2025-08-11 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-09-08 13:00 - 14:00

Canceled: Education and Prevention Committee Meeting
2025-08-12 09:30 - 10:30
This meeting has been canceled for August. For more information on how to participate, please contact Karen Carmona, Program Associate, at karen@opioidtaskforce.org.

Canceled: CAM Workgroup Meeting
2025-08-12 11:00 - 12:00
The August meeting of the Complementary & Alternative Medicines (CAM) Workgroup has been canceled. For more information on how to participate, please contact Karen Carmona, Program Associate, at karen@opioidtaskforce.org.

Canceled: Methadone Workgroup Meeting
2025-08-14 15:00 - 16:00
This meeting has been canceled. For more information, please contact Debra McLaughlin, Coordinator/OTF at debmc@opioidtaskforce.org.

Canceled: Building a Resilient Community Workgroup Meeting
2025-08-20 11:00 - 12:00
The Building a Resilient Community Workgroup, a project of OTF’s Education & Prevention Committee, has been canceled for August. For more information on how to participate, please contact Karen Carmona, Program Associate at karen@opioidtaskforce.org.

Education and Prevention Committee Meeting
2025-09-09 09:30 - 10:30
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.

Joint Treatment and Recovery Committee and Healthcare Solutions Committee Meeting
2025-09-12 10:00 - 11:30
Please join us for a joint meeting of OTF’s Treatment & Recovery Committee and Healthcare Solutions Committee this month. For more information on how to participate, please contact Debra McLaughlin, Coordinator/OTF, at debmc@opioidtaskforce.org.

Meeting the Moment: Harm Reduction in a Changing Drug Supply
2025-09-24 13:00 - 14:30
Join us for a powerful discussion with Tapestry’s harm reduction and drug-checking experts, Kyle Harrington, Harm Reduction Training and Drug Checking Manager, and Cailin Young, Harm Reduction Program Coordinator, as we explore how to continue meeting people where they are in today’s rapidly changing drug supply and socio-political landscape.
Topics that will be covered in this presentation include:

Current drug supply trends in Franklin County/North Quabbin and the broader Western MA region
The life-saving role of harm reduction as a critical pathway to recovery and improved quality of life for those who use drugs
Collaborative strategies that create a safer and more compassionate environment for everyone in our community and beyond

This is part of the 2025-2026 CONNECT Education and Training Series. For more information, please email Nicole St. Hilaire, Outreach Manager for CONNECT, at nicole@opioidtaskforce.org.

Canceled: Treatment and Recovery Committee Meeting
2025-10-03 10:00 - 11:30
The October meeting of the Treatment & Recovery Committee has been canceled. For more information on how to participate, please contact Debra McLaughlin, Coordinator/OTF, at debmc@opioidtaskforce.org.
