Opioid Task Force

Canceled: Treatment and Recovery Committee Meeting
2021-08-06 10:00 - 11:30 (America/New_York)
The August meeting was canceled. Otherwise, this meeting is open to the public. Please email info@opioidtaskforce.org for the details on how to participate.

Canceled: Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation Workgroup
2021-08-09 13:00 - 14:30
The August meeting was canceled. Otherwise, please join us, via Zoom, as we work to address the complex issue of human trafficking and sexual exploitation in our rural region. This workgroup is co-facilitated by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region. If you are interested in participating in this workgroup, please email Dottie Arnold at dottie@opioidtaskforce.org to get the details to join.

Methadone Workgroup
2021-08-12 15:00 - 16:30, 2021-10-14 15:00 - 16:30
This meeting is open to the public. Please email Maile Shoul at maile@opioidtaskforce.org for details on how to participate.

Housing and Workforce Development Committee Meeting
2021-08-13 10:00 - 12:00, 2021-10-22 10:00 - 12:00
This meeting is open to the public. Please email Dottie Arnold at dottie@opioidtaskforce.org for the details to participate.

Virtual: Narcan Training
2021-08-19 12:00 - 13:30, 2021-09-22 18:00 - 19:30
Please join us at this virtual community overdose prevention training to learn how to recognize and respond to an opioid overdose. Participants will also learn how to administer Narcan, a lifesaving opioid overdose reversal drug. This training is free and open to all interested community members.

Methadone Workgroup
2021-09-09 15:00 - 16:00, 2021-11-18 15:00 - 16:00
Please email info@opioidtaskforce.org for the details on how to participate.

Treatment and Recovery Committee Meeting
2021-09-10 10:00 - 11:30, 2021-11-05 10:00 - 11:30, 2021-12-03 10:00 - 11:30
This meeting is open to the public. Please email info@opioidtaskforce.org for the details on how to participate.

Education and Prevention Committee Meeting
2021-09-14 09:30 - 11:00

Language Matters: Changing The Way We Talk About Addiction
2021-09-16 14:00 - 15:00
Join Dr. John Kelly, the Founder and Director of the Recovery Research Institute, with other community partners on Thursday, September 16, from 2 PM – 3 PM, as we discuss how the use of language can change how we see and work with individuals, children, and families, impacted by substance use disorders. You can register for this free event here.
We will learn more about “Addictionary“, a tool created by Dr. Kelly and his team, and other ways we can be mindful of how we talk about addiction in our community.
This is part of the Opioid Task Force’s annual celebration of National Recovery Month. More information about National Recovery Month can be found here.

Healthcare Solutions Committee Meeting
2021-09-24 10:00 - 12:00, 2021-11-12 10:00 - 12:00

The Feldenkrais Method: Using Movement To Soothe the Body and Mind
2021-09-30 14:00 - 15:00
Thursday, September 30, 2021, from 2 PM – 3 PM for “The Feldenkrais Method: Using Movement To Soothe the Body and Mind”, featuring Feldenkrais practitioner, Joshua Elbaum. This is part of the Opioid Task Force’s continuing CAM Education Series.

The Feldenkrais Method uses gentle, mindful movement to shift habitual patterns, improving one’s flexibility, coordination, and relationship toward oneself, while also providing relief from pain. Mr. Elbaum will walk us through this method, which will also feature a live demonstration.

Register for this free event, here. Check out our Facebook Page, here and our flyer, which is attached. Help us spread the word!

Treatment and Recovery Committee Meeting
2021-10-01 10:00 - 11:30
This meeting is open to the public. Please email Maile Shoul at maile@opioidtaskforce.org for the details on how to participate.

Virtual: Narcan Training
2021-10-04 10:00 - 11:30
Please join Tapestry and the Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region on October 4, 2021, from 10 AM – 11:30 AM, for our next Virtual Narcan Training.

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?”

Please register HERE. We look forward to seeing you on October 4, 2021.

Public Safety and Justice Committee Meeting
2021-10-04 13:00 - 14:30, 2021-12-06 13:00 - 13:30

Blurred Lines: Where Domestic Violence, Trauma, and Substance Misuse Converge
2021-10-07 14:00 - 15:00
Join the Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region and the Salasin Project, on Thursday, October 7, 2021, from 2 – 3 PM, for Blurred Lines: Where Domestic Violence, Trauma, and Substance Misuse Converge. We will explore the intersection of domestic violence, trauma, and substance misuse. This discussion will address the dynamics of intimate partner domestic violence and how childhood trauma and substance misuse can add fuel to this volatile mix. Featuring Becky Lockwood, Director, Lisa McGahan, Individual and Family Support Advocate, and another guest speaker of The Salasin Project.
This call is part of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which is recognized annually in October.

We look forward to seeing you on Thursday, October 7, 2021. Please click HERE to register!

Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation Workgroup
2021-10-18 13:00 - 14:30
Please join us, via Zoom, as we work to address the complex issue of human trafficking and sexual exploitation in our rural region.
This workgroup is co-facilitated by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region.
If you are interested in participating in this workgroup, please email Dottie Arnold at dottie@opioidtaskforce.org to get the details to join.

Human Trafficking & Sexual Exploitation 101: What It Is; What We Can Do
2021-11-04 14:00 - 15:00
Join us on Thursday, November 4, 2021, from 2 PM – 3 PM, as we continue to learn about the complex topic of human trafficking and sexual exploitation and its impact, especially in rural communities, featuring Dr. Abigail Judge. Register for this free event here.
Abigail Judge Ph.D. is a clinical and forensic psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and in private practice, and she is on the faculty at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Judge’s hospital-based clinical work, scholarship, and teaching focus on improving the clinical response to women impacted by the continuum of commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking. Dr. Judge has worked with this population as a therapist, educator, court-appointed evaluator, and expert witness since 2009. At MGH, Dr. Judge leads MGH Connect: A Project for Outreach and Recovery, that provides low threshold – that is more easily accessible and acceptable – psychological and peer support for women at the intersection of substance use and commercial sexual exploitation/sex trafficking, and is based at the MGH Bridge Clinic. In 2021, this project received a grant from the Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General to expand access for BIPOC women through survivor mentoring and engaging women detained at the Suffolk County House of Correction.
This session builds upon the work of the Human Trafficking & Sexual Exploitation (HTSE) Workgroup, formed by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region in 2019. Meeting regularly, the HTSE Workgroup continues to find opportunities to share information and provide training opportunities for community members to learn more about how human trafficking and sexual exploitation can occur in our rural region and what can be done about it.

Virtual: Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation Workgroup
2021-11-08 13:00 - 14:30

Education and Prevention Committee Meeting
2021-11-09 09:30 - 11:00
This meeting is open to the public. Please email Dottie Arnold at dottie@opioidtaskforce.org for the details to participate

RecoveryWorks: Creating Employment & Career Opportunities for Individuals with Substance Use Disorders
2021-11-18 14:00 - 15:00
Join us on Thursday, November 18, 2021, from 2 PM – 3 PM, as we learn more about an exciting initiative called RecoveryWorks featuring Dr. Estee Sharon, Founder, and Director. She will also be joined by Joseph LaFratta, Head of Mentors & Program Outreach, and Melody Lovell, Program Manager. You can register for this free event, here.
RecoveryWorks (RW) is a multidisciplinary program at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School that helps individuals with substance use disorders enter, re-enter, or shift career paths in the workforce. RW provides individualized vocational advice and coaching from creating/updating resumes to crafting narratives about gaps in work history to liaising with employers. RW meets participants where they are in their employment journey, whether currently employed, unemployed, or looking to fine-tune their skills to apply for jobs in the years to come. Participants also get one-on-one meetings with RW mentors, educational career-related and skill-based group meetings, career-focused workshops, and assistance with legal issues as needed. Participants will have access to these supportive services for five years. RW empowers people with substance use disorders to achieve stability, enhance their sense of self-worth and support their long-term sobriety. RW also focuses on education and outreach to employers to reduce stigma and increase understanding and awareness around issues related to the employment of those in recovery.
They are looking to create a rural cohort for their program. This session will provide additional information on how referrals can be made for interested participants.
For more information about RW, click here

Virtual: Narcan Training
2021-11-19 14:00 - 15:30
Please join Tapestry and the Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region on November 19, 2021, from 2 PM – 3:30 PM, for our next Virtual Narcan Training.

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?”

Please register HERE. We look forward to seeing you on November 19, 2021.

Honoring Youth Voices: A Franklin County/North Quabbin YAEC Showcare
2021-12-02 14:00 - 15:00
Join us as we hear from the Franklin County/North Quabbin grantees about the successful work they did with funding from the Young Adult Empowerment of Western Massachusetts (YAEC)! YAEC was a three-year federally funded effort to support opioid-impacted young adults as they moved through the five stages of adulthood, which closed out on September 30, 2021.

The following speakers and programs will be featured:

PEER Ambassador Program (Communities That Care Coalition), with Keyedra Jacobs, Community Engagement & Program Associate, Kat Allen, Coordinator, CTC, with other PEER Ambassadors
Youth Ending Stigma (Community Action Pioneer Valley/Tapestry), with Micah Katz-Seiger, Leadership Development Specialist, and Jena Duncan, Leadership & Collaborations Coordinator, Youth & Workforce Development Programs
Ice House Entrepreneur Program, (Greenfield Community College), with Max Fripp, Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Recovery Theatre (Hilltown Youth Performing Arts) with Jonathan Diamond, Executive Director and Youth Performing Artists
North Quabbin Youth Advisory Council (North Quabbin Community Coalition) with Sarah Collins, Drug-Free Communities Coordinator

Taylor McAndrew, the outgoing site coordinator for the YAEC Initiative will be facilitating this lively session.

Register, here.

We hope you can join us!
