Public Safety & Justice Committee Meeting
2025-10-06 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | MA
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.

Overdose Prevention and Naloxone Train-the-Trainer Training
2025-10-08 10:00 - 16:30
Thank you for your interest in becoming an Overdose Prevention and Naloxone trainer or refreshing your skills! This day-long, in-person training will be held on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, from 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM, at the Greenfield Public Library, 412 Main Street, Greenfield, MA. A light breakfast, lunch, and snacks will be provided. Please let us know if you have any food allergies.
A great team, yet-to-be confirmed, from HRiA, will provide all the skills needed to conduct life-saving overdose prevention and naloxone training in our rural community.
If you are interested in attending, please use the form below to RSVP by Friday, September 26, 2024, by 5 PM:
https://forms.gle/RkFLugmRBYSrRnS46
Questions? Don’t hesitate to contact Debra McLaughlin, Coordinator, Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region at debmc@opioidtaskforce.org or Nicole St. Hilaire, Outreach Manager, CONNECT at nicole@opioidtaskforce.org.

Canceled: Methadone Workgroup Meeting
2025-10-09 15:00 - 16:00
The October 9th Methadone Workgroup meeting, a project of OTF’s Healthcare Solutions Committee, was canceled. For more information on how to participate in future meetings, please contact Debra McLaughlin, Coordinator/OTF at debmc@opioidtaskforce.org.

Canceled: Housing and Workforce Development Committee Meeting
2025-10-10 10:00 - 11:30
The October 10th Housing & Workforce Development Committee has been canceled. For more information, please contact Kristen Pease, Program Associate at kristen@opioidtaskforce.org.

Education and Prevention Committee Meeting
2025-10-14 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.

CAM Workgroup Meeting
2025-10-14 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-12-09 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.

Canceled: Building a Resilient Community Workgroup Meeting
2025-10-15 11:00 - 12:00
The October 15th meeting of the Building a Resilient Community Workgroup, a project of OTF’s Education & Prevention Committee, has been canceled. For more information, please contact Karen Carmona, Program Associate at karen@opioidtaskforce.org.

Overdose Prevention and Naloxone Training
2025-10-16 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-11-20 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.

Emergency Services for Unhoused Individuals Task Force Meeting
2025-10-20 09:30 - 10:30, 2025-11-10 09:30 - 10:30, 2025-12-08 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 Prevention Workgroup Meeting
2025-10-20 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-11-10 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-12-08 13:00 - 14:00
Please join us for the Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking Prevention 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.

2025 Harm Reduction Summit: Building Bridges Between Care, Policy and Community
2025-10-24 09:30 - 16:30
Please join us for the 2025 Harm Reduction Summit: Building Bridges Between Care, Policy, and Community. This event will take place on Friday, October 24, 2025, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Greenfield Community College, located at 1 College Drive, Greenfield, MA.
While this event is free, registration is required. If you are interested in attending, please use the form here to RSVP by Friday, October 17, 2024, by 5 PM.
This gathering will explore the evidence behind harm reduction, its importance, and provide opportunities to learn more about local and promising harm reduction efforts through a combination of keynote addresses, concurrent workshops, and a plenary discussion. We will also be honoring the legacy of Jerry Lund, a long-time member of the Opioid Task Force who unexpectedly passed away this past February, by bestowing an inaugural Advocacy in Action Harm Reduction Award.
You can see the 2025 Harm Reduction Summit program here.
Questions? Don’t hesitate to contact Debra McLaughlin, Coordinator, Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region at debmc@opioidtaskforce.org.
Thanks so much!
The 2025 Harm Reduction Summit Planning Team

Strengthening Our Community: Awareness, Support, and Healing from Domestic Violence
2025-10-29 14:00 - 15:00
Please join us for a virtual presentation in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, featuring the Salasin Project and the Resilience Center of Franklin County (formerly NELCWIT) on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, from 2 PM to 3 PM. You can register for this free event here.
This presentation will explore the realities of domestic violence, the complex challenges of leaving unsafe situations, and the vital role of community support in fostering safety and healing.
By participating in this discussion, you’ll learn about the effects of domestic violence on individuals and the broader community, the supportive services offered through the Salasin Project and the Resilience Center of Franklin County, the intersection between domestic violence and substance use disorder, and how understanding, compassion, and respect for autonomy can make all the difference in someone’s journey toward healing and a life free of violence.
This is part of the CONNECT 2025-2026 Education Training Services. For additional information, don’t hesitate to contact Nicole St. Hilaire, Outreach Manager, for CONNECT at nicole@opioidtaskforce.org.

Harm Reduction Workgroup Meeting
2025-11-05 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.

Joint Treatment and Recovery and Healthcare Solutions Committee Meeting
2025-11-07 10:00 - 11:30
Please join us for a joint meeting of the Treatment & Recovery and Healthcare Solutions Committees on Friday, November 7, 2025. For more information on how to participate, please contact Debra McLaughlin, Coordinator/OTF, at debmc@opioidtaskforce.org.

Moved to November 7, 2025: Healthcare Solutions Committee Meeting
2025-11-14 10:00 - 11:30
Please join us for a joint Healthcare Solutions and Treatment and Recovery Committees meeting, now being held on November 7, 2025. The November 14th Healthcare Solutions Committee meeting will no longer occur. For more information on how to participate, please contact Debra McLaughlin, Coordinator/OTF at debmc@opioidtaskforce.org.

4th Annual Give the Gift of Living: 2025 Gear and Goods Drive
2025-11-17 - 2025-12-22
The Franklin County and North Quabbin Emergency Services for Unhoused Individuals Task Force launched the 4th Annual “Give the Gift of Living: 2025 Gear and Goods Drive” from November 17 to December 22, 2025.
This effort aims to provide essential gear and goods and to raise funds to purchase items for distribution to unhoused individuals in our rural area who lack access to emergency shelter services. This need is great as Franklin County and the North Quabbin region, which spans 30 communities, have only one emergency shelter for individuals in Greenfield. It is currently full.

You will find more information about it below.

The 2025 Gear and Goods Drive flyer can be found here.

A list of needed donations can be found here.

Financial donations are gladly accepted. Please click here to make them via the Interfaith Council of Franklin County. In the Fund drop-down menu, choose “Opioid Task Force Gear and Goods Campaign.”

We are grateful to those who have already donated. Thank you. We have received multiple items, which we are inventorying and getting back out to the community as soon as possible.

Canceled: Education and Prevention Committee Meeting
2025-11-18 09:30 - 10:30
The November Education & Prevention Committee meeting has been canceled. For more information on how to participate in the future, please contact Karen Carmona, Program Associate, at karen@opioidtaskforce.org.

Language Matters: Anti-Stigma and Harm Reduction
2025-11-19 14:00 - 15:00
Join us for an engaging and thought-provoking virtual presentation on Wednesday, November 19, 2026, from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM, exploring how language shapes our understanding of substance use, influences stigma, and impacts the effectiveness of harm reduction efforts. You can register for this free event here.
Featuring Karen Carmona, Program Associate of the Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region, and Pedro Alvarez, Director of Harm Reduction at Tapestry, this presentation will explore how the language we use to engage with others can foster connection, demonstrate mutual respect, and enable us to collaborate on creating healthy outcomes.
We’ll also explore how stigma and stigmatizing language impact people’s ability to access harm reduction, obtain employment and housing, and seek and receive effective healthcare, among other key life needs. By participating in this discussion, you’ll learn about person-first language, ways to dismantle stigma, and build connections and hope.
This is part of the CONNECT 2025-2026 Education and Training Series. If you have questions or need more information, please contact Nicole St. Hilaire, Outreach Manager for CONNECT, at nicole@opioidtaskforce.org.

Canceled: Harm Reduction Workgroup Meeting
2025-12-03 11:00 - 12:00
The December Harm Reduction Workgroup meeting is canceled. A project of OTF’s Treatment & Recovery Committee, please contact Nicole St. Hilaire, Outreach Manager/CONNECT, at nicole@opioidtaskforce.org, for more information on how to participate in 2026.

Canceled: Treatment and Recovery Committee Meeting
2025-12-05 10:00 - 11:30
The December 5, 2025, Treatment & Recovery Committee meeting has been canceled. For more information, please contact Debra McLaughlin, Coordinator/OTF, at debmc@opioidtaskforce.org.

Canceled: Education and Prevention Committee Meeting
2025-12-09 09:30 - 10:30
The December Education & Prevention Committee meeting has been canceled. For more information on how to participate in 2026, please contact Karen Carmona, Program Associate, at karen@opioidtaskforce.org.

Canceled: Methadone Workgroup Meeting
2025-12-11 15:00 - 16:00
The December 11, 2025, Methadone Workgroup meeting, a project of OTF’s Healthcare Solutions Committee, 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
2025-12-12 10:00 - 11:30
This meeting has been canceled. For more information, please contact Kristen Pease, Program Associate and Project Manager/HUB Project at kristen@opioidtaskforce.org.

Canceled: Building a Resilient Community Workgroup Meeting
2025-12-17 11:00 - 12:00
This meeting has been canceled. As of January 1, 2026, activities of the Building a Resilient Community Workgroup will become part of OTF’s Education, Prevention & Resilience Committee. For more information on how to participate, please contact Karen Carmona, Program Associate at karen@opioidtaskforce.org.
