Opioid Task Force

Harm Reduction Workgroup Meeting
2020-12-02 11:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | MA, United States
This meeting is open to the public. Please email maile@opioidtaskforce.org for details on how to participate.

COVID-19 and Housing: Status of Evictions in Franklin County/North Quabbin and Available Legal Resources
2020-11-19 14:00 - 15:00
Join us as OTF’s COVID-19 Zoom Call Series continues in November.

This call will focus on the status of evictions in our rural region since the COVID-19 Eviction Moratorium was lifted and review the available legal services to help those at risk of losing their housing.

Featuring:

Christopher J. Donelan, Franklin County Sheriff and Co-Chair of the Opioid Task Force
Jennifer Dieringer, Managing Attorney, Community Legal Aid
Mary Klaes, Greenfield Court Service Center Manager, Franklin County Justice Center

Register here!

Healthcare Solutions Committee Meeting
2020-11-13 10:00 - 12:00 | MA, United States
This meeting is open to the public. Please email Maile Shoul at maile@opioidtaskforce.org for details on how to participate.

Education and Prevention Committee Meeting
2020-11-10 09:30 - 11:00 | MA, United States
This meeting is open to the public. Please email Dottie Arnold at dottie@opioidtaskforce.org for details on how to participate.

Virtual: Narcan Training
2020-11-09 19:00 - 20:30, 2020-10-14 18:00 - 19:30 | Virtual Meeting
Please join us at an upcoming 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.

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 open to the public. Want to join the Zoom call? Please email maile@opioidtaskforce.org!

VIRTUAL: Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation Workgroup
2020-11-09 13:00 - 14:30
Join members of the Franklin County and North Quabbin Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation Workgroup as we work to address the needs of vulnerable populations.

Want to join? Email dottie@opioidtaskforce.org for the Zoom call details!

Jointly facilitated by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region.

Treatment & Recovery Committee Meeting
2020-11-06 10:00 - 11:30 | MA, United States

Youth Voices during COVID-19
2020-10-29 14:00
Please join OTF on Thursday, October 29, 2 PM – 3 PM, as our COVID-19 Series continues where we will be learning more about Youth Voices during COVID-19 featuring youth and young adults from the Hilltown Recovery Theatre.

The Hilltown Recovery Theatre is a strength-based, holistic model creating change for area youth through theatre and the arts. It began with a pre-workshop, five-day Recovery Intensive for ten young people overcoming addiction, anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges. Their goal is for participants and graduates to become advocates who continue utilizing the arts for their own growth and healing.

To register for the event, click the link below:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEtfu-hrzkrHdMoU9yMFh3vP1wndmS6OR4_

Housing & Workforce Development Committee Meeting
2020-10-23 10:00 - 12:00 | MA, United States
Join OTF’s Housing & Workforce Development Committee members this Friday, October 23, 10 AM – 12 Noon, via Zoom, for a crucial conversation about housing and homelessness issues, especially for individuals in recovery and/or with a history of incarceration. This concern has become direr now that the COVID-19 Eviction Moratorium was lifted on October 17.
Please register for the meeting here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0sd-CgqzwtH9a_8QWlvL-nncSiG5ZHnfT_
We have an all-star line-up of speakers to discuss this complex topic. As of today, they are:

Pamela Schwartz, Executive Director, Western MA Network to End Homelessness
Jay Sacchetti, Senior Vice President, Shelter/Housing, Addiction, Vocational Services, and Rose Facto, Manager, Wells St. Shelter, ServiceNet
MJ Adams, Community & Economic Development Director, City of Greenfield
Kim Scammon, Family Self-Sufficiency Coordinator, Greenfield Housing Authority
Amanda Watson, HCEC Director, Franklin County Regional Housing & Redevelopment Authority
Sophie Maki, Education & Outreach Coordinator, Massachusetts Fair Housing Center
Heather Bialecki-Canning, Executive Director, North Quabbin Community Coalition
Jennifer Dieringer, Managing Attorney, and Alyssa Golden, Staff Attorney, Community Legal Aid
Jennifer LaRoche, Vice President, Acute and Day Programs, Clinical & Support Options

We will also be hearing updates about available employment and training opportunities from:

Dr. Chet Jordan, Dean of Social Sciences & Professional Studies, Judy Raper, Associate Dean of Community Engagement, and Kristin Cole, Interim Associate Director of Workforce Development and Community Education, Greenfield Community College
Dr. Rebecca Bialecki, Executive Director, MassHire Franklin Hampshire Workforce Board

Questions? Reach out to Deb McLaughlin at debmc@opioidtaskforce.org for further information.

VIRTUAL: Human Trafficking & Sexual Exploitation Workgroup Meeting
2020-10-19 13:00 - 14:30
Please join us for the October meeting of the Human Trafficking & Sexual Exploitation Workgroup to be scheduled for Monday, October 19, 1 PM – 2:30 PM. Want to join? Please email Dottie Arnold at dottie@opioidtaskforce.org.
This group is co-facilitated by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region.

Parent Engagement during COVID-19
2020-10-15 14:00 - 15:00
Please join OTF on Thursday, October 15, 2 PM – 3 PM, as our COVID-19 Series continues where we will be learning more about Parent Engagement during COVID-19 featuring information about the newly created PEER Ambassador Program being coordinated by Keyedrya Jacobs, Community Engagement, and Programs Associate for the Communities That Care Coalition.

The PEER Ambassador Program was developed by the multi-agency Parent Education Workgroup of the Communities That Care Coalition in response to the need to better utilize existing resources for parents and families in the region – especially evidence-based substance use prevention resources such as Guiding Good Choices, Nurturing Families, Nurturing Fathers, Parenting Journey, SAMHSA’s Talk They Hear You App and workshops, presentations, and groups for parents and families. Each family-serving agency would recruit several Parent Leaders from among their participant pool. These stipended Parent Leaders would receive training on the resources available to parents and families and would provide outreach at school and community events, or via phone, Zoom, or other virtual platforms, helping parents access effective tools for preventing youth substance use and helping to make full use of the resources that already exist.

Register in advance for this meeting using the link below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIpduysqz4oHNOkc6U6lvIakNjrUZIp9rSR

(After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.)

Harm Reduction Workgroup Meeting
2020-10-07 11:00 - 12:00 | MA, United States
This meeting is open to the public. Please email maile@opioidtaskforce.org for the details on how to participate.

Public Safety & Justice Committee Meeting
2020-10-05 13:00 - 14:30 | MA, United States
This meeting is open to the public but will be held by Zoom. Please email Dottie Arnold at dottie@opioidtaskforce.org for the details to participate.

Treatment & Recovery Committee Meeting
2020-10-02 10:00 - 11:30 | Greenfield Community College Downtown Campus, 270 Main Street, Greenfield, MA, 01301, United States
This meeting is open to the public. Please email Maile Shoul at maile@opioidtaskforce.org or call (413) 775-7474 if you would like to join.

VIRTUAL: Healthcare Solutions Committee Meeting
2020-09-25 10:00 - 12:00 | MA, United States
This meeting is open to the public but will be held by Zoom. Please email Maile Shoul at maile@opioidtaskforce.org for details on how to participate.

VIRTUAL: Celebrating Recovery through Music
2020-09-24 14:00 - 15:00
Join us on Thursday, September 24, at 2 PM for a very special program as part of National Recovery Month – “Celebrating Recovery through Music”. More details to follow!
Register here.
Questions? Email Maile Shoul, Program Manager, Opioid Task Force at maile@opioidtaskforce.org.

Virtual: Narcan Training
2020-09-23 10:00 - 11:00, 2020-08-13 18:30 - 19:30 | Virtual

VIRTUAL: Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation Workgroup
2020-09-14 13:00 - 14:30, 2020-08-10 13:00 - 14:30 | Virtual

VIRTUAL: Treatment & Recovery Committee Meeting
2020-09-11 08:00 - 17:00 | Greenfield Community College Downtown Campus, 270 Main Street, Greenfield, MA, 01301, United States
This meeting is open to the public. Please email Maile Shoul at maile@opioidtaskforce.org for the details on how to participate.

VIRTUAL: Introduction to MassSupport and Suicide Prevention Resources
2020-09-10 14:00 - 15:00
Please join us on Thursday, September 10 at 2:00 PM for our next COVID-19 topical call, ‘Introduction to MassSupport and Suicide Prevention Resources‘, featuring a presentation by Jen Matoney from MassSupport Network.
National Suicide Prevention Week runs from September 6 to September 12, 2020, and many are concerned about rising reports of anxiety and depression.
MassSupport Network provides free community outreach and support services to residents of all ages in response to the unprecedented public health crisis, COVID-19. This Crisis Counseling Program (CCP) is funded by the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) and managed in partnership between the MA Department of Mental Health and Riverside Trauma Center, a program of Riverside Community Care.
Jen Matoney is a crisis outreach counselor for MassSupport Network and treasurer of the Pioneer Valley Coalition for Suicide Prevention. She is also a board member, trainer, and field advocate for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Massachusetts chapter.
Register here.
Questions? Email Maile Shoul, Program Manager, Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region at maile@opioidtaskforce.org.

VIRTUAL: Education and Prevention Committee Meeting
2020-09-08 09:30 - 11:00 | MA, United States

CANCELED: Harm Reduction Workgroup Meeting
2020-09-02 11:00 - 12:00 | MA, United States
This meeting was canceled. Please email maile@opioidtaskforce.org for the details on how to participate in future meetings.

VIRTUAL: COVID-19, SUD/OUD & Pregnant and Parenting Individuals in Our Rural Area
2020-08-20 14:00 - 15:00 | Virtual
Join us as we learn more about the impact of COVID-19 upon pregnant and parenting individuals also affected by opioid use disorders in Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region.
Featuring:
*Ruth Jacobson-Hardy, Western Massachusetts Regional Manager, MA Department of Public Health
*Dr. Julie Thompson, OBGYN, Pioneer Women’s Health and Co-Chair of the Opioid Task Force’s Healthcare Solutions Committee
*Linda Jablonski, Assistant Nurse Manager, The Birthplace and Coordinator, EMPOWER/Moms Do Care Program, Baystate Franklin Medical Center
*Dr. Mary Paterno, Certified Nurse-Midwife, Pioneer Women’s Health; Midwifery Director, EMPOWER/Moms Do Care Program, Baystate Franklin Medical Center​
*Jamie Parnell, Clinical Case Manager, EMPOWER/Moms Do Care Program, Baystate Franklin Medical Center/Center for Human Development
*Josefa Scherer, MPH, Peer Mentor Doula, EMPOWER/Moms Do Care Program, Baystate Franklin Medical Center
*Clarice Rivera, Recovery Coach for Mom’s Do Care EMPOWER Program, Center for Human Development
When: Thursday, August 20, 2020
Time: 2 PM – 3 PM
Where: Zoom
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIqduqsqDMqGdWxD82a38CKwk1XgpG8SNh7
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

VIRTUAL: Housing & Workforce Development Committee Meeting
2020-08-14 10:00 - 12:00 | MA, United States

Canceled: Treatment & Recovery Committee Meeting - held jointly with August 3rd Public Safety & Justice Committee
2020-08-07 10:00 - 11:30 | MA, United States
This meeting has been canceled and instead will be held jointly with OTF’s Public Safety & Justice Committee, scheduled for Monday, August 3, 2020, 1 PM – 2:30 PM featuring Dr. Traci Green.
Dr. Traci Green, Professor and Director, Opioid Policy Research Collaborative, Heller School
for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University will present at the August 3rd Public Safety & Justice Committee meeting (1 PM – 2:30 PM)about her research efforts to improve opioid safety through the monitoring of the illicit drug supply. The Opioid Task Force’s Public Safety & Justice Committee will learn more about her work, including the RACK Study (Rapid Assessment of Community Knowledge), where she has been working with individuals who consume drugs in Springfield, Chicopee, and New Bedford to better understand their lived experience and how that could drive policy change regarding the use of Naloxone, distributing information about the Good Samaritan Law, among other issues. Dr. Green is looking to work with a rural site to assess how practices can be modified to accommodate the unique needs of rural communities and the Opioid Task Force will consider how it can participate to support this research effort. This meeting is open to the public.
Please email Maile Shoul at maile@opioidtaskforce.org for more information.
To register for the August 3rd meeting, read further below:
When: Aug 3, 2020 01:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcof-yvrjgpHNSKQpK7cikFFVEgGEPR4Svf
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

VIRTUAL: Reentry into the Community Post-Incarceration during COVID-19
2020-08-06 14:00 - 15:00
Join the award-winning team from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, located in Greenfield, Massachusetts, as they share what they are doing to support formerly incarcerated men and women as they return to their communities in the Franklin County and North Quabbin Region during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, learn more about how they are using Textedly, a mobile phone app to foster connections and share information about community resources.

Guest speakers:
*Levin Schwartz, Deputy Assistant Superintendent, Director of Clinical & Reentry Services
*Nicole Guertin, Reentry Services Supervisor
*Jenn Avery, Reentry Case Worker
*Jen Brzezinski, Reentry Case Workers

When: Thursday, August 6, 2 PM – 3 PM

To register for this Zoom meeting, please see below:

When: Aug 6, 2020 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAoc-qvrTotGdSaV4qI9QTuRVxySiYdMCk5
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

VIRTUAL: Harm Reduction Workgroup Meeting
2020-08-05 11:00 - 12:00 | MA, United States
This meeting is open to the public. Please email maile@opioidtaskforce.org for the Zoom call details.
