Canceled: Education and Prevention Committee Meeting
2025-11-18 09:30 - 10:30 (America/New_York)
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.

Overdose Prevention and Naloxone Training
2025-11-20 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-12-18 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.

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.

Emergency Services for Unhoused Individuals Task Force Meeting
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
2025-12-08 13:00 - 14:00, 2026-01-12 13:00 - 14:00, 2026-02-09 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.

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.

CAM Workgroup Meeting
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: 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.

The Archway Program (TAP): Meeting People Where They Are to Prevent Overdose
2025-12-18 14:30 - 15:30
Please join us for a lively conversation about The Archway Program (TAP): Meeting People Where They Are to Prevent Overdose on Thursday, December 18, 2025, from 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM. Funded in September 2025, this one-year effort is designed to prevent fatal overdoses among those who are unhoused through mobile outreach efforts in rural Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region. You can register for this free information session here.
Moderated by Kristen Cuddy-Pease, Program Associate and TAP Program Manager of the Opioid Task Force, TAP partners such as the Community Health Center of Franklin County, the North Quabbin Community Coalition/North Quabbin Recovery Center, Tapestry, and the Wildflower Alliance, will share information about their activities to serve those living in the rough.

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

Help us spread the word! A flyer can be found here and below.

Harm Reduction Workgroup Meeting
2026-01-07 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.

Emergency Services for Unhoused Individuals Task Force Meeting
2026-01-12 09:30 - 10:30, 2026-02-09 09:30 - 10:30, 2026-03-09 09:30 - 10:30
Please join our monthly meeting to discuss the emergency needs of unhoused individuals in Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region. To learn more about how to participate, please contact Kristen Cuddy-Pease, Program Associate, at kristen@opioidtaskforce.org.

Overdose Prevention & Naloxone Training
2026-01-15 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 and naloxone 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 naloxone to reverse an opioid overdose?
The event is free and open to the public.
This is part of our 2026 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 101: Meeting People Where They Are At with Tools That Save Lives
2026-01-30 10:00 - 11:00
Please join us for an engaging and informative session focused on harm reduction, stigma reduction, and saving lives on Friday, January 30, 2026, from 10 AM to 11 AM. You can register for this free, virtual presentation here.
In this interactive presentation, Kyle Harrington, Harm Reduction Training and Drug Checking Manager, and Cailin Young, Harm Reduction Program Coordinator with Tapestry Health, will introduce the fundamentals of harm reduction and emphasize the importance of compassionate, non-judgmental overdose response.
You’ll learn:

What harm reduction is and how evidence-based strategies reduce harm and support community health
How compassionate care improves outcomes for individuals who have experienced an overdose
What harm reduction services and trainings are available in our community

For more information, contact Nicole St. Hilaire, Outreach Manager, CONNECT, at nicole@opioidtaskforce.org.
This session is part of the 2026 CONNECT Education & Training Series.

Harm Reduction Workgroup Meeting
2026-02-04 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-03-11 11:00
Please join us for our Harm Reduction Workgroup meeting. For more information on how to participate, please contact Nicole St. Hilaire, Outreach Manager/CONNECT, at nicole@opioidtaskforce.org.

Education, Prevention, and Resilience Committee Meeting
2026-02-10 09:30 - 10:30
Please join us for our Education, Prevention, and Resilience Committee meeting. For more information on how to participate, please contact Karen Carmona, Program Associate, at karen@opioidtaskforce.org.

CAM Workgroup Meeting
2026-02-10 11:00 - 12:00
Please join us for our Complementary & Alternative Medicines (CAM) Workgroup meeting, a project of OTF’s Education, Prevention & Resilience Committee. For more information on how to participate, please contact Karen Carmona, Program Associate, at karen@opioidtaskforce.org.

Overdose Prevention and Naloxone Training
2026-02-19 13:00 - 14:30

Voices from the Field: Findings from ECKS-O: The Exploring Community Knowledge Study - Ongoing
2026-02-19 14:30 - 15:30
Please join us for Voices from the Field: Findings from ECKS-O: The Exploring Community Knowledge Study – Ongoing, Thursday, February 19, 2026, from 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM. Please register for this free event here.

Featuring Dr. Joe Silcox, Senior Research Associate, and Charlie Summers, Research Associate, from the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative, based at Brandeis University, they will talk about ECKS-O, a Massachusetts Department of Public Health Study focused on understanding local challenges and responses to the opioid crisis as shared by people who use drugs across Massachusetts.
This session will:

Provide a brief overview of the study results,
Highlight key themes that emerged from community input, and
Discuss possibilities for future research collaboration.

This is part of the 2026 Opioid Task Force Education & Training Series.
Questions? Feel free to email us at info@opioidtaskforce.org.

DCF 101: Building Community Understanding of the Child Welfare Process
2026-02-27 13:00 - 14:00
Please join us for a discussion about how the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF) works with and supports families — including those impacted by substance use disorder. You can register for this free event here.
In this virtual session, representatives from DCF will walk us through the full DCF process, beginning with the filing of a 51A report and continuing through assessment, service planning, and case closure. A DCF attorney will also join the session to explain the role of the legal system, which helps guide case decisions, and to review the federal laws that mandate the timelines DCF must follow to achieve permanency and stability for children and families.
Questions? Contact Nicole St. Hilaire, CONNECT Outreach Manager, at nicole@opioidtaskforce.org.
This session is part of the 2026 CONNECT Education and Training Series and is open to community members, providers, and anyone interested in learning more.
Please note this is an updated session description as of February 18, 2026.

Sexual Exploitation and Human Trafficking Workgroup Meeting
2026-03-09 13:00 - 14:00
