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Greetings from the OTF Coordinator
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 Greetings All -
Today marked my fourth official week on the job and what a great month it has been. I've had the honor and privilege to meet many of you working hard each day to address the impact of the opioid crisis in the Franklin County and North Quabbin Region and elsewhere in Western Massachusetts.Thank you for your time and willingness to share information and your good ideas.
I am particularly excited about the Task Force's upcoming Law Enforcement and Justice (March 20) as well as the Housing and Workforce Development Committee meetings (March 24) next week. Both groups will be grappling with timely issues such as data collection, NARCAN availability, increasing the supply of sober housing and focusing on employment and training opportunities for individuals in recovery. Interested in becoming a part of those conversations? Drop me a note at debmc@opioidtaskforce.org.
This week I had the pleasure of meeting many of the Franklin County Police Chiefs, courtesy of Sheriff Chris Donelan, to thank them for hard work to help the Task Force track opioid and other drug overdose data. We appreciate their dedication to the Task Force's mission. I participated in an excellent Active Bystander training presented by Quabbin Mediation, organized by the North Quabbin Community Coalition, a key OTF partner in the North Quabbin region. I have also been analyzing available data, which has been provided by District Attorney David Sullivan and his RX Drug Task Force Project Coordinator, Lynn Ferro, which has been incredibly valuable.
We are also getting settled into our new space at the Franklin County Justice Center. A special thanks to John Merrigan, Register of Probate, for his help and support during this process. We are located at 43 Hope Street, Room 1705 within the Court Service Center (1st door to the right after you go through security.) Come by and see us!
Best,
Debra
Debra McLaughlin, Coordinator
Opioid Task Force for Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region
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 First pancake breakfast a hit for Recover Project - the Recorder
"This is a huge success. We’re ecstatic by the turnout we have." ~Heather Taylor, the RECOVER Project
 Opioid Overdose Death Cases Soared - the Science Times
"This is not a time for 'not-in-my-backyard' with methadone treatment." ~Dr. Ruth Potee, OTF Healthcare Solutions Co-Chair
Chief Medical Officer at Baystate Franklin: Should we prescrib e opioids to addicts? - the Recorder
“First, we need to stop the pipeline. We need to stop people getting into the addiction role.” ~Dr. Thomas Higgins, OTF Healthcare Solutions Co-Chair
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Check out the North Quabbin Community Coalition's March 2017 newsletter for a list of great activities and resources happening in the North Quabbin region.
Don't miss their next community forum, which will be held on Friday, April 21, 9 AM - 10:30 AM at the Elks Lodge, 92 New Athol Road in Orange, MA.
To learn more about the NQCC, visit their website.
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Strengthening Families Program
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The next session of the Strengthening Families Program for Parent s and Youth Ages 10-14 will be offered on Wednesday evenings from March 8th to April 26th.
Where? White Brook Middle School
The Strengthening Families Program emphasizes the importance of family bonding while teaching skills to prevent teen drug use.
Click the image above for details and a PDF flyer.
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Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
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The Commission on the Status of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren presents:
Statewide Regional Workshops for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
There will be special gu  ests at each event to present topics important to grandparents and kinship caregivers. Sessions will also offer information about DFC, DTA, MassHealth, and more.
Upcoming listening session in Northampton, MA on April 26th, as well as five other locations throughout the state.
For questions and registration, please contact Colleen Pritoni at (617) 748-2454 or colleen.pritoni@state.ma.us.
Click the image above for details and a PDF flyer.
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Leverett Home Buying Opportunities
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On Thursday March 23rd at 6:30 pm there will be an informational session at the Leverett Town Hall regarding two opportunities for help buying homes in Leverett:
- First Time homebuyer’s can choose the best program that fits their
 needs: either the Buy Down Program that provides a deed rider for up to $50,000 of the purchase price or the Down Payment Assistance Program that provides a 0% interest rate loan for 5% of the purchase price and is repaid on the sale or transfer of the property.
The Franklin County Regional Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) will begin accepting applications May 1, 2017.
For information about the upcoming informational session, click here.
For application and lottery dates, click here.
Applications are available on HRA's website! Questions? Please contact Jenna Day at jday@fcrhra.org.
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Tuesday, March 28
7:00 - 8:30 PM
Easthampton High School
To learn more about
Click the image for details and a PDF flyer.
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Motivational Interviewing for Recovery Coaches
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- Learn about the historical basis, core tenets, processes and skills of Motivational Interviewing
- Compare and contrast the use of MI within a variety of environments
- Articulate how/why MI works within the specific non-clinical lane of the Recovery Coach/Peer
- Explore the depth and variety of interpersonal interactions that encourage individual change in substance use, recovery and mental health settings
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Genesis Spiritual Life & Conference Center
53 Mill Street, Westfield
Registration: 8:30 am - 9:00 am
Training: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Click here for details and registration.
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Cornerstone Recovery Program Open House
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On Thursday, March 30, from 4:00 - 6:00 pm the Cornerstone Recovery Program is hosting an open house for community members and local providers. The Cornerstone Recovery Program is for women in recovery between the ages of 18 and 25. The program will offer a variety of services including:
 Weekly yoga and zumba classes- GED classes
- Art and writing workshops
- Daily psycho-educational groups
- Individual counseling
- 12-step meetings
- Referrals to community resources
- Sober independent living settings upon graduation of the program.
For more information, visit Gandara's website or contact Cornerstone Recovery Program Director Heather Murphy at hmurphy@gandaracenter.org.
Click the image above for details and a PDF flyer.
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Job Posting: Franklin County Sheriff's Office
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The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office ( FCSO) is seeking a full time Reentry Caseworker. The Reentry Caseworker is responsible for providing post release support services to clients as they transition from incarceration into the community. Duties and responsibilities include:
- Provide reentry case management and support to clients discharging from th
 e Franklin County Jail and House of Correction
- Establish and maintain collaborative working relationships with community providers, Offices of Probation, Parole, and Drug Court, Department of Children and Families, Social Security, and the Housing Authority with the Franklin County Sheriff's Office
- Assist in the identification of client specific needs, set goals, and aid in the implementation of individual objectives and interventions
Click here for a complete job posting.
To apply, submit a letter of application by Noon, March 31, 2017, to
Carrie Task, Assistant Deputy Superintendent of Human Resources:
Carrie.task@fcs.state.ma.us. |
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Massachusetts Service and Volunteerism Awards
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Do you know a community member who deserves to be recognized for their outstanding commitment to service or volunteerism? If so, nominate them for the The Massachusetts Service Alliance's (MSA) 201 7 Massachusetts Service and Volunteerism Awards, to be presented at the 2017 Massachusetts Conference on Service and Volunteering on Monday, June 12, 2017.
Cli  ck here to complete the nomination form and here to check out the conference website.
Nominations will be accepted until March 31, 2017. |
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Recovery Coach Supervisors Training
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Save the date!
Recovery Coach Supervisors Training & Training of Trainers
Recovery Coach Supervisors 3-Day Training
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Friday, May 19, 2017 
8:30 am - 4:00 pm (each day)
Recovery Coach Supervisors Training of Trainers (TOT)
Thursday, April 13, 2017
Friday, April 14, 2017
8:30 am - 4:00 pm (each day)
For registration and details, click here.
*These trainings are not intended to train participants to be supervisors. Participants are expected to already be supervisors or have supervisory skills training separate from this training. |
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Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment Training - April 4th
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On Tuesday, April 4th from 3:30 - 6:30 PM the University of Massachusetts College of Nursing is hosting a free Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) training.
 Where? UMass Center at Springfield, Tower Square, 1500 Main Street, Suite 260, Room 14, Springfield, MA
To register, please email your full name and email address to
sbirt-admin@nursing.umass.edu.
SBIRT is a screening tool designed to help identify people with a substance use disorder, or those at risk for developing a substance use disorder. To learn more about the SBIRT approach, click here.
Click the image above for details and a PDF flyer.
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Youth Mental Health First Aid
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A free training hosted by the C  oalition of Western Mass Hospitals. To learn more about Youth Mental Health First aid, visit the website.
Click the image above for details and a PDF flyer.
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Firebird 5K: Race Against Addiction - June 3rd
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Have you registered for this year's Firebird 5K: R ace Against Addiction?
When? Saturday, June 3, 2017
8:00 am
Where? North Highland Pond, Greenfield
Click the image for details
and a PDF flyer.
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Franklin County Transportation Study
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The Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) is conducting a feasibility study for a Van Sharing Program in the Franklin County region. As part of this study, they are surveying local social service providers to gauge the level of interest in a Van Sharing Program.
If you work for a social service agency and want to fill out the survey, click here.
Please note that the target audience for this survey is service providers in Franklin County, the North Quabbin Region, and Hampshire County.
For questions or more information, please contact Megan Rhodes, Senior Transportation and Land Use Planner at the FRCOG: mrhodes@frcog.org.
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Department of Mental Health Directory
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Did you know that the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health (DMH) offers a comprehensive resource guide with information about mental health services and DMH managers serving your city or town?
Click here to download the full directory. To learn more about the Department of Mental Health
visit their website. |
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Do you have information, resources or upcoming events you would like to include in our newsletter? We want to hear from you! Newsletter content can be sent to Tess Jurgensen at tess@opioidtaskforce.org.
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 Upcoming Task Force
Committee Meetings:
Law Enforcement and Justice Committee
Monday, March 20th 1-2 pm
Franklin County Sheriff's Office
160 Elm Street in Greenfield
Housing and Workforce Development
Friday, March 24th 10-12 pm
Olver Transit Center
12 Olive Street in Greenfield
Please email Tess Jurgensen at tess@opioidtaskforce.org if you would like to join for either of these meetings.
Treatment and Recovery
Friday, April 7th 10-11:30 am
GCC Downtown
270 Main Street in Greenfield
Please email Deb Neubauer at deb@opioidtaskforce.org if you would like to join for this meeting.
Healthcare Solutions
Friday, April 28th, 10-12 pm
Olver Transit Center
12 Olive Street in Greenfield
Please email Phoebe Walker at Walker@frcog.org if you would like to join for this meeting. |
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Save a Life. Call 911.
You are Protected by the
Good Samaritan Law.
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ne-page Drug and Alcohol Addiction and Recovery Resource Guide 
