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October 18, 2024: Issue 20

Offering hope and help to those impacted by opioid misuse in

Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region.

UPCOMING EVENTS

See what's happening at OTF this month.

COVID-19 RESOURCES

Explore OTF's COVID-19 Resource Guide.

MASSACHUSETTS SUBSTANCE USE HELPLINE

Hope is here. Get help.

413Cares
Resources for Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region. Click here.

NQCC'S RESOURCES

Resources and upcoming events in the North Quabbin Region.

Click here.

CONNECTIONS #83

Find local resources in this issue.

Emergency Services Resources for Unhoused Individuals

The PACES CONNECTION

Click here for resources.

Grayken Center for Addiction

Training & Technical Assistance

Click here to view and/or register for trainings.

GCC Community Engagement and Workshop Events

Click here to view and/or register for trainings.

Rural SUD Info Center

Click here for resources.

Sometimes it's about making different choices, and sometimes it's about finding acceptance with the choices you're making.

~Scott Stabile

The Importance of Connection


“Connection is why we’re here; it is what gives purpose and meaning to

our lives.” - Brené Brown


Last year, Dr. Vivek H. Murthy published a Surgeon General’s Advisory titled “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S.

Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community." In this advisory, Dr. Murthy frames the epidemic of loneliness in our country as a major public health concern (Murthy, 2023).


He states that social connection is as essential to human beings as food and water and that it is a fundamental human need, imperative to not only our well-being but our survival. “A lack of connection with other human beings causes loneliness, which is one of the biggest killers in our world today.” (Murthy, 2023)


As a person in long-term recovery from substance use disorder, I am very familiar with feelings of loneliness and isolation. On the flip side of this, I know the solution to these feelings is human connection. The National Institute of Health (NIH) cites social and emotional feelings of loneliness as high-risk factors in the initiation of substance use. Additionally, studies upon studies highlight the importance of social connection as the foundation of lasting recovery.


Connection isn’t just instrumental for individuals in recovery but for all human beings. Having healthy human connections in our lives regulates all the systems in our bodies. Healthy relationships with others help us develop feelings of empathy, gratitude, and compassion, which are linked to an increase in all-around happiness and contentment (Murthy,

2023). By fostering connections with other people, we can combat feelings of isolation and loneliness. When unexpected things happen in our lives, whether big or small, we will not feel alone in our experience.


As we approach the holiday season, I am calling on all of us to try and find ways to connect with one another and seek community. We are all

connected through our shared human experiences. You truly never know what another person is going through. Tiny acts of kindness, tenderness, and compassion have the profound ability to heal, give hope, and uplift ourselves and the people around us.



Here are six ways you can foster meaningful connection in your life:

1. Ask a friend to grab a cup of coffee or take a walk with you.

2. Attend a support group.

3. Take a class or workshop about a subject or topic you are interested in to connect with like-minded people.

4. Reach out to a colleague and invite them to lunch.

5. Look for sparks of connection in your everyday life, such as smiling at someone, holding the door for someone, or striking up a conversation with someone you may not know.

6. Check in with loved ones to show them your care and are there for them.


One great resource is Project Connect. Over the summer Franklin County hosted some trainings through Project Connect and they are planning to offer more in the near future. Project Connect offers both in person and virtual workshops and trainings designed to enhance and build relationships and connections among small groups.


More information about Project Connect can be found here. You can also contact Judy Raper, Associate Dean of Community Engagement at Greenfield Community College, at

RaperJ@gcc.mass.edu.

Sincerely,

Kristen Cuddy-Pease

Program Associate, Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region

OTF Members in the News

"Healthcare Hopes to Start Medication Delivery Service "

Greenfield Recorder (10/12/24)


 The Community Health Center of Franklin County’s CEO used a meeting of people dedicated to community health improvement to explain how the nonprofit she oversees expects to expand its reach with a new location in Turners Falls, a medication delivery service and a mobile health unit.


Dr. Allison van der Velden, one of the speakers at a Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) gathering hosted by the Franklin Regional Council of Governments on Thursday afternoon, said plans are taking shape to grow the health center — which currently has offices in Greenfield and Orange — by as much as a third within three years. The hope is to open the Turners Falls location at 8 Burnham St. in December.


“It’s a large facility,” van der Velden told the roughly 20 guests in the William B. Allen II Meeting Room. “We’re going to by having three to four providers in that location and there’s going to be a little bit of room to grow for us, over time.”


The center bought the property at 8 Burnham St., which was previously owned by Baystate Franklin Medical Center, for $825,000 in the summer of 2023.


Van der Velden said the location will likely add 2,000 patients to the health center’s capacity in the first year and 4,000 after two to three years.


She said there are also plans for a pharmacy offering delivery services to be located in the Health Center Plaza in Orange. “It’s going to really improve coordination of care for patients,” she said. “The pharmacist is a key player in the health care team.”


Van der Velden also mentioned that a mobile health unit— a truck or van that would visit priority areas like farms and the county’s western portion — is in the planning phase. It would have two exam rooms, one primary care provider and an auxiliary staff. The unit would expand capacity by 1,000 patients.


Van der Velden explained community health centers are nonprofit, patient- governed organizations that provide comprehensive primary care to America’s medically underserved communities, serving all patients regardless of income or insurance status.


According to van der Velden, health centers served a record 31.5 million patients in 2022. She reported that one in 11 Americans are health center patients — 19% are uninsured, 61% are publicly insured, 90% are low-income, 41% are rural residents, and 64% are members of racial and/or ethnic minority groups.


Currently, nine out of the center’s 12 board members are also patients. The center offers primary care, dental care, behavioral health care, and enabling services such as insurance enrollment support and transportation.


“We just don’t put a lot into marketing, the way other health care institutions may,” van der Velden said.





(STAFF PHOTO/DOMENIC POLI)

"North Quabbin Recovery Center Completes Collage Showing Those Battling Addiction "

Athol Daily News (10/14/24)

Going past 416 Main St. in Athol, there is a collage of faces adorning a storefront window – faces you might even recognize. The people in those pictures range from blue collar workers to white collar professionals, from the homeless to the well-healed. Yet, despite their differences, the faces staring back all have one thing in common. All have fought with addiction, a battle which some of them have lost.


“For Overdose Awareness Month and Recovery Month, we had this idea for this collage of people who are in recovery and also people who have lost their lives to addiction,” said Sarah Collins, North Quabbin Recovery Center Program Director, who also serves as assistant director of the North Quabbin Community Coalition. The NQCC oversees operations of the recovery center. “So, everybody whose photo is black and white has lost their life as a direct result of addiction,” explained Recovery Connector Liaison Heather Taylor. “Those whose pictures are in color are folks in recovery. The difference of the black and white versus the color is pretty overwhelming; as you can see from the collage, there are more in black and white.”

Taylor added that the collage is made up of “close to 100” pictures.


“The pictures represent a wide variety of folks who have been in recovery in this community as well as in other communities,” said Taylor. “These are not all folks who have walked through our doors necessarily, but they’re all folks who have been impacted by addiction and recovery.” Asked about feedback on the project, Collins said, “We really wanted to make it a community conversation piece….It will show that addiction is a bigger issue than what people are talking about. There really isn’t anyone who isn’t impacted by addiction in one way or another. This has really been a catalyst for those conversations.”


Collins said the project was led by Taylor and assisted by the community. “This beautiful collage put together with help from other peer specialists really has sparked conversation and feedback.” Collins said some people approached the NQRC to volunteer their pictures for inclusion in the collage. “There were those who said, ‘I want to have my picture up there so everyone knows I’ve had my own encounters with substances.’ Others would ask, ‘Do I want to acknowledge that my family member passed away as a result of their struggle?’ Many people have made those decisions for the first time in their lives,” she said. “It’s so powerful.”


Collins added that she, Taylor, and others at the recovery center hope the collage will continue to generate conversations about addiction and recovery in the community, as well as “generate other opportunities where people feel safe in our community – in North Quabbin – saying, ‘Yes, I have overcome addiction with the support of places like the recovery center or the coalition or whoever it may be that made recovery possible. I think the main goal of the collage was that it become a symbol of hope. We’re hoping moving forward that we can put up more pictures – more color pictures – of people in recovery.”


(STAFF PHOTO/GREG VINE)

UPCOMING OTF COMMITTEE & WORKGROUP MEETINGS

Virtual: Emergency Services for Unhoused Individuals Task Force

October 21, 2024

9:30 AM - 10:45 AM

Zoom details here.


Hybrid: Sexual Exploitation & Trafficking Workgroup

October 21, 2024

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Franklin County Reentry Center

106 Main Street, Greenfield

Zoom details here.


Virtual: Harm Reduction Workgroup

November 1, 2024

11:00 AM - 12:00 Noon

Zoom details here.


Virtual: Treatment & Recovery Committee

November 3, 2024

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Zoom details here.


Virtual: Healthcare Solutions Committee

November 8, 2024

10:00 AM - 11:30 Noon

Zoom details here.


Virtual: Education & Prevention Committee

November 12, 2024

9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Zoom details here.


Hybrid: Public Safety & Justice Committee

December 2, 2024

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Franklin County Reentry Center

106 Main Street, Greenfield

Zoom details here.


Virtual: CAM Workgroup

December 10, 2024

11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Zoom details here.


Virtual: Methadone Workgroup

December 12, 2024

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Zoom details here.


Virtual: Housing & Workforce Development Committee

December 13, 2024

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Zoom details here.


Virtual: Building a Resilient Community Workgroup

December 18, 2024

11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Zoom details here.


Consult our website or Facebook Page for updates. Please email us with any questions!

FEATURED EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

CONNECT: Post-Opioid Overdose Outreach Services

Support & Resources After the HEALing Communities Study

Learn more at HealTogetherMA.org

Time Sensitive Announcements

NELCWIT Honors DVAM 2024

October 18 and 25 Story Time

October 18 Communities That Care Coalition 2024 Student Health Survey Data Release

October 18 The Boo Bash

October 18 Wildflower Alliance Halloween Dinner and a Movie

October 19 Stone Soup Cafe Menu

October 19 Franklin County Fall Food Festival

October 19 Slow-Stitched Journal Covers

October 19 Art Garden Celebration

October 19 Create Your Own Grapevine Wreath

October 19 Traces of the Trade

October 19 NELCWIT Presents A Family-Friendly, Spooky Season Celebration of Survivor Resilience for Domestic Violence Awareness Month with A Screening of the Addams Family

October 19 Fall Volunteer Trail Workday at the Poplar Mountain Conservation Area

October 19 Celebrate Kirsten!

October 20 Tote Bag Workshop

October 20 Erving Family Playtime

October 21 IEP Binder Workshop

October 22 The Housing Rights of Immigrant Families

Click Here to Register

October 22 Understanding Disability History & Culture

October 22 Becoming Kin - Woodlands Partnership Book Club

October 22 Spooky Henna

October 22 Start Date for Empower Us Group for Teen Girls

October 22 & October 29 NQRC Arts & Crafts

October 22 & October 29 Grandparents Raising Teens

October 24 Creepy Half Day Hangout for Middle Schoolers

October 24 Evidence-Based Practices to Prevent Overdose with

Alexander J. Walley, MD. MSC

You can register for this free event here

October 24 Practical Magic Series with Kaia - Potion Bottles

October 24 Montague Center Library Book Club

October 25 Moms' Connection

October 25 The Recover Project Halloween Dance

October 26 National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

October 27 Halloween Extravaganza

October 28 Craft Club

October 28 October Book Discussion

October 28 King Philip's War In Your Backyard with David Brule

October 29 All-Abilities Social Halloween Dance Party

October 29 New Salem Public Library presents Mysterious Massachusetts!

October 30 Office of Northwestern Distract Attorney David E. Sullivan 10th Safe and Healthy School Summit

October 30 West Couty's Community Resource Fair

October 30 3rd Annual Halloween Bash

October 31 Overdose Prevention & Narcan Training

Register here

October 31 Shelburne Falls Rag Shag Parade

October 31 Ashfield's Trunk or Treat

October 31 Halloween in Downtown Greenfield

November 2 Archaeology Month at Wendell State Forest

November 4 Greenfield Healing Clinic

November 4 Let's Sew Slithering Snakes!

November 6 (1st of four sessions)

When Conversation Turns to Suicide

November 7 Help When It's Needed Most: Addiction Consult Services at Baystate Franklin Medical Center

November 8 Safe Stage of Life: Empowering Older Adults Through Supportive Conversations

November 9 Adult Dodgeball Tournament

MONTHLY WORKSHOP CALENDRS AND WEEKLY STANDING MEETINGS/EVENTS

October at The Art Garden

October at The Brick House

October Community Action Family Center Calendar

October Events at the Erving Senior Center

October Programs at Franklin County Reentry Center

October Programs - Great Falls Discovery Center

October Montague Public Library Programs

October at the Shea

October Events at Sunderland Public Library

October Union 28 Community Network for Children Program Calendar

LifePath Healthy Living 2024 Fall Workshops

2024 Seeds of Solidarity Calendar of Events

SNAP Application Assistance

Parenting Well When You Are Not Feeling Well

Always Open! Community Labyrinth in Greenfield

What's Happening at The NQRC

RECOVER Project Groups At a Glance

Weekdays All Recovery Meeting at The RECOVER Project

Mondays September 9 - October 28 Functional Training Fitness Class for Adults

Mondays September 9 - November 11 Lasting Lifestyles

Monday/Wednesday/Friday

The Community Closet at The Franklin County Reentry Center

Monday - Friday

Movement Group with North Quabbin Recovery Center Peer Leaders

Mondays North Quabbin Patch Parents' Council

Mondays Breaking Barriers at the Franklin County Reentry Center

Mondays Art Guild Meetings

Mondays Advanced Manufacturing Info Sessions

Monday Drug Court Alumni Group - North Quabbin

Mondays Community Yoga at Wildflower Alliance

Mondays at FCSO Reentry Center - Recovery Through Creativity

Mondays CNC Playgroup at the Erving Public Library

Second Mondays of the Month - North Quabbin B.R.A.V.E. Task Force Meetings

Mondays Alternatives to Suicide Group

2nd and 4th Mondays Parenting Together at the Brick House

Third Monday Alphabet & Allies

Third Monday Parenting With Pride

Mondays and Thursdays Hygiene Supplies Pick Up at the Brick House

Mondays and Thursdays The Brick House Food Pantry

Tuesdays September 10 - October 29 Healing Trauma

Tuesdays Nurturing Program for Families in Recovery

Tuesdays Peer-Led Grief and Loss Circle

Every Other Tuesday - Housing Support Drop In Hours

First Tuesday - Dads' Group at Valuing Our Children

Tuesday Tea Time & Community Resource Drop-In

Tuesdays North Quabbin Recovery Center Coffee Hour

Tuesdays Greenfield Suicide Loss Group

First Tuesday - P.A.R.T. Task Force

Tuesdays Drop-In Knitting & Sewing Sessions

2nd Tuesdays New Member Orientation at the RECOVER Project

Tuesday & Thursdays Weekly Reentry Groups

Tuesday Men's Anger Management Group

Wednesday Women's Anger Management Group

Wednesdays September 11 - October 30 Women's Writing Group

Wednesdays September 18 - December 11 Nurturing Fathers Group

Wednesdays - Wendell Library Playgroup with Sylvia

Wednesdays - Playgroup at the Leverett Library with Gillian

Wednesdays HEROES Study Hub at GCC

First Wednesday of the month Gentle Yoga and Breathwork with Jennifer

Whatever Wednesday's on the Second Wednesday of every month

Free Food - Every Third Wednesday

Last Wednesdays of Every month Office Hours With An Attorney

Thursdays October 3 - December 12 Virtual Parenting Journey

First & Third Thursdays Parent Support Group

Thursdays Dungeons and Dragons

Thursdays Mens Group in the RPX

Thursdays Coffee Hour at the Brick House

Thursdays Beyond Trauma Group in Spanish

Second Thursdays -Peer Grief Support After Overdose Death

Fridays FreeWrite of Franklin County

Friday Writing Group at the RP

First Friday of Every Month: Open Mic at the RP

Every Friday - The Garden Path

MassHealth Navigation Support

First Friday of the month 9am-12pm and Third Friday of the month 1pm - 3pm

Every First & Third Friday Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Support Group

Every Second Friday Chosen Family Night

Every Third Friday: Karaoke at The RECOVER Project

Last Friday of the Month: Gardening in Recovery

Children's Advocacy Center Seeks Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Coordinator

RAFT Assistance

Re-entry Workforce Program

Homeshare Program with LifePath

Pathways to Advanced Manufacturing

Specialized HVAC Training

Specialized Information Technology Training

SafeSpot Virtual Overdose Spotting Hotline

CHCFC OBAT Same Day & Tele-Health Appointment Information

Free Clothes and Gear

Free English Classes

Free Meals and Essentials at Saints James and Andrews Parish Hall

Come Cook with Franklin County Community Meals Program

Family Self-Sufficiency Program Available

Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Program

Eviction Self-Help Booklets Available in Multiple Languages


MLRI has recently updated and translated some of our self-help booklets for unrepresented tenants facing eviction. While we still recommend tenants facing eviction seek legal help, we know resources are limited and many tenants have to represent themselves. We hope these booklets can be helpful to pro se tenants and their advocates.

You can see the full list of booklets below, or at MassLegalHelp. The booklets can help tenants prepare for court, outline their legal claims, and file court forms. There is also a booklet to help public housing tenants navigate the Grievance process.

Please reach out if you have any questions about the booklets and how they can be used.

What steps to take before going to court and what to bring to court.

An easy-to-use checklist that tells you what conditions violate the State Sanitary Code. You can also use the free self-help guided interview, MADE: Up To Code.

The Answer is a court form that tenants facing evictions can file with the court to outline your legal claims and tell the court your side of the story. You can also use Greater Boston Legal Services’ free self-help guided interview, MADE

How to ask the court to accept your Answer and Discovery forms late.  You can also use Greater Boston Legal Services’ free self-help guided interview, MADE.

A form with instructions for tenants facing eviction to get information to prepare for their trial.

A form with instructions for tenants in foreclosed properties to get information to prepare their case. 

A form you can file to transfer your eviction case from a District Court to a Housing Court.

How to get a new court date if you missed your court date.

If you lost your eviction trial and think you have a good case, you may appeal. This document tells you which Appeal form to use.

How to file an appeal from a case in Housing Court.

How to file an appeal from a case in District Court.

How to get time to stay in your home if you lost your case.

How to ask the court to pay for court costs. 

How to think through the terms you want in an agreement. Includes a worksheet and stipulation forms to use when you go to court. Read this booklet as webpages and watch the videos!

How to correct errors on your online court records. The Booklet includes the court form you can save to your computer, fill out, save again and print when ready.

A booklet for tenants in Mass. about the grievance process, including worksheets to help you prepare for a grievance hearing.

Update! Greenfield CSC New Hybrid Operations Change

The Greenfield Court Service Center is located at 43 Hope St., 1st Floor, Greenfield, MA.

They offer in-person services on Tuesdays & Thursdays, ONLY, from 8:30 am-1 pm, and 2 pm-4 pm. Remote services (email, phone, Zoom) are available on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays.

For an intake, contact the Virtual Court Service Center, Mon. thru Fri. 9 am-12 pm by telephone: 1-646-828-7666, press #, #, then enter meeting ID: 161 526 1140 or by video: www.zoomgov.com/j/1615261140.

COMMUNITY JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region www.opioidtaskforce.org
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