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July 12, 2024: Issue 13

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 #80

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.

"When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.” 

~Jean Shinoda Bolen

Self-Care Everyday


Today is my birthday, and as I celebrate another trip around the sun I reflected about this past year. There have been some really tough times, but there have been bright spots, too. Someone asked me what special thing I would do on my birthday, and if I would be practicing self-care.

 

I thought back on a meeting we held where we discussed self-care. There was some discussion about what self-care is, and whether or not everyone can afford to partake in self-care. I never thought about it in those terms and wanted to look further into the practice of self-care. I wanted to share with you what I found out – consider it my birthday present to you.

 

International Self-Care Day is on July 24. This annual celebration is an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of self-care around the globe, promote self-care in your organizations or communities, and of course, take good care of yourself, as well. The date of International Self-Care Day can be written as 7/24 — a subtle reference to the idea that self-care should be performed seven days per week, 24 hours per day.


Although self-care has become a widely used (and sometimes misused) vocabulary word, it has meaningful roots in the 1950s Civil Rights movement, as Black activists and organizers integrated the term into their movements.

As we acknowledge the history of self-care, we can also see what it has become: A personal practice for everyone to proactively prioritize their minds, bodies, and spirits in the ways that serve them best.


Below are some of the highlights I wanted to share:

  • International Self-Care Day was developed by the International Self-Care Foundation in 2011.
  • International Self-Care Day is on July 24 to represent the benefits of self-care experienced 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 
  • Part of the call to action of International Self-Care Day is to encourage organizations and workplaces to see self-care as a public health matter — and implement programs that make self-care more accessible. 
  • The U.S. Senate designated July 24 as International Self-Care Day in 2014
  • Self-care goes beyond a bubble bath or face mask (though, those are still great sometimes!). Like the National Institute of Mental Health says, self-care is “taking the time to do things that help you live well and improve both your physical and mental health.”
  • While self-care might feel like (and can be) enjoying a decadent dessert or painting your nails while binge-watching a favorite show, it also consists of things like getting enough sleep, being able to visit a doctor when you need to, keeping your home functional, and more. 
  • Sometimes, self-care means going screen-free. Other times, it means creatively combining technology with our daily lives to make us feel more balanced and grounded.


One of the more exciting things about self-care is that it’s truly so personal and unique to every individual.


Take some time thinking about what activities or interventions might best serve you today.  You can sign a “self-care promise” as a way to take action on International Self-Care Day.  You can build a self-care kit, start a self-care journaling practice, or help someone else so they can prioritize their own self-care.  


Whatever you choose to do, stop and take a minute to appreciate yourself!

In gratitude, 

Cathi Emery

Office Manager, Opioid Task Force

OTF Members in the News

"Mary Lyon Foundation Proposes Resource Center"

Greenfield Recorder (6/21/24)


The Mary Lyon Foundation plans to build or renovate a resource center in western Franklin County within the next five years to help meet residents’ needs.


“We’re looking to build a center that would be an intergenerational center where it would have a myriad of resources for the West County community,” said Mary Lyon Foundation Executive Director Kristen Tillona-Baker. “Things like health care, behavioral health, senior center, all of those things. We put a grant into the state for preliminary planning, and if that is approved, then we start working.”


The idea was discussed during a June 14 meeting between the Community Health Improvement Plan, a project of the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG), in partnership with the Mary Lyon Foundation. Representatives of organizations and departments from across Franklin County, including the Shelburne Police Department, LifePath and the Riverside Trauma Center, gathered to discuss ways to meet the needs of residents.


The project is led by the Mary Lyon Foundation in partnership with the Senior Center at 7 Main St. in Shelburne Falls, the Mohawk Trail Regional School District and the Community Health Center of Franklin County, with hopes of opening the new center somewhere in Shelburne or Buckland, Tillona-Baker said. “The idea is that while we have all of these wonderful services in Franklin County, the folks in West County have a lot of barriers to get to Greenfield for services,” Tillona-Baker said. “If we can get these tributaries and everything to come to one place, it’s like one-stop shopping.”


Shelburne Police Officer Tucker Jenkins and Tamara Sloan, a crisis counselor and EMT, discussed other measures to help people in crisis. Suggestions included ways to reinforce communication between departments and help offer resources to people in a safe way, both during and after the moment of crisis.


“I think there is a lot more crisis going on than people are aware of,” Sloan noted.

Tiarra Fisher, operations coordinator for CONNECT (Community Opportunity, Network, Navigation, Exploration, and Connection), a 24/ 7 rapid response team that responds to opioid overdoses and those at high risk of overdose throughout Franklin County and the North Quabbin region, discussed plans to pilot a van outreach service that would help prevent opioid use and help people who are battling opioid addiction. The van outreach service would start in Ashfield, Charlemont, Deerfield, Erving, Orange and Wendell, without a planned start date at the moment.


Like Tillona-Baker, Fisher mentioned the difficulties people have in the wake of a lack of transportation options in western Franklin County. “There are a lot of awesome resources in Greenfield that are really hard to get to for people who don’t live in Greenfield or don’t have access to public transportation,” Fisher said.


Attendees also discussed holding an Oct. 30 health fair at Mohawk Trail Regional School. “In the interim while this is happening,” Tillona-Baker said, regarding what needs to be done between now and the creation of a resource center, “we just want to help our folks in western Franklin County get to the services they need.”

"Mobile Clinic Increases Access to Opioid Addiction Treatment"

Greenfield Recorder (7/9/24)


 

 A new mobile methadone program has begun to fill a large gap in addiction treatment services in the region.


Behavioral Health Network, which runs drug treatment clinics in Springfield, Holyoke, Greenfield and Orange, says the mobile program is the first of its kind in western Massachusetts.


Program Director Maile Shoul said those in the Ware area who are in need of methadone will no longer have to travel to Worcester or Springfield for treatment.


“The benefit is to make methadone available in rural areas where there was no option in the past,” Shoul said.


She said the organization had heard from community members that people were facing an uphill battle trying to stay on a methadone program.


The 35-foot mobile treatment unit started providing services to existing Behavioral Health Network clients this week from 75 Main St. in Ware, with dosing hours Monday to Friday from 7 to 10 a.m. The entrance to the parking lot is on Bank Street behind the building.


The program will begin taking in new clients on Tuesday and Thursday this week from 7 to 10 a.m., Shoul said. Anyone who wants to sign up but can’t do it on those days can do so at the Springfield clinic by calling 413-272-1333.


Funded in part by the Massachusetts Bureau of Substance Addiction Services and the HEALing Communities Study, the mobile program provides methadone to individuals ages 18 and older in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, offering a holistic approach to opioid addiction treatment.


“This will be the first mobile methadone program in this area, helping to reduce barriers to treatment access in Ware and surrounding towns,” Dr. Ruth Potee, medical director for substance use disorders with Behavioral Health Network, said in a statement.


While the mobile program is staying in one place at this time, Behavioral

Health Network is open to adding stops at other sites, Shoul said. Others have used vans to reach people in homeless shelters and skilled nursing facilities, for example, she said.

“The goal is to try to reach populations who have trouble reaching a brick-and-mortar clinic,” she said.


Behavioral Health Network President and CEO Steve Winn said the company is committed to expanding and improving access to opioid addiction treatment.


Shoul said methadone is a safe medication for longterm use if taken as prescribed. It is one of three sanctioned medications for opioid use disorder, the others being buprenorphine and Vivitrol. They can only be legally acquired at a licensed treatment center.


Shoul said the mobile program is filling a need, and she acknowledged help in setting it up from the town of Ware.


“It’s been really exciting, a real collaboration,” she said.




UPCOMING OTF COMMITTEE & WORKGROUP MEETINGS


Virtual: Joint Treatment & Recovery and Health Care Solutions Committee

July 12, 2024

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Zoom details here.


Virtual: Joint Healthcare Solutions and Treatment & Recovery Committee

July 12, 2024

10:00 AM - 11:30 Noon

Zoom details here.


Hybrid: Public Safety & Justice Committee

August 5, 2024

1:00 - 2:00 PM

Franklin County Reentry Center

106 Main Street, Greenfield

Zoom details here.


Virtual: Harm Reduction Workgroup

August 7, 2024

11:00 AM - 12:00 Noon

Zoom details here.


Virtual: Methadone Workgroup

August 8, 2024

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Zoom details here.


Virtual: Housing & Workforce Development Committee

August 9, 2024

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Zoom details here.


Virtual: Emergency Services for Unhoused Individuals Task Force

August 12, 2024

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Zoom details here.


Hybrid: Sexual Exploitation & Trafficking Workgroup

August 12, 2024

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Franklin County Reentry Center

106 Main Street, Greenfield

Zoom details here.


Virtual: Education & Prevention Committee

August 13, 2024

9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Zoom details here.


Virtual: CAM Workgroup

August 13, 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

The Stephenie Jesi Scholarship

Fill out this form to be considered or nominate another individual

Responses due by July 24

Free Program at CHOiCE Recovery Coaching

Apply here: CHOiCE Recovery Coaching Redefining Community Wellness Grant

Free Hypnosis Sessions with Certified Hypnotist Jenn Avery

Time Sensitive Announcements

June 24 - August 16 Summer Meals Under the Tent

July 1 - August 9 Athol-Royalston RSD FREE Meal Site Program

July 2 - August 13 Tuesday Splash and Fun Playgroup

July 12 Bilingual StoryStroll - StoryStroll Bilingues

July 12 Down by The River with Wildcat O'Halloran

July 12 Zydeco Connection - Stone Circle Concerts

July 12, 19, and 26 Friday Story Time

July 12, 19, and 26 Summer Kidleidescope

July 13 FREE Clothing Exchange

July 13 Art Naturally - Ink from Garden Plants

July 13 Library Storytime with the Mayor

July 13 Stone Soup Cafe Menu

July 14 Town of Rowe Summer Social

July 15 Join the Fun Building Boxville

July 15 Creative Envelope Making

July 15 Littles Locomotion

July 17 Pop Up Art School: Clay Bee

July 21 Hike Around Erving Public Library

July 15 - August 29 Tuition Free Training in Culinary Arts

July 16 Animal Talk with The Reptile Nook

July 16 Children's Book Reading by authors and sisters Emma & Belley

July 16 Rock Painting

July 23 String Art

July 16 Kids' Virtual Author Talk with Max Brallier

and

July 30 Kids' Virtual Author Talk with Dan Santat

July 17 Friendly Farming with JustRoots

July 17 & 24 North Quabbin Teen Free Summer Fun

July 18 Overdose Prevention & Narcan Training

Register here.

July 18 Family Game Night

July 18 Walk-in Interviews with Tess Champoux from Working Fields

July 18 Pop Up Library

July 19 Navigating The Joys and Challenges of Kinship Caregiving

July 19 DIY Jump Rope

July 20 Summer Day on the Buckland Common

July 20 Meet & Greet for those with Type 1 Diabetes

July 20 Owls Up Close!

July 20 The Rainbow Players Solos and Ensemble: Looking Back and Beyond!

July 22 Self-Care for Caregivers

July 22 Skateboard Lesson with Noah Halpern-McManus

July 23 Birds of Prey with Tom Ricardi

July 23 & July 30 Furry Tales Library Hour

July 23 Troubled Waters: Wendell's Doomed Power Plant

July 24 Star Wars Jedi Knight Training

July 25 HEALing Communities Study: 2024 Lessons Learned Series Using Communications Strategies to Prevent Overdose

Register for this event here.

July 25 Household & Car Seat Safety Workshop

July 27 Duckworld!

July 28 Weaving Wild Baskets with Invasive Plants

July 30 Elephant Perler Bead Workshop

July 31 & September 17 Public Information Sessions Regarding an Affordable Homeownership Opportunity in Greenfield

MONTHLY/WORKSHOP CALENDRS AND WEEKLY STANDING MEETINGS/EVENTS

Improving Housing to Improve Health News

July at The Art Garden

July Community Action Family Center Calendar

July Programs at Franklin County Reentry Center

July Programs - Great Falls Discovery Center

July Greenfield Public Library Programs

July Montague Public Library Programs

July Events at Sunderland Public Library

July at The RECOVER Project

July Union 28 Community Network for Children Program Calendar

July - August at Hilltown Youth Recovery Theatre

NQRC Summer Hours

LifePath's FREE Healthy Living Summer Workshops

Spring & Summer Pothole Pictures

Youth Works Summer 2024

Summer at The Art Garden

Montague Community Band 2024 Summer Concert Series

The Shelburne Falls Military Band Summer 2024 Schedule

2024 Seeds of Solidarity Calendar of Events

SNAP Application Assistance
Always Open! Community Labyrinth in Greenfield

NQRC Weekly Schedule

RECOVER Project Groups At a Glance
Weekdays All Recovery Meeting at
The RECOVER Project

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

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

Mondays Alternatives to Suicide Group

2nd Mondays Greenfield Healing Clinic

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

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 - Wendell Library Playgroup with Sylvia

Wednesdays - Playgroup at the Leverett Library with Gillian

Wednesdays HEROES Study Hub at GCC

Whatever Wednesday on the

Second Wednesday of every month

Third Wednesday Free Food

Last Wednesdays of every month - Office Hours With An Attorney

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 Every Month, Peer Grief Support

Fridays FreeWrite of Franklin County

First Friday of Every Month: Open Mic at the RP

Every Friday - The Garden Path

Every First & Third Friday - Grandparents & Kinship Support Group

Every Second Friday Chosen Family Night

Every Third Friday: Karaoke at The RECOVER Project

Last Friday of the Month: Gardening in Recovery
Homeshare Program with LifePath
Act Now to Stay Covered with MassHealth

Probation Case Specialist Position at Greenfield District Court

Outreach Specialist Position at CHOiCE Recovery Coaching

Community Support Navigator at CHD

DIAL/SELF AmeriCorps Opportunity at
Montague Catholic Social Ministries
CHCFC OBAT Same Day & Tele-Health Appointment Information
Free English Classes
Free Meals and Essentials
Saints James and Andrews Parish Hall
Come Cook with Franklin County
Community Meals Program
CONNECTIONS -
A Residential Program of Behavioral Health Network
Orange Food Pantry Seeking Non-Food Donations
The Franklin County Community Meals Program seeking non-food donations for its Orange Food Pantry

When people think of donating to our agency and food pantry, they often think of food- however, that's easier for us to obtain with local partnerships with farms and retailers. What we struggle to keep stocked are hygienic & household products, such as:

  • Adult pull-ups size Medium, Large, & XL
  • Menstrual products
  • Bath products- bath wash or bar soap, shampoo, conditioner
  • Deodorant
  • Floss
  • Mouthwash
  • Toothpaste (we have plenty of toothbrushes currently!)
  • Paper Towels
  • Toilet Paper
  • Laundry Detergent
  • Dish Soap
  • Household cleaners- Windex, multi-surface, floor cleaner, etc.

Dozen-sized egg cartons for repackaging the hundreds of eggs we receive weekly from retailers are also needed.

Please share this list amongst your networks! Donations can be dropped off at 324 Wells Street (the Franklin County Community Distribution Center) at our office, or if donating a large amount, drop-off can be coordinated via donate@fccmp.org. (Image credit: Pixabay)
Family Self-Sufficiency Program Available
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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