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January 5, 2024: Issue 1

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 #74

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.

I always find January to be one of the more "challenging" months for me. I did some reading and wanted to share what I found.



.....January can be an emotional month for many, many people.


We reflect on the previous year, while a new year comes knocking. Expectations and opportunities can do battle with our inner demons as resolutions fall by the wayside. There is also a great deal of sadness for some people for what has gone, mixed with the difficulty of dark, cold days.


January is also prime time for Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, a mood disorder that occurs when the seasons change. It usually starts in the fall and winter and continues until spring and summer hit again. “Lack of light causes depressive symptoms" (Dr. Wendy Walsh)



I am not one for New Year's resolutions: every year my scale reminds me of yet another failed resolution, so I have decided we are no longer on speaking terms!


I do however try to remember a quote by Nane Hoffman:


"Don't worry about wanting what other people think you should want. Peace in your heart is an achievement. Calm in your mind is an achievement. Kindness in your actions is an achievement. These are worthy goals."


While I don't have any answers, I do know for myself sometimes just the feel of the sun on my face gives me warmth and hope. As we look forward to 2024, I am hopeful this is a year of strength and hope for those who need it.



Warmly,

Cathi

Visit SAMHSA's website for support and resources

OTF Members in the News

"413Cares Platform Receives $200K in State Funding" ~ Greenfield Recorder (12/22/2023)


"Local legislators recently presented a $200,000 check from the state to the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts to support its 413Cares initiative, which connects people with the resources they need in an online portal. The event took place at the institute’s offices at 127 State St. in Springfield.


The funding was secured for 413Cares in the fiscal year 2024 state budget as the result of a legislative earmark sponsored by Rep. Michael Finn and Sen. Adam Gomez. Funding was secured through the Department of Public Health.


“413Cares has truly modernized and expanded how residents access resources here in western Massachusetts,” Finn said. “Their easy-to-use and central location provides information about countless different programs, dramatically simplifying a once daunting task for those seeking help. I am proud to have joined my colleagues to support this invaluable asset for our region in the FY24 budget.”


Launched in 2019 by the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts with support from Baystate Health, 413Cares.org is an online community resource database for the region. The platform has reached more than 100,000 searches and more than 111,000 interactions with programs. Top searches are for housing, food resources and health-related resources.

The Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts has received funding from the state in the past two legislative budgeting cycles to support 413Cares. Due to promoting awareness of the portal and building partnerships, in 2023 413Cares saw a 234% increase in website traffic over the previous year, and a sharp increase in referrals through the website to community-based organizations.


This year, the state resources are funding three new regional partners to provide outreach, promotion and support of the platform: Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, Quaboag Hills Community Coalition and the Hilltown Community Health Center. This is in addition to existing regional partner Community Action Pioneer Valley, funded by Baystate Health."


(Contributed Photo)

"Unbelievable Generosity Shown Through Toy Drive " ~Greenfield Recorder 12/23/2023)

"One woman showed up at the Greenfield Health Department’s offices with nearly 50 handmade blankets to donate, recalled Public Health Nurse Meg Tudryn.

Another woman, a Greenfield Community College nursing student, dropped off “bags and bags” of gifts, having once been a person who’d fallen on hard times and saw an opportunity to give back. Yet another person brought caseloads of diapers, while someone else contributed gift cards to food establishments. And then there was the woman who arrived with a wagon loaded with gifts she’d bought at TJ Maxx and Marshalls, added Health Inspector Nicole DuCharme.


All of the items dropped off at the offices on Sanderson Street were part of a toy drive coordinated this month by ServiceNet, which manages both the emergency shelter at the Days Inn on Colrain Road and the Greenfield Family Inn on Federal Street, as well as other sites scattered throughout the city. The toy drive will also benefit REACH, ServiceNet’s early childhood intervention program. The donations, which were wrapped and labeled by ServiceNet staff this week at their Northampton office, were delivered to each of the shelters on Friday for families to open on Christmas morning.


“We’ve had the best possible problem of having to keep up with the amount of toys,” ServiceNet Director of Communications & Development Amy Diehl said from outside the Days Inn on Friday, where she unloaded donations from a ServiceNet box truck, separating them by age group and handing them to case managers who brought them indoors for safe keeping. The Days Inn has been used since June to provide emergency shelter to immigrant and refugee families, many of whom are Haitian immigrants, under the Massachusetts Emergency Housing Assistance Program.

“This is 10 times bigger [than last year’s drive],” she said. “Everyone has been thrilled by it. I think it’s brought all of us joy and I think it’ll bring joy to everyone else at the shelter.”


“Everyone will have a gift,” she said. “Every kid deserves to wake up on Christmas morning and open a present.” 


(Staff Photo/Mary Buren)


Virtual: Treatment & Recovery Committee

January 5, 2024

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Zoom details here.



Emergency Services for Unhoused Individuals Task Force

January 8, 2024

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Zoom details here



Hybrid: Sexual Exploitation & Trafficking Workgroup

January 8, 2024

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Franklin County Reentry Center

106 Main Street, Greenfield

Zoom details here.



Virtual: Healthcare Solutions Committee

January 12, 2024

10:00 AM -12:00 Noon

Zoom details here



Hybrid: Public Safety & Justice Committee

February 5, 2024

1:00 - 2:00 PM

Franklin County Reentry Center

106 Main Street, Greenfield

Zoom details here.


Virtual: Harm Reduction Workgroup

February 7, 2024

11:00 AM - 12:00 Noon

Zoom details here.


Virtual: Methadone Workgroup

February 8, 2024

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Zoom details here.



Virtual: Housing & Workforce Development Committee

February 9, 2024

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Zoom details here.



Virtual: CAM Workgroup

February 13, 2024

11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Zoom details here.



Virtual: Building a Resilient Community Workgroup

February 21, 2024

11:00 AM - 12:00 Noon

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

Although the HEALing Communities Study has officially ended, many strategies and programs will continue. Please see the following for information regarding the study highlights and strategies.

Learn more at HealTogetherMA.org

Updated Emergency Resources for
Unhoused Individuals
Time Sensitive Announcements

January 6 Used Book Sale

January 6 Stone Soup Cafe

January 10 Herbs Work

January 10 - February 14 Wednesdays - Active Parenting of Teens

January 11 PJ Storytime

January 11 Hot Chocolate Social

January 11 - February 15 Thursdays Positive Discipline

January 13 "Let's Play Library" Bluey Party

January 13 Young Person's Recovery Intensive

January 14 Open Audition & Rehearsal for Kinky Boots

January 16 Lunch & Learn

January 16 Together We Can Be The Dream

January 18 Family Game Night

January 18 Great Stories Club: Imagining Tomorrow

January 20 Winter Ecology Walk

January 21 Craft Day with the Friends - 1pm

Erving Public Library

February 5 Board of Health Opioid Listening Session

MONTHLY/WORKSHOP CALENDERS AND WEEKLY STANDING MEETINGS/EVENTS
Improving Housing to Improve Health News

Re-Entry Foundational Manufacturing Program

January Franklin County Reentry Center Calendar

January Programs at the Great Falls Discovery Center

January Brick House Programs

January Programs-Community Action Family Center

SNAP Application Assistance
Always Open! Community Labyrinth in Greenfield
RECOVER Project Groups At a Glance
Weekdays All Recovery Meeting at
The RECOVER Project
Monday - Friday
Movement Group with North Quabbin Recovery Center Peer Leaders
Mondays North Quabbin Patch Parents' Council
Mondays Art Guild Meetings
Mondays Advanced Manufacturing Info Sessions
Monday Drug Court Alumni Group - North Quabbin
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
Mondays and Wednesdays
Restless, Irritable, and Discontent: Your Brain in Recovery

Tuesdays
Peer-Led Grief and Loss Circle
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
Wednesdays - Housing Navigator Sessions at the Franklin County Reentry Center
Wednesdays HEROES Study Hub at GCC
Wednesdays Men's Support Group:
Keep Moving Forward
First & Third Thursdays Parent Support Group
Thursdays Recovery Support Group Meetings at the Franklin County Reentry Center
Thursdays Coffee Hour at the Brick House
Thursdays Beyond Trauma Group in Spanish
Second Thursdays Every Month, Peer Grief Support

First Friday of Every Month: Ope Mic at the RP

Every First & Third Friday - Grandparents & Kinship Support Group
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
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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