What are the opening hours?

Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

Northampton Department of Health and Human Services

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Northampton, MA
Northampton Department of Health and Human Services

The Northampton DHHS promotes and protects the health of the individual, family and community.

Our social media policy can be found here: www.northamptonma.gov/2575/Policies For information about COVID-19, visit: https://northamptonma.gov/2104/Covid-19-Information

For information about our COVID-19 vaccination clinics, visit: https://www.northamptonma.gov/2219/COVID-19-Vaccination-Clinics

08/28/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us last night to remember those we have lost, support those who are still here, and stand together as a community. We are especially grateful to our many community partners who make this work possible throughout the year. 💜

08/27/2026

A Community Approach to Overdose Prevention

This week, Northampton DHHS Commissioner Merridith O’Leary joined Dr. Sunny Shukla, Cooley Dickinson Hospital Associate Chief Medical Officer and Emergency Department physician, on WHMP to talk about local overdose prevention efforts and the partnership between public health and healthcare.

The conversation highlighted a new step in that work: DHHS recently provided three NaloxBoxes to Cooley Dickinson for installation in and around the Emergency Department, expanding access to lifesaving naloxone and building on years of collaborative overdose-prevention and harm-reduction efforts in our community.

🎧 Listen to the WHMP conversation: https://whmp.com/podcasts/community-issues/

And as we approach International Overdose Awareness Day on August 31, please join us tonight, August 27, from 6–8 p.m. on the lawn at Forbes Library for Northampton’s annual vigil. Together, we’ll remember those we have lost to overdose, support the people who love them, and stand together in reducing stigma and preventing overdose.

💜 All are welcome.

08/24/2026

This Thursday, our community will come together to remember the lives lost to overdose, support those who carry that loss, and recognize all those whose lives have been impacted by substance use.

Please join Northampton DHHS, Hampshire HOPE, and our community partners for our annual International Overdose Awareness Day Vigil.

💜 Come to remember. Come to connect. Come to show your support. All are welcome.

📅 Thursday, August 27
🕕 6:00–8:00 p.m.
📍 Forbes Library, Northampton

Together, we can honor those we have lost, reduce the stigma surrounding substance use, and continue building a community where people feel supported, valued, and connected.

Please share and help us spread the word. 💜

08/21/2026

🦟Mosquito season isn’t over yet.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has announced the state’s first human case of West Nile virus (WNV) this year. The individual was exposed in Middlesex County, but WNV continues to be detected in mosquitoes across Massachusetts, and risk levels have been raised in communities across the state, including in Hampshire County.

This is a good time to keep up the simple steps that help prevent mosquito bites:

• Use an EPA-registered insect repellent when spending time outdoors.
• Wear long sleeves and pants when practical.
• Be especially mindful of mosquito activity from dusk to dawn.
• Empty standing water around your home, including buckets, flowerpots and other containers.
• Check that window and door screens are in good repair.

Most people infected with West Nile virus do not develop symptoms, but the virus can cause serious illness, particularly among older adults and people with weakened immune systems.

Mosquitoes can remain active until the first hard frost, so prevention continues to be important as we head toward the end of summer.

Learn more and check current mosquito-borne illness risk levels: https://www.mass.gov/mosquito-borne-diseases

08/13/2026

📣 We’re hiring! Join the Northampton DHHS team as a Health Inspector.

Our Health Inspectors do important, hands-on work every day to help keep Northampton healthy and safe: from food safety and housing to environmental health, sanitation, and community education.

If you’re looking for meaningful public health work with a direct impact on the community, we’d love to hear from you!

📅 Full-time, 40 hours/week
💰 Anticipated hiring rate: $30.04–$33.82/hour
⏰ Apply by August 25, 2026

Learn more and apply through the City of Northampton Employment page https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/northamptonma

08/03/2026

August in National Immunization Awareness Month! Vaccines are one of the safest preventive care measures available and help play a vital role in keeping you healthy.

Here are 10 Reasons to Get Vaccinated!

1. Viruses and bacteria that cause disease still exist and can be passed on to those who are unvaccinated and unprotected.

2. Vaccines help keep you healthy! If you skip vaccines, you may be at risk for diseases including flu, measles, and HPV and hepatitis B–both leading causes of cancer.

3. Like eating healthy and exercising, vaccines help play a vital role in protecting your health.

4. Vaccine-preventable diseases can be deadly. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately 50,000 adults died from vaccine-preventable diseases in the US each year. Routine childhood immunizations are estimated to have prevented more than 1 million deaths in US children between 1994–2023.

5. The US has a robust approval process in place to ensure the safety of all licensed and approved vaccines. Potential side effects associated with vaccines are uncommon and much less severe than the diseases they prevent.

6. Vaccines contain either killed or weakened viruses, making it impossible for vaccines to give you the diseases they are designed to prevent.

7. Although infants and older adults are at increased risk for serious complications, vaccine-preventable diseases can strike anyone, at any time. If you are young and healthy, getting vaccinated can help you stay that way.

8. Diseases carry a high price tag for society as a whole, exceeding an estimated $10 billion per year. Vaccination is a cost-effective way to save lives. Studies have found that every $1 spent on childhood immunizations results in a savings to the US economy of approximately $11. In adults, 1 study found that an adult vaccination program can return up to 19 times its initial investment.

9. Staying up to date on all recommended vaccines helps protect you and your family as well as those in your community who are unable to be vaccinated.

10. In the US, millions of adults get sick from vaccine-preventable diseases each year, leaving them unable to care for those who depend on them.

07/15/2026

Air Quality Alert for Northampton

The Northampton Department of Health and Human Services is encouraging residents to take a few extra precautions today. With high temperatures and wildfire smoke affecting our region, an Air Quality Alert is in effect for our area.

Today's air quality may be unhealthy for older adults, young children, people who are pregnant, and anyone with asthma, heart disease, or other lung conditions. If you're in one of these groups, consider limiting prolonged outdoor activity, keeping windows closed if possible, and using air conditioning or an air purifier if you have one.

Even if you're generally healthy, the combination of heat and smoke can make it harder to breathe. If you notice coughing, shortness of breath, or irritation after spending time outdoors, head inside, stay hydrated, and give your body a break.

Please check in on neighbors, friends, and family members who may be more vulnerable, and stay informed by following today's local air quality forecast. Stay cool, stay safe, and take good care of one another.

07/14/2026

We've received a few questions about Cyclospora following recent news reports of cases in the U.S., so our Public Health Nursing team put together a quick overview of what you should know.

The good news? The risk of infection is low, and there are simple steps you can take to reduce your risk, including washing fresh produce, washing your hands with soap and water, and cooking foods when appropriate.

If you do become ill, most cases are mild, and effective antibiotic treatment is available when needed.

Swipe through for symptoms, prevention tips, and practical information to help keep you and your family healthy.

07/07/2026

The Division of Community Care (DCC) is seeking a Community Care Responder to provide immediate, on-the-ground crisis support in Northampton.

You'll work directly with community members in need of support to provide emotional support, conflict resolution, de-escalation, and resource navigation services, collaborating with partner agencies to connect people to continued care. You'll also engage in community outreach and attend events to build relationships with community members and partners and enhance support services.

Learn more about the position and apply at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/northamptonma

07/01/2026

🌡️ Stay Cool, Northampton

With dangerous heat expected through the holiday weekend, the City of Northampton has opened cooling centers to help residents stay safe.

✅ The Northampton Police Station lobby (29 Center St.) is open 24 hours a day throughout the heat event, including the holiday weekend.

Additional cooling locations—including the Division of Community Care, Lilly Library, and Manna Community Center—will be open during scheduled hours.

Remember:
💧 Drink plenty of water.
🏠 Spend time in air-conditioned spaces.
☀️ Limit outdoor activity during the hottest part of the day.
❤️ Check on older adults, neighbors, friends, and anyone who may be especially vulnerable to the heat.

Heat-related illness can become serious quickly, but it is preventable. Stay cool, stay hydrated, and stay safe.

Address

212 Main Street
Northampton, MA
01060

Opening Hours

Monday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday	8:30am - 4:30pm

Website

https://www.northamptonma.gov/245/Health-Human-Services

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