UConn School of Pharmacy students, Lyla White, Jaden Roxes, and Ryan Kurschner, and faculty member, C. Michael White, Pharm.D., partnered with The Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) at the Middletown PrideFEST 2023 on June 3rd.
Middletown PrideFEST is just one of many events hosted by Middletown Pride during the month of June and throughout the year. Middletown Pride is one of Connecticut’s largest pride events held in downtown Middletown, Connecticut each June. They believe that pride is both a demonstration for, and a celebration of, local LGBTQIA2S+ communities.
“I am proud of our UConn students who volunteered their time at the Middletown Pride event,” said Dr. White. “They fully engaged with the community, educating them on the risk of opioid overdose and ways to reduce that risk. The Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) partnered with us to provide Naloxone (Narcan) so people in the community would have the product in case they needed it in an emergency and with fentanyl test strips so people could assure that products were not adulterated with this deadly opioid. The response was overwhelmingly positive and could be a life saver as these educated people leave with a life saving product for those experiencing opioid overdose. DMHAS has been a fabulous partner in our public engagement efforts around the State of Connecticut this year and I hope we can continue to synergize for the good of all citizens in the State of Connecticut.”
DMHAS is a healthcare service agency responsible for health promotion and the prevention and treatment of mental health and substance use disorders in Connecticut. The single overarching goal of DMHAS is promoting and achieving a quality-focused, culturally responsive, and recovery-oriented system of care. The mission of DMHAS is to improve the quality of life for Connecticut residents by providing an integrated network of comprehensive, effective and efficient mental health and addiction services that foster self-sufficiency, dignity and respect.
