Jacqueline M. Calayag, MSC, CPSRP, RCP
Program Coordinator – State Opioid Response
jcalayag@catalystct.org
203.989.5529
Hi, I’m Jacqueline and I serve as the Program Coordinator for the Prescription Drug Overdose (PDO), Substance-Exposed Children (SEC) and Recovery Friendly Workplace (RFW) initiatives here in Region 1. My focus is reducing opioid harm and fatalities in our communities by increasing awareness of opioid dangers, as well as reducing stigma and promoting empathy for people with opioid and other substance use disorders (OUD/SUD). I teach community members how to save a life using naloxone (Narcan). I train first responders and other key community sectors how to engage family members, friends and bystanders present at an opioid emergency by providing naloxone and resources to prevent another emergency. I also help agencies, businesses and organizations in the region earn state recognition as Recovery Friendly Workplaces (RFWs), developing ongoing partnerships that foster supportive environments for employees facing mental health and/or substance use concerns. Finally, I help remove barriers to accessing naloxone by installing free cabinets with kits across the region. If you are interested in a training, receiving free naloxone or a free naloxone cabinet and kits, please feel free to contact me!
Liz Toth, DDRO
Drug Demand Reduction Outreach Specialist
etoth@catalystct.org
203.450.3328
Hi, my name is Liz Toth, and I serve with the Connecticut National Guard Counterdrug Task Force Program working in Region 1. Our primary focus is on prevention, education, and overdose response initiatives aimed at reducing the demand for illegal narcotics within our communities we serve. We provide training for nurses, law enforcement, firefighters, and school administrators on how to administer naloxone to help save lives and ensure participants are equipped with essential resources in an Opioid Overdose Rescue Kit (OORK). I also help coordinate the “Stashed Away” Trailer Resource, an interactive mobile trailer designed like a teenager’s bedroom. This program educates parents, guardians, and community members on how to identify hidden drugs and paraphernalia. If you’re interested in a free naloxone cabinet with naloxone, training opportunities, or booking the “Stashed Away” trailer, please feel free to reach out.
Faith Mailu
AmeriCorps Member – Opioid Prevention & Community Outreach
fmailu@catalystct.org
203.383.0554
Hi My name is Faith and I am an AmeriCorps Prevention Corps member at Catalyst CT The Hub, where I assist the opioid prevention team with prevention training, community outreach, and education. I also provide Drug Endangered Children (DEC) training in the community and volunteer with Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR), representing The Hub in support of prevention and recovery efforts.
Strategic Opioid and Fentanyl Awareness
Opioids are a class of drugs primarily used to treat pain. There are prescription opioids, such as oxycodone (OxyContin®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), codeine, morphine, and methadone, and illegal opioids, such as heroin. While opioids can be very effective in treating pain, they are highly addictive. Often, people who become dependent on prescription opioids turn to heroin as a cheaper source.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is causing accidental overdoses and claiming lives across the country. In 2021, fentanyl took more lives than gun- and auto-related deaths combined. Illicit fentanyl is being mixed with other drugs to increase its potency and is sold as powders and nasal sprays. It also is becoming increasingly common to find it pressed into pills, which are made to look like legitimate prescription drugs.
Every 7 out of 10 fake pills tested for fentanyl contain a lethal dose.
State Opioid Response Initiative
To help combat the nationwide opioid crisis, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced nearly $1.5 billion in State Opioid Response (SOR) grants. The grants cover a variety of services, including prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery support.
The Hub uses its SOR funding to increase awareness of opioid use disorder (OUD), reduce unmet treatment needs, and prevent opioid-related deaths. We do this work by:
- Conducting assessments of opioid overdoses in the region
- Attending meetings and trainings associated with OUD
- Offering free community training on how to administer Narcan (naloxone)
- Supplying free Narcan (naloxone) kits to community members
- Providing suicide awareness and prevention training
- Organizing drug take-back initiatives
- Advising about proper storage and disposal of addictive substances
- Managing mini-grant awards to regional communities for their opioid awareness and prevention efforts
