“Trauma” refers to an event, series of events, or set of circumstances that is experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful, or life threatening, and that has lasting adverse effects. “Event, experience, effects” are often referred to as “the Es of trauma.” The National Council on Mental Wellbeing reports that 70% of adult Americans have experienced some type of traumatic event at least once in their lives. In public behavioral health, over 90% of clients have experienced trauma.
Dan Isaacson is the Board President of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Lane County and a Co-Chair of the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Lane County, a grass-roots advocacy group that supports suicide prevention initiatives in cooperation with the Suicide Prevention Program at Lane County Public Health. Isaacson is also CEO of OneGro, Inc., and a Eugene Planning Commissioner. He earned a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Arizona and a BA in Political Science and PhD in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Oregon.