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Advocate for Trauma Survivors

Susan Salasin ’64

July 15, 2018, in Oakland, California.

Susan Crawford Salasin, after her experience as a survivor of violent crime at age 16, dedicated her life to advocating for others who had experienced the same trauma. She worked as an international adviser for trauma-informed public health programs, keeping trauma on the public mental health agenda.

Susan was born in Portland, Oregon, on August 9, 1941, and studied psychology at Reed. Upon graduating, she married John Salasin ’63. They had two daughters, Elisa and Amanda, and moved to Maryland in 1972, where Susan began work with the National Institute for Mental Health, where she would serve survivors of violent crimes and tragedies for four decades.

While at NIMH, Susan served as a liaison in developing the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) through the Department of Justice, and provided testimony for the President’s Task Force on Crime Victims for the U.S. Following the passage of VOCA, she consulted with the United Nations Center for Humanitarian Affairs in the development of the original United Nations Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power.

During the 1990s and early 2000s, Susan codirected a national project on designing and evaluating trauma-integrated services, a breakthrough in women’s trauma treatment. In 2012, her life’s work was commemorated with the founding of the Salasin Project and the Salasin Center for Women and Children, which provides opportunities to build community for survivors of domestic violence and their families.

In 2014, Susan relocated to Oakland, where she died at age 76 with her daughters by her side. She was predeceased by her husband, John, and is survived by her daughters, Elisa Simon and Amanda Salasin. She will be remembered for her pioneering work in violence prevention, as well as for her lively, bright soul.

Appeared in Reed magazine: Fall 2024

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