A $90,000 grant from the National Joint Powers Alliance could support the creation of trauma-informed organizations in five area counties.

The social services departments in Crow Wing, Cass, Morrison, Todd and Wadena counties are together seeking the Innovation Funding grant, which if awarded would pay for training county staff in working with individuals and families that have experienced trauma.

Kara Terry, Crow Wing County Community Services director, went before the county board Tuesday to ask for permission to sign a letter of support for the grant application. In Terry's request for board action, she cited a statistic that "51 percent of general population has experienced some sort of trauma in their childhood."

Commissioner Paul Thiede asked Terry what the basis of that statement was.

"I got up in the morning and sneezed so hard, I got a bloody nose," Thiede said. "And I hate the sight of blood. So I experienced trauma. That doesn't qualify?"

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