Training People Can Use When It Matters.
Knowing what to do is only the beginning. Alshwell workshops combine practical instruction, real-world experience, hands-on practice, and reflection to help people build skills they can access when situations become difficult.
Workshop at a glance
Practical, high-impact Oregon Intervention System instruction designed for direct support professionals, caregivers, and provider agencies across Oregon.
Format and duration
A comprehensive two-day workshop requiring a minimum of 14 hours of instruction. The schedule blends proactive theory, real-world case discussions, and hands-on crisis intervention practice. All workshops meet the general level requirements and each participant can be trained up to the advanced level.
Cohort size and pricing
Limited to a maximum of 12 participants per session to ensure individualized feedback, personal engagement, and thorough physical skill demonstration at $100 per participant.
Instructor credentials
Facilitated by an Independent Level 3 OIS Instructor with more than 26 years of dedicated experience across Oregon’s intellectual and developmental disability service system.
Agency-hosted sessions
Tailored specifically for the Oregon IDD workforce, with flexible on-site and agency-hosted options available to train provider teams directly within their community.
Oregon Intervention System (OIS) Workshops
Two-Day OIS Training | Independent Level 3 Instructor
Meet Your Instructor
Sarah is an OIS Level 3 Independent Instructor with more than 26 years of experience in Oregon’s IDD system. Her background includes Positive Behavior Support, crisis prevention and response, staff training, organizational leadership, and executive leadership.
Sarah brings real-world experience into the classroom, helping participants move beyond simply knowing OIS concepts to understanding how to apply them when situations become difficult. Her approach emphasizes awareness, practical skill, dignity, and preparation—creating an engaging environment where participants can practice, ask questions, and build confidence.
Be Ready. Respond Well.
OIS provides a comprehensive framework for understanding behavior, preventing crisis, supporting regulation, and responding safely when challenging situations occur. Alshwell's two-day workshops combine required OIS content with practical discussion, application, and skill practice grounded in the realities of supporting people with IDD.
What participants will learn
Participants leave better prepared to recognize what behavior is communicating, identify factors that can contribute to escalation, and use proactive, positive support strategies. Training emphasizes how to respond safely during difficult moments while reflecting on how their own actions directly influence the people they support.
The goal isn't simply to complete a training or satisfy a compliance checklist. At Alshwell, the focus is on building practical, grounded skills that providers, direct support professionals, and caregivers can actually access and rely on when challenging moments arise.
Who Is This Training For?
- Direct Support Professionals
- Personal Support Workers
- Supervisors and managers
- Residential and in-home provider teams
- Employment/day-support professionals
- Others supporting people with IDD.
How OIS Training Is Paid For
For provider organizations: OIS training is typically arranged and funded by the DSP's employer.
For PSWs and family members: Other training or reimbursement pathways may be available depending on role and eligibility. Contact Alshwell if you're unsure where to begin.
The Alshwell Training Approach
See Clearly. Prepare Beforehand. Stay Human.
See Clearly.
Look beyond the immediate behavior. Notice what is happening, consider context, and separate observation from assumption.
Prepare Beforehand.
Skills are most useful when they've been understood, practiced, and strengthened before the difficult moment arrives.
Stay Human.
Safety and accountability matter. So do dignity, connection, and respect—especially when situations become difficult.
Be Ready. Respond Well.
What to Expect:
Expect to participate.
Alshwell workshops aren't designed around hours of passive presentation. Participants are invited to discuss, practice, ask questions, work through real-world situations, and connect what they're learning to the people they actually support.
Come comfortable, ready to participate, and ready to learn.
More Training from Alshwell
Additional workshops in Positive Behavior Support, Human Readiness, leadership, regulation, and responding effectively in difficult situations are in development.
Key takeaways from our workshops
Our workshops focus on three core principles: SEE WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING by developing awareness, curiosity, and contextual understanding. BUILD THE SKILL BEFORE YOU NEED IT through practice, rehearsal, and scenario planning. And critically, NEVER LOSE THE HUMAN by maintaining a human-centered approach even under pressure. These principles build leadership and practical skills.
