On June 15, 2026, Intermountain Education Service District (IMESD) and the Oregon Trail Regional Educator Network (OTREN) brought together 78 K–12 administrators, deans of students, and behavior support specialists from 16 regional districts for a half-day training designed to help school staff more effectively address extreme student behaviors.

The training, held at The Vert Club Room in Pendleton, was led by Dr. Will Henson, a clinical psychologist, and Mike Scott of RightTime Coaching. Participants explored why traditional behavioral interventions often fall short and left with concrete tools to guide student regulation and help support student re-entry following behavioral incidents.

Central to the training was a framework emphasizing regulation before reasoning — the idea that students must first feel safe and calm before any meaningful intervention can take place. Presenters highlighted the role of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and other external stressors in shaping student behavior. 

“Safety is the treatment,” presenters emphasized, noting that building routine, predictability, trust, and relationship into daily school culture creates the neurological conditions students need to learn and self-regulate. The training also provided staff with a checklist of regulation strategies, a list of interventions that work, and a customizable slide deck with the training information, designed to allow administrators to bring the learning back to their staff.

Dave Williams, IMESD Director of School Improvement, said, “The timing of today’s training by two seasoned professionals was perfect. It allowed building leaders to formulate plans to help educators more effectively serve and support their students.” 

IMESD regularly convene regional professional learning opportunities for educators and administrators across its 17 component districts in northeastern Oregon. This training reflects the agency’s ongoing commitment to equipping school staff with research-aligned, relationship-centered approaches to student support. The Oregon Trail REN serves 21 districts through high-quality professional learning designed to support educators in every stage of the career continuum. To learn more about the REN, please visit: Oregon Trail REN.