What is PARedu?
PAR is dedicated to enhancing lives by empowering providers and other stakeholders in Intellectual Disability and Autism services by delivering high-quality learning opportunities rooted in exceptional training and continuous development. At the heart of this commitment is PARedu—an innovative platform offering a comprehensive suite of educational trainings, professional development programs, and informative webinars.
Designed specifically for the Intellectual Disability/Autism (ID/A) field, PARedu equips professionals and other stakeholders with the knowledge and skills needed to provide outstanding person-centered care support and services. Led by subject matter experts, our dynamic learning opportunities cover essential topics like Leadership Development; Person-Centered Approaches and Supports; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; and emerging trends and best practices in the ID/A community.
The majority of PARedu classes can be used toward Frontline Supervisor credentialing with the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP), and many PARedu classes count toward DSP credentialing. To learn more about NADSP Frontline Supervisor and DSP credentialing, click here or email [email protected].
PAR offers training in collaboration with the Alabama Service Providers Association (ASPA) and the Tennessee Community Organizations (TNCO). By investing in education and professional growth, we are building stronger, more inclusive communities where individuals with ID/A can truly thrive.
Click here for a list of past trainings.
Interested in becoming a part of the PARedu lineup? Fill out the below PARedu Proposal Form.
UPCOMING EVENTS
How to Have Difficult Discussions and Productive Conflict Part II
Tuesday // September 15
10:00 am - 12:00 pm EST // Virtual
Speaker Bio
Conflict resolution and management is an essential skill of any leader. For an organization to grow and thrive, diverse opinions and thoughts must be welcomed and encouraged. These diverse opinions and thoughts will often result in conflict. Will this conflict propel your organization forward or bring it down?
Learning Objectives:
- Learn tactics and methods that promote and support healthy and productive conflict
- Learn the HEAT method to turn down the temperature of difficult situations
- Learn the DESC method (Describe, Express, Specify and Consequences) to hold someone accountable in under three minutes
- Learn how to be aware of your body language, tone and overall presence so you may cultivate “Cowboy Energy”
- Learn how to create effective communication expectations where your staff feels safe to say what is on their minds in a respectful manner while recognizing that difficult discussions are an essential part of any healthy organization
Can't make the training live? All registrants will receive a recording valid for 30 days after the conclusion of the training.
 Provisionally accredited by the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) for Frontline Supervisors.
Discounted pricing is available to members of PAR, ASPA, and TNCO members! Please register below using the button that corresponds with the state you operate in:
Workforce 101: Schedule & Pay Strategies
Tuesday // September 22
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm EST // Virtual
Speaker Bio
GoodLife helps agencies implement its best practice, evidence-based scheduling/pay/vacancy management practices that are achieving dramatic outcomes that include 1) low vacancy rates; 2) $2.50 to $3.00 per hour pay increases, 3) 96% full time staff, 4) 15% fewer different people involved in care; 5) a 40%-70% increased capacity to work extra; 6) 5X application pipelines for more attractive open positions; 7) greater care consistency; 8) low openings on weekends; and 9) managers that don’t need to fill shift consistently.
All these outcomes are affordably achieved in under six months, while maintaining the same payroll and ratio requirements. In this session, participants will learn how to affordably move from instability to stability and create a better work-life balance for DSPs who move our mission forward. This session focuses on continuous staffing support models.
Can't make the training live? All registrants will receive a recording valid for 30 days after the conclusion of the training.
Provisionally accredited by the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) for Frontline Supervisors.
Discounted pricing is available to members of PAR, ASPA, and TNCO members! Please register below using the button that corresponds with the state you operate in:
Stinkers! How to Motivate, Manage, and Deal with Difficult and Toxic Staff Members
Wednesday // October 14
10:00 am - 12:00 pm EST // Virtual
Speaker Bio
Discover effective strategies for managing 'Stinkers'—employees whose toxic behaviors negatively impact your organization. This session provides insights on navigating challenging attitudes and fostering a positive work environment with proven effective methods.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify characteristics of difficult employees and understand their impact on workplace culture.
- Learn strategies to motivate and improve the behavior of challenging employees.
- Develop skills to manage difficult employees in a manner that is both empathetic and effective.
Can't make the training live? All registrants will receive a recording valid for 30 days after the conclusion of the training.
Provisionally accredited by the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) for Frontline Supervisors.
Discounted pricing is available to members of PAR, ASPA, and TNCO members! Please register below using the button that corresponds with the state you operate in:
Supporting the Creation of Person-Centered Environments
Tuesday // October 20
10:00 am - 12:00 pm EST // Virtual
Speaker Bio
This session crosswalks to the NADSP competency area of “Direct Support”.
This course equips professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to foster home and community environments that truly reflect the people who live and spend time in them. Participants will explore the core principles of accessibility, comfort, privacy, and personalization, and learn how environmental features can either support or hinder safety, independence, and quality of life. Through practical examples and guided discussion, learners will strengthen their ability to collaborate with participants to design spaces that honor individual preferences, culture, and personal style and balance participant choice with health, safety, and regulatory requirements. In this session, participants will learn the following:
- Define the principles of accessibility, comfort, privacy, and personalization in home and community settings.
- Identify environmental barriers that impact safety, privacy, independence, and quality of life.
- Guide staff in collaborating with participants to design environments that reflect individual preferences, culture, and style.
- Apply strategies to balance participant choice with health, safety, and regulatory requirements.
- Use coaching and observation techniques to support staff in creating respectful, individualized environments.
Can't make the training live? All registrants will receive a recording valid for 30 days after the conclusion of the training.
Provisionally accredited by the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) for Frontline Supervisors.
Discounted pricing is available to members of PAR, ASPA, and TNCO members! Please register below using the button that corresponds with the state you operate in:
How to Effectively Navigate Confrontation
Tuesday // November 3
10:00 am - 12:00 pm EST // Virtual
Speaker Bio
A not so secret, secret – CONFLICT permeates our lives! From mild disagreements to “finger pointing” hostility, we deal with conflict all the time. Most persons avoid conflict like the flu or a root canal, yet conflict can be constructive, informative and manageable! Are there ways to positively deal with conflict and can we manage it – YES, THERE ARE, AND YES, WE CAN!!!!
Learning Objectives:
- What conflict is and what it is not!
- The three (3) types of disagreement.
- To identify conflicts in their present positions.
- How to respond objectively and positively to conflict.
- Five (5) general conflict concepts.
- How to use the four (4) steps of conflict resolution!
- Five (5) tips when managing conflict situations.
- Three (3) strategies to use to reduce/prevent workplace conflict.
Can't make the training live? All registrants will receive a recording valid for 30 days after the conclusion of the training.
Provisionally accredited by the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) for Frontline Supervisors.
Discounted pricing is available to members of PAR, ASPA, and TNCO members! Please register below using the button that corresponds with the state you operate in:
Recruitment and Pipeline Management
Thursday // November 19
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm EST // Virtual
Speaker Bio
Join us for a comprehensive session where we explore workforce management strategies crucial to enhancing your organization’s stability and learn how to turn your recruitment pipeline from a drip to a flow. With over four decades of collaboration between GoodLife Innovations and the University of Kansas, we have redefined possibilities in building workforce capacity.
This session will deliver innovative strategies for staff recruitment, replacement, and management, so attendees gain actionable insights to address the very real challenges of high turnover and chronic vacancies. Using real-world data and implementation strategies, we will equip leadership teams with the tools to deliver sustainable workforce solutions that affordably improve care quality and achieve greater organizational efficiency.
Can't make the training live? All registrants will receive a recording valid for 30 days after the conclusion of the training.
Provisionally accredited by the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) for Frontline Supervisors.
Discounted pricing is available to members of PAR, ASPA, and TNCO members! Please register below using the button that corresponds with the state you operate in:
Appreciology
Tuesday // December 8
10:00 am - 12:00 pm EST // Virtual
Speaker Bio
Nearly 40% of staff report leaving their jobs because of feeling “underappreciated!” The old styles of leadership are no longer effective given a new staff generation, new technologies and new issues never before encountered. Through a seriously humorous presentation Mr. Speaks and Dr. Greg will discuss the art and science of appreciation which will assist in expanding your LEADERSHIP TOOL KIT!
Learning Objectives:
- The six (6) principles of appreciation.
- Four (4) practical ways to demonstrate appreciation.
- How to hold staff accountable while using appreciative techniques.
- How to appreciate and assist with recruitment, retention and agency reputation.
Can't make the training live? All registrants will receive a recording valid for 30 days after the conclusion of the training.
Provisionally accredited by the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) for Frontline Supervisors.
Discounted pricing is available to members of PAR, ASPA, and TNCO members! Please register below using the button that corresponds with the state you operate in:
Wrap-Around Benefits - Creating and Navigating Non-Traditional Benefits That Can Improve the Lives, Satisfaction, and Stability of DSPs Who Make a Mission Work
Tuesday // December 15
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm EST // Virtual
Speaker Bio
The DCW workforce is highly diverse and multicultural, with increasing language barriers. It also faces financial challenges, with over 50% of DCWs eligible for public funding subsidies. The benefits and support that DCWs want—and need to live better lives—differ from what is traditionally provided by community providers. What DCWs want is better housing, transportation, childcare, attractive schedules with more and better days off, the ability to work extra hours (without the requirement to do so), work/life balance, schedule flexibility, work close to home, career ladders, frequent and more “take-home” pay, help to access subsidies, and all around more “useful” benefits.
This session presents a compilation of strategies used at GoodLife and by national thought leaders that affordably enhance the lives of the people we rely on to advance the frontline of our mission. We will discuss leveraging unique subsidies and specialized health plans that allow you to create a different and better offering for DCWs, tax-free benefits and compensation strategies; school, housing, and transportation benefits; matching strategies for benefits; career ladder strategies; better pay strategies; as well as other valuable benefits that save money for the DCW and agency.
Hear the results of studies of DSP preference surveys. Learn about the next generation of benefits from GoodLife's national provider support team to maximize DCW resources for living better lives while also improving the capacity of community service providers to advance their mission affordably.
Can't make the training live? All registrants will receive a recording valid for 30 days after the conclusion of the training.
Provisionally accredited by the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) for Frontline Supervisors.
Discounted pricing is available to members of PAR, ASPA, and TNCO members! Please register below using the button that corresponds with the state you operate in:
Supporting People Through Aging, Grief, and Change
Wednesday // December 16
10:00 am - 12:00 pm EST // Virtual
Speaker Bio
This session crosswalks to the NADSP competency area of “Direct Support”.
This class empowers professionals to protect the safety, rights, and dignity of individuals they support by strengthening their ability to recognize and respond to abuse, neglect, maltreatment, and rights violations. Participants will learn to actively observe staff interactions and service environments through an advocacy lens, identify early warning signs, and take immediate, appropriate action to safeguard individuals. The training emphasizes clear understanding and application of reporting requirements, while centering the voices, rights, and well-being of participants before, during, and after an incident, reinforcing a culture of protection and responsibility. In this session, participants will learn the following:
- Recognize indicators of neglect, maltreatment, or rights violations.
- Actively observe staff interactions and environments with an advocacy lens.
- Take immediate, appropriate actions to safeguard participants.
- Apply legal and organizational reporting requirements.
- Support individuals’ voices and rights during and after incidents.
- Model advocacy and accountability for their teams.
Can't make the training live? All registrants will receive a recording valid for 30 days after the conclusion of the training.
Provisionally accredited by the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) for Frontline Supervisors.
Discounted pricing is available to members of PAR, ASPA, and TNCO members! Please register below using the button that corresponds with the state you operate in:
Technology 101: Integrating Technology into Human Services
January 2027
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm EST // Virtual
Speaker Bio
As the world of human services changes, it's more important than ever to deliver care that respects privacy, safety, and independence while keeping people connected to their communities. This presentation dives into the shift toward cutting-edge, technology-driven care models that follow CMS's Final Settings Rule. We'll explore why traditional group care falls short and how next-generation solutions can better serve semi-independent and vulnerable individuals.
Key topics include how remote and in-home support technologies are making it possible to deliver faster, more flexible care, even in hard-to-reach places. Attendees will learn 5 key characteristics of a strong technology partner in order to prepare for moving to next gen services. We’ll also share insight on GoodLife’s award-winning Neighborhood Network and Shared Living models, which show how technology is not just improving care but changing lives for the better. Lastly, we'll tackle the tricky balance between protecting privacy and meeting care needs and highlight how dedicated Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) play a crucial role in making this all work. With real-life examples and hands-on strategies, we'll show how these new models don't just boost quality of life-they're also the future of a stronger, more stable direct support workforce. This session is for anyone ready to push the limits and drive person-centered care with practical, game-changing solutions.
Can't make the training live? All registrants will receive a recording valid for 30 days after the conclusion of the training.
Provisionally accredited by the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) for Frontline Supervisors.
Discounted pricing is available to members of PAR, ASPA, and TNCO members! Please register below using the button that corresponds with the state you operate in:
Registration coming soon!
How to Lead and Motivate Different Generations
Tuesday // January 12
10:00 am - 12:00 pm EST // Virtual
Speaker Bio
Attendees will discover the defining characteristics of different age groups, master effective communication strategies tailored to each, and learn motivational techniques that transcend generational divides. This session promises to dismantle age stereotypes, fostering enhanced team collaboration and cooperation in a fun, interactive setting.
Learning Objectives:
- Dismantling age centered stereotypes.
- Enhance team collaboration.
- Improve communication between generations.
Can't make the training live? All registrants will receive a recording valid for 30 days after the conclusion of the training.
Provisionally accredited by the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) for Frontline Supervisors.
Discounted pricing is available to members of PAR, ASPA, and TNCO members! Please register below using the button that corresponds with the state you operate in:
Fractional Care Solutions
February 2027
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm EST // Virtual
Speaker Bio
Many agencies and states simply can’t cost-effectively deliver fractional care (targeted hours of support that are scheduled or on demand). In fact, many states are currently delivering less than 50% of the authorized hours for in-home care. As a result, people who need help living their version of a GoodLife are at risk and often lean on family for support. Current methods for delivering fractional care increasingly rely heavily on part-time DSPs, who work challenging schedules and provide support home by home, often at times that are not what the customer wants or needs.
Come learn about GoodLife’s Neighborhood Network (NN) leveraged by iLink’s platform of enabling technologies. See how the NN can affordably deliver fractional scheduled and on-demand remote, in-home, and in-community care at the moment of need. Services are delivered affordably as an amenity of a typical neighborhood, using only full-time, highly stable mobile and live-near or live-by professional neighbors who affordably maximize pay and stability.
This session presents the Moving Mountains Award Winning NN program design and shows how a platform of enabling technologies was used to reimagine how support can be delivered in ways that advance independence, organic choice, self-direction, inclusion, person-centered lives, personal safety, and privacy in ways that are not possible by traditional in-home methods of support-- all while offering people who a range of greater needs access better lives. Benefits for persons served, DSPs, Community Providers, and Payors will be presented.
Can't make the training live? All registrants will receive a recording valid for 30 days after the conclusion of the training.
Provisionally accredited by the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) for Frontline Supervisors.
Discounted pricing is available to members of PAR, ASPA, and TNCO members! Please register below using the button that corresponds with the state you operate in:
Registration Coming Soon!
Essential Self Care Tips to Make Sure You are in the Game for Your Team, Those you Serve, and Yourself
Tuesday // February 9
10:00 am - 12:00 pm EST // Virtual
Speaker Bio
In today’s fast-paced and service-focused environments, caring for others often comes at the expense of caring for ourselves. This session will explore practical and sustainable self-care strategies designed to help you lead, serve, and live with greater balance and intention. Participants will gain insight into the power of self-compassion, the foundations of resilience, and realistic approaches to preventing burnout while maintaining personal and professional well-being. The session will also include actionable scheduling and time-management tips to help create healthier routines and a more balanced lifestyle so you can continue showing up at your best for your team, those you serve, and yourself.
Can't make the training live? All registrants will receive a recording valid for 30 days after the conclusion of the training.
Provisionally accredited by the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) for Frontline Supervisors.
Discounted pricing is available to members of PAR, ASPA, and TNCO members! Please register below using the button that corresponds with the state you operate in:
PARedu Trainings are an initiative of PAR ID/A Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization.
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