PEERS® Social Skills Program

What is PEERS®?

An evidence based social skills intervention program for teenagers and young adults who are interested but also motivated in learning ways to help make and keep friends. It was developed by the University of California and has been trialed, tested and evaluated and therefore is an evidence-based program to support:

• Self-awareness: Identifying and recognising emotions; recognising personal interests and strengths; maintaining a well-grounded sense of self-confidence.

• Self-management: Regulating emotions, stress, and impulse control, motivating and overcoming obstacles, setting and monitoring personal goals; expressing emotions appropriately.

• Social awareness: Being able to take the perspective of and empathise with others; recognising and appreciating individual and group similarities and differences.

• Relationship skills: Establishing and maintaining healthy and rewarding relationships based on cooperation and resistance to inappropriate social pressure, preventing, managing, and constructively resolving interpersonal conflict; seeking help when needed.

PEERS® Social Skills Program Participants benefit from the interactive weekly classes, which provide the opportunity to practice new skills, during each session and then again at home or in a familiar environment.

PEERS® for Teens targets topics and issues particularly relevant to 12–18 year olds. Teens and their parents attend 18 weekly group sessions for 90 minutes a week. During the program participants will be exposed to a range of skills and topics, including:

• How to use appropriate conversational skills
• How to choose appropriate friends
• How to appropriately use electronic forms of communication
• How to appropriately use humour and assess humor feedback
• How to start, enter and exit conversations between peers
• How to organize successful get-togethers with friends
• How to be a good sport when playing games/sports with friends
• How to handle arguments and disagreements with friends and in relationships
• How to handle rejection, teasing, bullying, rumours/gossip, and cyber bullying
• How to change a bad reputation

Teen Expectations

The PEERS® participant will need to:

• Be comfortable to attend a small group setting
• Be open to having a youth coach work with them
• Be willing to have at least one parent attend the program
• Be clear about what you want to achieve through participating in the program

Teen Parent Expectations:

• Be willing to attend a separate session at the same time as your son and/or daughter
• Be open to being taught how to assist and support their teen both during and following the program.
• Be clear about what you as a family member want to achieve by participating in this program
  

PEERS® FOR Young Adults

(18 to 35 years)

PEERS® for Young Adults is for those who are interested in learning skills to make and keep friends. During each group session, young adults are taught important social skills and are given the opportunity to practice these skills. Before starting the program each participant attends a one on one evaluation session.

During the session we will ensure the program is right for you and the goals you are working towards. Young adults attend sessions with their social coaches (including parents or other caregivers). During the 18 week program participants will be discover and be engaged in topics, including:

• Developing and maintaining friendships
• Conversational skills
• Entering and exiting conversations
• Appropriate use of electronic forms of communication
• Using humour
• Organising successful get-togethers with friends
• Dating etiquette
• Handling arguments and disagreements with friends
• Rejection, teasing, bullying, and rumours/gossip.

Young Adult Expectations

The PEERS® participant will need to:

• Be comfortable to attend a small group setting
• Be open to having a social coach work with them
• Be willing to have at least one parent attend the program
• Be clear about what you want to achieve through participating in the program.

Social Coach Expectations:

• Be willing to attend a separate session at the same time as your son and/or daughter
• Be open to being taught how to assist and support their young adult both during and following the program.
• Be clear about what you as a family member want to achieve by participating in this program.

Location

3/12 Moorefield Park Drive, Wodonga

This is a 16 week program including assessment period and individual and groups options are available. The cost will depend on availability and on individual needs which will be discussed as part of the registration process.

Contact

For any questions relating to our Social Learning Groups please contact our Practice & Assessment Team on (02) 6024 2460 or email intake@conneXtions.org.au