PEERS for Young Adults

The program consists of 16 weekly sessions, each lasting 90 minutes.
Participants attend group sessions, while a social support person (a parent or other support person) participates in a separate group.
Each session focuses on a different topic related to building and maintaining friendships and romantic relationships.

During the program, participants are trained in skills such as:

• Developing and maintaining friendly relationships
• Communication skills
• Joining and leaving group discussions
• Electronic communication and digital social skills
• Appropriate use of humor
• Organizing meetings with peers
• Dating and relationship-building skills
• Dispute Resolution
• Managing stress in Romantic Relationships
• Addressing direct and indirect bullying

Training method

Participants develop social skills through:

• structured teaching modules
• videos showing examples of appropriate and inappropriate behavior
• practical training within the team
• individual practice activities

The role of a social worker

At the same time, the social worker participates in a separate group where they are trained in how to support the young adult in forming and maintaining friendships and romantic relationships.

The involvement of a social worker is essential, as it is a key factor in the program’s effectiveness.

Eligibility requirements

• The person has a hard time making friends
• The person must be in middle school or high school
• The person must voluntarily agree to participate in the program
• The candidate should be interested in the program’s subject matter
• The individual must be able to attend all of the program’s sessions
• The social worker should be willing to participate in the program and be able to attend all program meetings

How it works

The program can be held in person or online.

If the program is conducted online, people outside the Attica region may also participate. However, the program is conducted either entirely in person or entirely online, without combining the two formats.

Places in the program are limited

* The program is held twice a year. Applications and eligibility reviews are accepted throughout the year.

*The composition of the groups is determined by the clinical team based on the information gathered during the assessment.