A program that specializes in teaching the social skills needed to be successful in your personal, academic and work environments
Transitioning from high school to young adulthood can be daunting. Your support system of friends you enjoyed on a daily basis is no longer present in your life and you miss the camaraderie of interacting with others who understand the pressures and experiences that you encounter. Every young adult has a worry of “growing up” and attending college or finding a job, but we are here to ease the transition of connecting with people through social interaction.
It isn’t always easy to connect with others on a college campus or on the job. Everyone is busy with deadlines and schedules so making friends isn’t always on their agenda. When you do try to reach out, you don’t feel accepted and tend to withdraw thinking it’s easier to stay home on a Friday night than to put yourself out there and get rejected. Does this sound familiar?
You’re not alone! There are others who feel the same way and are waiting to meet you!
Our young adult class is based on the acclaimed UCLA PEERS® program, the only research-based approach in the world for helping adolescents and young adults make and keep friends.
How do you know if our training program is right for you?
- Would you like to have more friends?
- Is it difficult for you to read and understand body language?
- Do you feel anxious or nervous in social settings?
- Do you find it difficult to initiate contact with others in person or by phone?
- Are most of your social activities done alone or online such as video games?
- Do you have more acquaintances than true friends?
- Are you unsure where to meet people?
- Can you tell whether you are being accepted into a conversation or not?
- Do you find it difficult to resolve disagreements?
- Do you worry that you will never live independently?
- Is it difficult for you to take the perspective of others?
If you answered “yes” to most of these questions, you will benefit from participation in our entertaining, interactive and beneficial program.
How it Works
Success in our program is based on each young adult’s motivation to attend. The program includes separate parent/caregiver and young adult sessions that meet at the same time for 90 minutes each week over a 16-week period. The group focuses on concrete rules and steps of social etiquette identified through research.
Topics include:
- How to choose appropriate friends
- How to appropriately use electronic forms of communication
- How to appropriately use humor and assess humor feedback
- How to start, enter and exit conversations between peers
- How to organize successful get-togethers with friends
- How to develop romantic relationships and use appropriate dating etiquette
- How to handle arguments and disagreements with friends and in relationships
- How to handle rejection, teasing, bullying, and rumors/gossip
Lessons are taught using instructive/interactive teaching followed by key rules and steps of social behavior. Students are expected to complete practical homework assignments each week to generalize what they have learned in session to home, community, school, and/or work environments.
What Can You Expect?
Young adults meet in a small group format and receive specific instruction. They are then given encouraging opportunities to engage in interaction with their peers and friends they will make. Lessons include written and verbal rules, modeling of appropriate and inappropriate behaviors by social coaches and the opportunity to practice in session with personal coaching.
Parent/caregiver sessions run concurrently. It is mandatory that a parent/caregiver consistently attend the program every week. The parent/caregiver group provides social coaching tips, assistance with the generalization of skills learned each week and guidance on interpersonal problem-solving.
By the end of the intervention, young adults report, “I feel more comfortable in social settings” and “I have the tools I need to approach a group of people and actually make friends.” Upon conducting follow-up after graduation from our program, social coaches confirm that the young adult is more engaged in life. The young adult’s independence no long feels unattainable.
Who Can Benefit?
Our program is helpful for young adults diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, Anxiety, Depression, Social Phobias, Bipolar Disorder, and OCD as well as those who are just socially awkward. Participants must have graduated from high school and be fully verbal.
Click here for our young adult brochure.
Application Pre-requisites:
What are the participation requirements?
- Have friendship problems
- Young adults ages 18-30 years old; graduated from high school
- Young adults agree to participate in the program voluntarily
- Young adults must consistently attend the program
- Young adults must have a consistent parent/caregiver willing to attend the program each week
Application Process:
- Call our office at (714) 658-0797 to complete phone screen
- Complete and return enrollment packet.
- Attend an intake appointment (young adult and parent/caregiver) for 30 – 45 minute intake appointment to determine if our program is appropriate for you.
Young Adult Dates and Availability
Duration: 16 weeks
Planned Terms: Year Round