PEERS® for Adolescents
Overview
- PEERS® for Adolescents is a 16-week neuroaffirming, evidence-based program designed to support motivated youth in making and keeping friends.
- Adolescents attend weekly 90-minute sessions, while parents attend separate social coaching sessions simultaneously.
- Groups include lessons, role-play demonstrations, and practice, while parents learn strategies to support success.
Participants will learn about:
- Handling teasing & bullying
- Being a good sport
- Handling disagreements
- Organizing get-togethers
- Conversational skills
- Developing & maintaining friendships
- Entering & exiting conversations
- Electronic communication
When & Where
- Duration: 16 weeks
- Planned Days: Wednesday
- Planned Terms: Year Round
- Planned Frequency: Wednesday sessions – 4:30 to 6:00 pm or 6:30 to 8:00pm
- Venue: Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior
Resources
Looking for an evidence-based social skills group for elementary-aged students? Check out the UCLA Children’s Friendship Program!
Cost
These programs are billed through insurance. We accept most forms of insurance except Kaiser and Medi-Cal.
- Kaiser families may participate through self-pay.
- Medi-Cal families cannot participate in these clinical programs (CA state law prohibits billing Medi-Cal clients for services not covered). They may enroll instead in our PEERS® Online Social Skills Classes.
- Families using insurance may request our billing codes to verify copays directly with their insurance provider.
- These programs are available only to families located in California.
Self-Pay Costs:
- Intake Appointment: $508
- Weekly Appointments: $250 total per week ($125 for teen & $125 for caregiver/social coach)
Requirements
- Have friendship problems
- Teens in middle school or high school
- Teens must be interested in attending the program
- Teens must agree to participate in the program voluntarily
- Teens must consistently attend the program
- Parent must be willing to participate
How to Apply
- Contact our office at 310-267-3377 or peersclinic@ucla.edu to complete a 15-minute phone screen with a member of our staff, and subsequently receive an enrollment packet.
- Complete and return your enrollment packet.
- Come to UCLA (parent and teen) for a 1.5-hour intake appointment with one of our clinicians to determine if our program is appropriate for you and your teen.
For information about telehealth options, we provide our self-pay PEERS® Online Social Skills Classes.