Program Details
PEERS® for Teens is a 16-week, evidence-based social skills intervention for motivated teens in middle and high school interested in learning ways to make and keep friends. The Teens program is open to clients age 13-18 who have difficulty initiating and maintaining friendships. Teens learn social skills through didactic instruction, live demonstrations by trained coaches, and extensive practice via group play activities such as sports, board games, etc., while receiving real-time, individualized coaching from clinical staff. Regular attendance is imperative to program success.
Parents attend weekly group sessions, held simultaneously with the client group, where they learn how to assist their teen by providing feedback and coaching for weekly socialization homework assignments. Weekly attendance for parents/caregivers is a program requirement.
As the first certified provider of the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) curriculum in the Mid-Atlantic region, CAAT launched group sessions in 2012.
Topics of Instruction
- How to use appropriate conversational skills
- How to find common interests by trading information
- How to use humor appropriately
- How to enter and exit peer conversations
- How to handle rejection, teasing, and bullying
- How to be a good host during get-togethers
- How to choose appropriate friends
- How to be a good sport
- How to handle arguments and disagreements
- How to deal with peer pressure
Enrollment Process
- Complete the confidential online application below.
- Upon receiving your application, a CAAT staff member will call to schedule a free 30-minute telephone intake.
- After the phone intake, both the teen client and parent/caregiver coach must attend a PEERS® orientation appointment with our clinician to determine if enrollment in the program is appropriate.
We are always accepting PEERS® program applications and offer PEERS® Lite for clients joining between group sessions.
Session Information
Group Duration: 16 weeks, programs begin in the Fall (Sept) and Spring (Feb) semesters
Group Meeting Day & Time: Tuesday Evenings (5:00-6:30 pm)
Location: Due to Covid-19 restrictions, PEERS® is currently meeting virtually; please note that our licensing requires all PEERS® participants to reside in the greater Washington DC Metro Area, despite group sessions occurring online.