PEERSĀ® SOUTH FLORIDA
- Home
- /
- Peers
What is PEERSĀ®?
PEERSĀ® is a caregiver/social coach-assisted evidence-based social skills intervention designed to help children, adolescents, and young adults develop and maintain friendships. This program includes two groups that run simultaneously, one for the child/adolescent/young adult and the other for the caregiver/social coach. Through structured lessons, demonstrations, and role-plays, participants learn essential social skills, while their caregivers/social coaches are trained to support the use of these skills in everyday life.
Skills & Topics Addressed in Groups
- Making & Keeping Friends
- Sharing & Taking Turns
- Initiating & Joining Play
- Handling Transitions & Following Directions
- Staying Calm & Being a Good Sport
- Addressing Bullying & Rejection
- Hosting & Good Sportsmanship
- Initiating & Maintaining Conversations
- Managing Disagreements
- Successful Get-Togethers with Friends
- Conflict Resolution
- Conversation Skills
- Dating Etiquette
- Steps for Developing a Friendship
- Strategies for Remaining Socially Connected
Our PEERSĀ® team brings specialized training in the Preschool, Adolescent, and Young Adult PEERSĀ® programs, with extensive experience leading successful groups.
Meet our PEERSĀ® Group Facilitators
Frequently Asked Questions
- Browse our PEERSĀ® webpage for information on the programs offered and schedules.
- Contact our staff about specific questions.
- Fill out social skills group registration form (available online).
- Schedule and attend 30-minute consultation with group facilitator.
- Join weekly PEERSĀ® group to learn new social skills while having fun.
PEERSĀ® groups are generally held once-a-week for 75 to 90 minutes, depending on the specific group. Families commit to a 16-week series with the child/adolescent/young adult group running at the same time as the caregiver/social coachās group.
Placement is determined by social needs and age, primarily. During the initial 30-minute group consultation, the group facilitator meets with caregiver(s)/social coach and child/adolescent/young adult to determine their social needs and treatment goals, as well as to gather pertinent background information.
We offer the option for you to schedule an abbreviated (30-minute) make-up session for any missed group session. If you know ahead of time that you will need to miss a session, please notify the group facilitator, and ask about scheduling a make-up session in advance.
For PEERSĀ® it is best that the child/adolescent/young adult attends the series from the beginning because the program builds on each session attended (at times we may allow a PEERSĀ® member to enter the program within 3 weeks of the start date). Contact our office to schedule a consultation so your child/teen/young adult can be ready to join the next available PEERSĀ® series.
Insurance coverage for group therapy services can vary, so we recommend contacting your insurance provider in advance to review your specific benefits for group therapy services (CPT code 90853). However, please note that Pediatric Psychology Associates is an out-of-network provider. We are happy to provide a statement (superbill) that you can submit to your insurance company for possible reimbursement. We suggest requesting this statement at the end of the group series, after all sessions have been completed, to streamline the process with a single claim.
