Programs

PEERS for Young Adults

A premier, evidence-based UCLA social skills curriculum designed to help young adults make friends and build meaningful relationships.

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Young adults sitting at a wooden table talking, with cards and wooden tokens on the table.

The UCLA PEERS Framework

Navigating the social world as a young adult can be incredibly complex. B.E.S.T. offers the internationally acclaimed Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS) for Young Adults. Developed at UCLA by Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson, this evidence-based social skills curriculum is specifically tailored for individuals aged 18 to 30 who are motivated to build and maintain relationships.

Five young adults sitting around a table smiling and chatting with coffee cups in front of them.
Our program utilizes highly structured group sessions to teach ecologically valid social skills. These are the actual, natural behaviors used by socially successful adults in the real world

What Young Adults Will Learn

Over the course of 16 weeks, young adults participate in interactive, 90-minute group sessions. The program blends brief didactic instruction with live role-plays, demonstrations, and supportive practice during group socialization activities. Key areas covered in the curriculum include:

Conversational Competence
Starting, entering, maintaining, and exiting adult conversations naturally.
Digital Communication
Navigating texting, messaging, and appropriate social media boundaries.
Social Gatherings
Organizing and hosting successful get-togethers with friends.
Handling Conflict
Managing arguments, navigating peer disagreements, and shifting a bad reputation.
Dating Etiquette
Expressing interest, flirting, asking someone out on a date, and understanding dating boundaries.

Parallel Training for Caregivers and Mentors

A cornerstone of the UCLA PEERS program is the active involvement of a dedicated social coach. This coach can be a parent, caregiver, adult sibling, or mentor. While young adults attend their weekly sessions, social coaches participate in a separate, simultaneous group session.

Woman smiling and supporting man writing in notebook at a coffee shop table with laptops and mugs.
Our clinical facilitators teach social coaches how to assist young adults in making and keeping friends outside of group. You will learn how to provide real-time social coaching, support weekly homework assignments, and help expand your young adult's social network.

Program Logistics

  • Ideal Candidates
    Young adults aged 18 to 30 with autism, ADHD, anxiety, depression, or other social challenges who are personally motivated to participate.
  • Format
    In-person or online, highly structured group format.
  • Duration
    16 consecutive weekly sessions (90 minutes per session).
  • Participation
    Active participation of both the young adult and a designated social coach is mandatory.