Children's Friendship Program

Overview

This successful 12-week program is designed for children in elementary school (starting end of 1st grade) who have difficulty making and/or keeping friends. During each group session children learn a new skill, practice with group members, receive coaching on their play skills and are given a homework assignment in which they try out their newly learned skill.

*First grade policy: Seven year old first graders are accepted into the program starting April/May of their first grade year.

Enrollment is limited to 11 children per class. Classes are on Wednesday evenings. Regular attendance is imperative. Parent participation is required. Parents attend a concurrent class and will learn how to help their children make and keep friends by using the skills we teach in our program.

Upcoming groups scheduled for:

May 15 and August 7, 2013 - we are now accepting applications.

Your child will learn:

Conversational skills
How to make a good first impression
How to “play detective” to find common interests
How to join a group of kids at play
How to handle rejection, teasing and bullying
How to be a good host on a play date
How to be a good winner
How to be a good sport
How to show respect to adult supervisors

Who leads the groups?

Both the child and parent group leaders are licensed child psychologists or licensed clinical social workers. Bob Myatt, PhD and Cynthia Whitham, LCSW are our main child and parent group leaders. Other therapists may also co-lead or assist with the groups but will be under direct supervision of a licensed clinician.

Where is your program held?

The groups are held at UCLA's main campus in Westwood. Please click here for directions.

When is your program held?

Wednesday evenings:

5:45pm-6:45pm (usually 2nd-3rd grades)
7:00pm-8:00pm (usually 4th-6th grades)

Groups begin approximately every 3 1/2 months through the year. Please call our office or check our Calendar to find out when the next group is scheduled to begin.

The class is a 12 week program and participants can only start at the beginning of a class. Children are grouped by grade level (i.e. 2nd/3rd grade and 4th/5th grade) and groups are formed based on the grade and levels of other interested families. These groups are for children who have cognitive functioning at about grade level or above.

We work very hard to compose groups of children who are in approximately the same social level. In some cases this may mean waiting a little longer for an appropriate group.

Do you have a wait list for your program?

Group enrollment is normally limited to 11 per group. We run two groups at a time every 3½ months.

All children accepted into our program are placed on a wait list for an upcoming group. We work very hard to compose groups of children who are in approximately the same social level. In some cases this may mean waiting a little longer for an appropriate group.

Groups will usually fill up at least six weeks before the start date of a new program. Please contact us in advance to complete your phone screen and receive your enrollment packet. The date of your intake appointment determines your spot on our wait list

How much does your program cost?

Please call our office for information about our current fees. Self-pay fees are $75 per week plus a one-time intake fee.

Many insurance companies may cover part of the cost of the program; however we cannot guarantee that our services will be covered by any particular health insurance program. Please call and confirm your own coverage as well as any requirements for pre-authorization. Ask your child's health insurance carrier if they cover "outpatient behavioral health" services at UCLA.

The outpatient finance department will verify your insurance coverage after you have submitted an enrollment packet.

Regional Center Vendor PW1317

Director/Instructor(s):

Cynthia Whitham

Director/Instructor(s):

Robert Myatt

Application

Application process:

Download, complete and return your enrollment packet (feel free to call our office at 310-825-0142 if you have any questions about the program).
Our staff will call you to confirm we recieved the enrollment materials and schedule an intake appointment.
Come in (parent and child) for a 1-hour intake appointment with one of our clinicians to determine if our program is appropriate for you and your child.