PEERS®
Social Skills Groups
The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) is a social skills training intervention developed at UCLA by Elizabeth Laugeson to support individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or other social disorders who have difficulty with peer interactions and relationships.
PEERS® has a strong evidence base for use with adolescents and young adults with ASD but is also appropriate for preschoolers, adolescents and young adults with ADHD, anxiety, depression and other socioemotional challenges. Research has demonstrated that gains made over the course of the program are maintained 3-5 years later. For links to published findings of the efficacy of the program go to PEERS research.
PEERS differs from other social skills programs because it:
is evidence-based
includes parents throughout treatment
is structured like a class, not a therapy group
breaks down social skills into understandable steps
teaches ecologically valid social skills based on behavior of socially successful individuals
generalizes social skills to “real life” settings and includes skills that transfer to the workplace
Summer Boot Camps
Girls Bullying & Friendship
for those that identify as male, non-binary or questioning
Dates: July 22 & 23 - 9 am to 1pm
Ages: 11-17 years
Topics include:
Handling teasing - Responding to embarrassing feedback - Minimizing cyber bullying
Managing rumors and gossip - Handling physical bullying - Responding to disagreements
Bringing up disagreements - Changing a reputation
Choosing appropriate friends
Finding a source of friends
Good sportsmanship
Planning and organizing get-togethers
friendship:(conversation)
Starting and entering conversations
Maintaining reciprocal conversations
Trading information
Appropriate conversation topics
Appropriate use of humor
Electronic communication
Must Register by: July 8th
Register by June 8th for early registration discount
Boys Bullying & Friendship
for those that identify as male, non-binary or questioning
Dates: August 12 & 13 - 9 am to 1pm
Ages: 11-17 years s
Topics include:
Handling teasing - Responding to embarrassing feedback - Minimizing cyber bullying
Managing rumors and gossip - Handling physical bullying - Responding to disagreements
Bringing up disagreements - Changing a reputation
Choosing appropriate friends
Finding a source of friends
Good sportsmanship
Planning and organizing get-togethers
friendship:(conversation)
Starting and entering conversations
Maintaining reciprocal conversations
Trading information
Appropriate conversation topics
Appropriate use of humor
Electronic communication
Must Register by: August 1st
Register by July 1st for early registration discount
Pricing: $975 a bootcamp, $850 early registration discount
Price includes boot camp and orientation/mental health screening appointment.
Enrollment Process-
Complete the application
Upon receiving your application, a 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 for a mental health screening and to determine if enrollment in the program is appropriate.
Prior to orientation appointment you will be provided an intake packet to be completed. Intake packet must be completed 1 week prior to orientation appointment.
Full 10-week Program -Fall 2023
Dates:
Tuesdays from 6:30 pm to 8pm.
Sept 5 to Nov 15 (with the week of halloween off)
Ages: Young teens 11-15 years
Weekly Groups: 10-weekly groups
90 min Teen group
90 min Parent group
PEERS® for Teens is a 10-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 ages 11-18 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.
Topics include:
Use appropriate conversational skills
Use humor appropriately
Use electronic communication
Enter & exit conversations
Be a good host during get-togethers
How to be a good sport
Handle arguments and disagreements
Change a bad reputation
Handle rumors and gossip
Handle rejection, teasing and bullying
Pricing:
Price includes boot camp and orientation/mental health screening appointment.
Total price for program- $1,850 ($185/session- parent and child group)
Sign up by for a early registration discount - $1,650 ($165/session- parent and child group)
Enrollment Process-
Complete the application
Upon receiving your application, a 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 for a mental health screening and to determine if enrollment in the program is appropriate.
Prior to orientation appointment you will be provided an intake packet to be completed. Intake packet must be completed 1 week prior to orientation appointment.
Meet the Team:
Group Leader
Jillianne Grayson, MD
Dr. Jillianne Grayson was born and raised in Miami, Florida. She completed her undergraduate training in biology at Johns Hopkins University. She obtained her medical degree from Florida State University College of Medicine. She completed an intern year in internal medicine at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital and subsequently completed two years of neurology residency before deciding to follow her passion and switch specialties to psychiatry. Dr. Grayson completed her adult psychiatry training at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and her fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Children’s National Medical Center.
She is a certified yoga instructor and has a special interest in mindfulness. With a personal belief in making every day count, she makes time for her passions of painting, yoga, traveling, and spending time with her husband and son.
Group Leader
Amy Dombrosky, LCMHC, NCC
Amy was raised in Virginia and has resided in the Charlotte area for over 10 years. Amy has two young children and enjoys being outdoors. She enjoys being active whether that be hiking, gardening, or playing tennis. On the weekends you might find Amy and her family playing in Freedom Park, riding e-scooters, or using the Lynx to explore the Charlotte area.
Amy holds a MA from Marymount University in Community Counseling. Amy is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in North Carolina as well as a Nationally Certified Counselor. Amy is licensed to provide Telehealth in South Carolina and Florida. Amy completed EMDR training in 2012 and the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) Certification in 2022. https://dombroskycounseling.com/
Intern
Lauren Davenport, BSN, BA, RN, IBCLC
Lauren attended high school and college in North Carolina. She holds a BA in Psychology from UNC-Chapel Hill, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Duke University and is currently pursuing her Master’s of Science in Nursing from East Carolina University to specialize as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP). She has clinical experience in Pediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynecology, and Functional Medicine, with her most recent position as a birth center nurse. Lauren is also an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and is passionate about supporting women during their transition to motherhood. She enjoys coffee, walking, reading and yoga in addition to spending time with her husband and two daughters.
Office Manager
Dannielle Gozelski
Born in a small town just outside of Portland, Maine, Dannielle’s love for working with children began when she accepted a position at a local childcare center. After a few years in that field, in the summer of 2005, a career opportunity for her husband brought the couple to North Carolina. Once arriving here, Dannielle made a career move into office administration. She served in this role for multiple Lake Norman area establishments from 2006-2015. At this point, and with the ambitions of soon having a child of her own, Dannielle again switched paths and became a full-time nanny, she held this position until becoming a mom herself at the end of 2016. After 4 years of being a full-time mom, Dannielle jumped back into the childcare industry when she began working as a preschool teacher at a Montessori school in Mooresville. With her daughter moving on to kindergarten this year, Dannielle felt it was time to move back into the administrative world. Her background in office management and her love for children merged when she got the amazing opportunity to work with Dr. Grayson.
Contact Information
Address:
107 Commerce Centre Dr
Ste 201
Huntersville NC 28078
Phone number:
(980) 202-2490
Secure E-fax:
(732) 605-5910
Email:
PEERS@graysonpsychiatry.com