PEERS® Social Skills Group Program

Dates: 10th of June to 24th September

Location: 12 The Avenue, Hurstville

Time: 

• Young Adult Sessions (in person): Wednesdays, 6:00 pm – 7:45 pm, starting 10th June
•  Social Coaching Sessions (if applicable) - Online Thursdays, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm (90 minutes), starting 11th June

Duration: 16 weeks

Group size: 6 to 10 participants

Sign up for the PEERS® Social Skills Group Program here.

Before you commit, we invite you to a 90-minute, one-on-one orientation session with one of our Clinical Psychologists and PEERS Group Facilitators. It's a chance to ask questions, get a feel for the program, and find out whether it's the right fit, with no obligation to continue. The session fee is $233.

Once you're ready to join, enrolment covers the full 16-week program at either:

- $220 per week for those attending without a social coach ($3520 total)

OR

- $290 per week for those attending with a social coach  ($4,640 total).

Payment Methods

Participants can choose from the following payment options:

• Upfront Payment – Full course fee paid in advance
• Payment Plan – Structured instalments can be arranged if required
• Weekly Payments – Pay per session
• NDIS Plan-Managed Participants - Service Agreement will be arranged

For Medicare-rebated and private participants, a $580 deposit (equivalent to two weeks’ payment) is required to secure enrolment.

Funding Options

Medicare Rebate – Participants may be eligible for a $50.25 rebate per session for up to 10 group sessions per year under Medicare. A Mental Health Treatment Plan from a GP or psychiatrist is required. The out-of-pocket amounts contribute to your overall Medicare Safety Net, potentially reducing future out-of-pocket costs.

NDIS – The PEERS program can generally be claimed for self-managed or plan-managed participants. This will depend on your individual plan.

Private Health Insurance – Participants will need to check with their insurance provider to confirm eligibility and rebate amounts.

Originally developed at UCLA, the world-renowned PEERS® program has been translated into over a dozen languages and is used in more than 150 countries worldwide. 

PEERS® teaches ecologically valid social skills—the same strategies naturally used by socially successful individuals. 

The program equips participants with practical, real-world strategies to navigate social interactions confidently in school, the workplace, and community settings. 

PEERS® is grounded in research and has been proven effective in helping participants improve their social skills and form meaningful relationships, including: 

• Improvement in social assertiveness, cooperativeness, and self-control. 
•  Significant improvements in social responsiveness, due to the programs attention to receptive and expressive social communication skills. 
• Improved empathy and perspective-taking. This may be due to an increase in mentalising ability, leading to an increased understanding of other’s mental and emotional states. 
• Reduced self-reported loneliness due to greater participation in social activities and hobbies, as well as the development of meaningful friendships. 
• Increased frequency of social invitations extended to the participant. 
• Reduction in social anxiety, and increasing overall social functioning.