About the programThe Friendships and Dating Program (FDP) is an evidence-based, comprehensive approach to teach individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities the skills needed to develop meaningful relationships and prevent interpersonal violence. In 2014, at the request from behavioral health providers familiar with the program, a version of the FDP was developed for youth with serious emotional disturbance (SED).
The FDP is a 10-week curricular intervention that focuses on skill building using a group process and experiential learning opportunities. The FDP is a train-the-trainer program; community agency personnel facilitate the program to groups of teens and adults in agency and community settings. The curriculum is designed to be taught in small groups of 6-10 mixed-gendered participants. |
|
Who delivers the Friendships & Dating Program?The UAA Center for Human Development trains community agency providers to deliver the FDP. Trained facilitators recruit groups of 6-10 coed participants.
|
How long is the program?FDP sessions are held twice a week over a 10-week period. Each session is approximately 1.5 hours for a total of 30 hours over 20 sessions.
|
What topics are included in the 10-week program?Session topics include: feelings types of relationships, personal boundaries, communication, meeting people, first impressions, planning social activities, the dating process, personal safety, sexual health, gender differences, conflict resolution, maintaining relationships
|
Outcomes—Social Network Size
|
SOCIAL NETWORK SIZE SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED FROM AN AVERAGE OF:5.4 people at baseline to 7.0 people at the end of the program.
Ten-weeks later people’s social network size remained elevated at 6.7 people. |
Interpersonal Violence—Incidents
|
THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF INCIDENTS OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED OVER THE PROGRAM FROM:3.4 at baseline,
1.5 at the end of the program, 0.7 Ten-weeks after the program ended. |
|
|