Forging Friendships Group

Forging Friendships is a social skills group offered by the Disability Support Services Office that provides a comprehensive approach to integrating into social life on campus. This group is based on the PEERS for young adults program and focuses on helping students who are interested in making and keeping friends and/or developing romantic relationships.

Students enrolled in Forging Friendships will meet once a week for an hour and a half to discuss topics that include conversational skills, dating skills, and finding groups on campus to build friendships while engaging in common interests. Students in the group learn these skills through didactic lessons and role playing. In addition to group meetings, students will meet with a peer mentor to practice these skills outside the group.

Forging Friendships is held in the Fall semester. Based on the PEERS model, students participate in this group for one semester. Both undergraduate and graduate students are welcome to attend Forging Friendships. Students interested in Forging Friendships must be committed to consistently attending the group.

In the Fall of 2021, Forging Friendships will be a hybrid group with in-person and online meetings. The group will meet weekly on Fridays from 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.

If you are interested in joining, please reach out to cua-dss@cua.edu for more information.

Forging Friendships: COVID Edition

Last spring, due to the COVID pandemic, DSS hosted Forging Friendships asynchronously. Forging Friendships: COVID Edition covered topics specific to the pandemic. The videos are still available as a resource to students who would like to utilize them.

Topics
  1. Communicating and building relationships with professors
    1. Emailing Professors (Video)
    2. Communicating with Professors (Video)
    3. Handout
  2. Making friends in virtual classes, staying connected, and completing group projects during the pandemic
    1. Friendships During the Pandemic (Video)
      1. Friendships During the Pandemic (Handout)
    2. Completing Group Projects  (Video)
      1. Completing Group Projects (Handout)
  3. Staying involved in clubs and activities during COVID
    1. Staying Involved During COVID (Handout)
    2. Staying Involved During COVID (Video)
  4. Taking care of yourself (maintaining a routine, practicing good sleep hygiene, connecting with others, being flexible, etc.)
    1. Self-Care During the Pandemic (Video)
    2. Self-Care During the Pandemic (Handout)