Program:
FriendSmarts is a 12 week psycho-social treatment program for children ages 3rd grade through high school. Children are coached in social skills development in the context of a small group where specific skills are taught, practiced and reinforced. Children learn how to initiate social contact, how to maintain mutually satisfying contact and how to enhance the quality and scope of interaction. All children are enrolled in a small (no more than 5 children) group with peers of their approximate age and/or grade. Group placement is based on a 30 minute consultation with Juliet Melamid, M.A., MFT.

Treatment goals are determined by your (parents) responses to our “social skills checklist”, observed behavior and conversation during the consultation and, when needed, consultation with the child’s teacher or individual therapist. Middle school and high school aged children also provide input into their treatment goals.  Parents are informed of the treatment goals and their child’s progress in treatment during the 20 minute consultation which occurs midway through the 12 week program.

While many children reach some of their treatment goals, many children do not reach all goals in one session. Some children require more than one session to meet all goals, and some children need more than two sessions to reach their goals. Some children never reach all their goals, but most children reach at least some of their goals during their participation in the FriendSmarts program.

Your child’s progress will be enhanced through regular practice of the social skills taught in group. To help you practice with your child, you will receive weekly handouts which describe the skill(s) learned and recommendations for practice. With younger children, parents should practice with their children and encourage practice with family members, friends and school mates. Older children may prefer to also practice with their peers. Please note that FriendSmarts are everywhere; please encourage your child to use his/her social skills in the waiting room by greeting all group members, attempting to initiate conversation and saying goodbye to all before leaving.

The therapeutic process is often difficult for parents and their children. Conflict and frustration typically emerge as the children get to know each other well (often after the third or fourth session). Parents may hear, “I don’t like group” or “I’m not learning anything” as the child works with the frustration and learns more successful ways of problem solving and dealing with conflict. Parents may experience frustration when they bring a resistant child to group. The goal of FriendSmarts is to help the children learn more successful ways of problem solving and dealing with conflict, and this includes dealing with frustration and learning to change some well established behaviors. This is hard work. Therapists are available to help with this process.

Payment:
At the time of the consult, you will be asked to make a $150 payment. This payment will cover the consult, hold your child's place in a group and cover the cost (at a discount) of the first group meeting. Subsequently, you will receive an invoice for the remaining eleven group meetings of the session. If you choose to pay in full by the date of the first meeting, a discount (as stated on the invoice) will be offered.

Refunds:
If we are unable to offer your child a group that is a good fit, we will refund $90 (the portion of the consult covering the first group meeting). However, if we offer a group, and you decline, no refund will be offered. Also, if a mutual decision (both parents and therapist) is made that a given group has not been a good fit, then you will be refunded the prorated remaining portion of your payment for the session.

Conferences:
Around the 7th week of group, parents will participate in a 20 minute consultation with their child’s therapist. The purpose of the consultation will be for the therapist to provide information to the parent(s) about the progress their child is making in group. The child’s strengths, areas of concern, and possible recommendations may also be covered during the consultation. Please prepare in advance for your conference so that all of your questions/concerns can be addressed.

Staff:
Our staff includes Juliet Melamid, M.A., MFT, Director, and Annette McGarr, M.A., MFT.  Both therapists have many years of experience in working with children in groups.

Problems and Concerns:
At FriendSmarts, we make every effort to anticipate and resolve problems before they occur. However, if a problem should arise for your child in his/her group, please do not hesitate to call your child’s therapist. Please call promptly; do not wait to make your child’s therapist aware of your concerns. We work hard with all parents and children to assure that needs are met to the best of our ability. FriendSmarts staff have their business cards with phone numbers listed in the waiting room.  Please direct all billing inquiries to Juliet Melamid at (650) 988-8855.

Please note:
All children should be dropped off and picked up promptly. We suggest that you use the time during your child’s group to run errands etc. Any child who is not picked up promptly will wait for his/her parent in the waiting room. Please note that Juliet or Annette may have a second group starting, and your child would need to remain in the waiting room without direct supervision.

Thank you for taking the time to read this entire document. We look forward to a socially rewarding session with your child.

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