Oregon Friendships and Dating Program
In partnership with Oregon Health Authority (OHA), Oregon Department of Education (ODE), and University of Alaska Anchorage Center for Human Development, the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at OHSU provides training and support to Oregon adult and high school transition programs and community organizations to teach skills that will promote healthy relationships and sexual health.
The Friendships & Dating Program (F&D), developed by the University of Alaska UCEDD, 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.
Learn more about Friendships and Dating
Are you or someone you know thinking about taking the Friendships and Dating class? Here is a short video that tells you what to expect from the class. We hope that this video will help individuals with disabilities to make informed decisions about their sexual health education needs.
Friendships and Dating Program training for Oregon transition teachers and community organizations
The OHSU University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD), in partnership with Oregon Health Authority and the UAA Center for Human Development, will be offering a Friendships and Dating Program (FDP) facilitator training in May 2023. This training is for transition programs or community-based organizations within Oregon serving transition-age youth and young adults ages 16-21. This training will be held on Zoom.
Project timeline - May 2023 Training:
- May 16-18 from 4-6:30 p.m. PDT each day (online on Zoom)
- Fall 2023 or Winter 2023/2024: Implementation of FDP program in classroom
The project will include training, curriculum, and financial support for programs to implement FDP within transition classrooms. We recommend programs have two teachers attend a training and then co-facilitate the FDP curriculum in their classroom.
Participant benefits:
- FDP facilitator training
- Financial support for participation in training
- FDP curriculum with supplementary materials
- Financial support for implementation
- Additional resources and professional development opportunities
Participant expectations:
- Attend FDP training in May 2023
- Implement 10-week FDP course in transition program or community organization classroom in the fall of 2023 or winter of 2023/2024
- note: at least some of your students must be 16 to 21 years old. This is a grant and data collection requirement.
- Collect and submit classroom data (e.g. attendance, demographic data, class surveys) to UCEDD at OHSU
- Attend cohort video meetings
- Attend informational webinars
Interested in learning more about implementing the Friendships and Dating Program? Watch our informational webinar.
Further questions about the Friendships and Dating Program? Please contact Angie atstapleta@ohsu.edu
Friendships & Dating Program in Oregon Transition Programs
As of February 2023, 139 teachers from 48 transition programs across Oregon were trained to facilitate Friendships & Dating. Most transition programs have a team of at least two teachers who will teach Friendships & Dating in their classrooms.
Friendships and Dating Program locations
1. Adult Living Program, Gresham
2. Arata Creek, Troutdale
3. Art Tech High School - Adult Transition, Wilsonville
4. Ashland High School, Ashland
5. Bend Senior High School Transition Program
6. Bethel Community Transition Network (BCTN), Eugene
7. Bridges to Independence, Oregon City
8. Canby High School, Canby
9. Centennial Transition Center, Portland
10. Central High School, Independence
11. Central Medford High School, Medford
12. Community Transition Program, Albany Public Schools
13. Community Transition Program, Beaverton School District
14. Community Transition Program, Lake Oswego High School
15. Community Transition Program, Portland Public Schools
16. Community Transitions Program, Fairview
17. Community Transitions Program, Silver Falls
18. Crater High School, Central Point
19. Crook County High School, Prineville
20. David Douglas Community Transition Program, Portland
21. Eagle Point High School VIP Transition Center, Eagle Point
22. Estacada Adult and Youth Transition Program, Estacada
23. Hermiston High School Next Steps Transition Center, Hermiston
24. Hidden Valley High School, Grants Pass
25. Illinois Valley High School, Cave Junction
26. Jerome Prairie Transition Center, Grants Pass
27. Klamath County Transition Program, Klamath Falls
28. La Grande High School, La Grande
29. Lakeview High School, Lakeview
30. Madras High School, Madras
31. Neah-Kah-Nie Middle/High, Rockaway Beach
32. Nestucca Valley Middle/High, Cloverdale
33. Newport High School, Newport
34. Online Oregon Schools, Phoenix
35. Parkrose High School, Portland
36. Phoenix Talent Schools, Phoenix
37. Rainier High School, Rainier
38. Roosevelt High School, Portland
39. Sandy High School Transition Program, Sandy
40. Scappoose High School, Scappoose
41. Services at Miller Education Center East, Hillsboro
42. Sherwood High School, Sherwood
43. Step Up Brown Education Center, Redmond
44. Tillamook High School, Tillamook
45. Transition 21, The Dalles
46. Transition Co-op, Bend
47. Westmoreland Transition Program, Eugene
48. WINGS Transition Program at Crescent Valley High School, Corvallis
Oregon 2022 Transition Conference presentation
In April of 2022, Oregon Healthy Authority and the UCEDD presented a two-part trauma informed training session at the Oregon Transition Conference. Part one of the training was an introduction to Trauma Informed Care (TIC) and the second part addressed the history of ableism and how societal perspectives of individuals with disabilities are shaped by this history. The presentation described some of the ways in which young people with disabilities may have experienced trauma due to ableism and other forms of systemic oppression. Finally, participants had an opportunity to identify some of the ways in which they can apply the six principles of trauma informed care to supporting the young people they serve and their peers.
Oregon 2021 Transition Conference presentation
In April of 2021, Oregon Health Authority and UCEDD presented at the Oregon Statewide Transition Conference about the Friendships and Dating project. In this presentation, we shared preliminary results from the student and teacher surveys.