Oregon Friendships and Dating Program
In partnership with Oregon Health Authority (OHA), Oregon Department of Education (ODE), and the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) 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 UCEDD, in partnership with OHA and the UAA Center for Human Development will be offering Friendships and Dating Program (FDP) facilitator trainings in December 2023, January 2024, and May 2024. These trainings are for programs within Oregon serving transition age youth ages 16-21 in schools or community-based organizations. All trainings will be held online on Zoom.
FDP Project Timeline
December 2023 Training: (this training is full)
- December 5-6, 2023 from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. PST each day (online on Zoom): FDP Training
- Spring or Fall 2024: Implementation of FDP program in the classroom
January 2024 Training:
- January 30, 31, and February 1, 2024 from 4:00-6:30 p.m. PST each day (online on Zoom): FDP Training
- Spring or Fall 2024: Implementation of FDP program in the classroom
May 2024 Training: (space is limited for May training!)
- May 21-22, 2024 from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. PST each day (online on Zoom): FDP Training
- Fall or Winter 2024: Implementation of FDP program in the classroom
The FDP project will include training, curriculum, and financial support for programs to implement FDP within your transition classroom or community setting. 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 one of the FDP trainings
- Implement 10-week FDP course in transition program or community organization classroom during the time frame provide in the project timeline
- 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 FDP program? Watch our Friendships and Dating program informational webinar.
Further questions about the Friendships and Dating Program? Please contact Angie at stapleta@ohsu.edu
Friendships & Dating Program in Oregon Transition Programs
As of September 2023, 144 teachers from 49 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. Hood River Valley High School Transition Program, Hood River
26. Illinois Valley High School, Cave Junction
27. Jerome Prairie Transition Center, Grants Pass
28. Klamath County Transition Program, Klamath Falls
29. La Grande High School, La Grande
30. Lakeview High School, Lakeview
31. Madras High School, Madras
32. Neah-Kah-Nie Middle/High, Rockaway Beach
33. Nestucca Valley Middle/High, Cloverdale
34. Newport High School, Newport
35. Online Oregon Schools, Phoenix
36. Parkrose High School, Portland
37. Phoenix Talent Schools, Phoenix
38. Rainier High School, Rainier
39. Roosevelt High School, Portland
40. Sandy High School Transition Program, Sandy
41. Scappoose High School, Scappoose
42. Services at Miller Education Center East, Hillsboro
43. Sherwood High School, Sherwood
44. Step Up Brown Education Center, Redmond
45. Tillamook High School, Tillamook
46. Transition 21, The Dalles
47. Transition Co-op, Bend
48. Westmoreland Transition Program, Eugene
49. 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.