Orchard Place’s Residential Campus in Des Moines, Iowa is a Psychiatric Medical Institute for Children (PMIC) designed for young people who need a highly structured, 24/7 level of mental and behavioral health support. The program serves boys and girls ages 10–17 who are struggling with serious psychiatric symptoms and safety concerns that make it hard to function at home, in school, or in the community. Families often come to Orchard Place when outpatient care is no longer enough and a teen needs consistent supervision alongside intensive therapy and skill building.

A key strength of the campus is its multidisciplinary treatment team. According to Orchard Place, care may include psychiatric services and evaluations, psychological assessment, and individual, family, and group therapy delivered by trained clinicians and medical staff. Youth also receive day-to-day coaching and support from milieu counselors, with nursing care and therapeutic recreation as part of the overall plan. The goal is to help residents stabilize, understand their mental health needs, and practice healthier coping strategies in a predictable environment.

Daily life is built around routine. Residents attend an on-campus school program staffed through the Des Moines Independent Community School District, with smaller classroom sizes intended to support learning during treatment. Outside of school, staff run skill-based and therapeutic groups (for example, practical life skills and anger management), and the schedule includes regular meals and snack times. The program also describes structured recreation and wellness activities such as recreation therapy, exercise, art groups, and even pet therapy, along with evening and weekend downtime for age-appropriate leisure.

Family involvement is emphasized throughout treatment. Orchard Place encourages weekly family therapy and regular, predictable contact so caregivers stay connected and learn alongside their child. On-campus visits can begin early in the stay, and as safety and progress allow, treatment planning can include gradual steps toward home visits so teens can practice new skills in real-world settings. Families receive ongoing updates and are included in key decisions such as treatment planning, medication changes, and discharge planning.

Orchard Place also brings a long local history to its work—its organization notes it has been caring for Iowa’s children since the 1800s. The Residential Campus is described as annually licensed by the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals and accredited by The Joint Commission. As you compare options, it can be helpful to ask about the admissions process, expected length of stay, schooling coordination, and how family therapy and step-down planning are handled after discharge.