AK Child & Family operates a long‑standing psychiatric residential treatment program in Anchorage that is designed to help youth understand and heal from early trauma and maladaptive behaviors. The program is housed on two campuses – the wooded Jesse Lee Campus and the Maplewood Campus – where five cottages provide small, home‑like living spaces for 24‑hour supervised care. Each cottage offers a family‑style kitchen and dining area, laundry facilities and living rooms stocked with games and books, while the campus grounds include playgrounds, recreational courts, a community garden and trails for outdoor activitieshttps://www.akchild.org/what-we-do/residential-services/residential-treatment-locations.html#:~:text=. Residential treatment is relationship‑based and trauma‑informed; youth live in a structured milieu that encourages positive peer interactions, daily routines and recreational opportunities while providing them a sense of safety and belonging.

Treatment plans are highly individualized. Following a comprehensive assessment, each child receives family, individual and group therapy delivered by master’s‑level therapists, psychiatric evaluation and oversight, medication management when appropriate, nursing services and nutritional assessments. The program’s therapeutic milieu includes recreational therapy, skill‑building groups, and structured daily activities, and youth attend specialized on‑campus Anchorage School District classrooms or mainstream schools with staff supporthttps://www.akchild.org/what-we-do/residential-services/#:~:text=Psychiatric%20Residential%20Treatment. AK Child & Family emphasizes the role of families and guardians in treatment, involving them in goal setting and discharge planning and encouraging regular communication and visits; the team works with community providers to ensure seamless transition back to less restrictive settings when medically appropriatehttps://www.akchild.org/what-we-do/residential-services/#:~:text=AK%20Child%20%26%20Family%20works,presenting%20issues%20and%20establishes%20goals.

Beyond traditional therapy, residents participate in recreational programs at the Benson Recreation Center, spend time outdoors on wooded trails, ball fields and sledding hills, and explore spiritual life through activities such as a sweat lodge and prayer gardenhttps://www.akchild.org/what-we-do/residential-services/residential-treatment-locations.html#:~:text=. Nutrition is also a cornerstone; meals follow National School Lunch Program standards and are developed with a dietitian to meet individual needshttps://www.akchild.org/what-we-do/residential-services/#:~:text=During%20the%20school%20year%2C%20students,and%20physical%20needs%20of%20youth. By combining evidence‑based therapies, consistent structure and family involvement, the program helps Alaskan youth build resilience and return to their communities with improved coping skills and a clearer sense of self. Families are encouraged to contact the admissions team to discuss eligibility and to schedule a tour of the Jesse Lee and Maplewood campuses.