Residential
Residential Mental Health Treatment in Des Moines, Iowa
When outpatient care isn't enough, a change of environment can change everything. Our residential mental health program surrounds you with 24/7 psychiatric and clinical support in a calm, home-like setting on our Johnston campus, minutes from Des Moines.
The Joint Commission (Gold Seal of Approval)
LegitScript Certified
Residential Mental Health: What You Need To Know
24/7 Psychiatric Care
Round-the-clock clinical support with psychiatry on site, rather than a month between appointments.
Home-Like Setting
Private and semi-private rooms in a quiet, residential campus built to feel like a sanctuary, not a hospital.
Personalized Length of Stay
Your clinical team sets a timeline around your goals and progress, and reviews it with you as you go.
Evidence-Based Therapies
Individual and group therapy, CBT, DBT, EMDR and medication management, delivered daily.
Co-Occurring Substance Use
If a substance use disorder is also present, our Dual Diagnosis program treats both together.
Learn more — Co-Occurring Substance UseMost Major Insurance
We work with most major private insurance plans. Verifying your benefits is free, private and takes minutes.
Learn more — Most Major InsuranceMost Major Private Insurance Plans Accepted
At Des Moines Wellness Center, we believe that financial barriers should never stand in the way of life-saving care. Our admissions team works directly with your provider to maximize your benefits and minimize out-of-pocket costs. We provide a 100% confidential insurance verification process to get you the answers you need in minutes.
What Is Residential Mental Health Treatment?
Live-in care when weekly appointments are not enough
Residential mental health treatment is live-in care. You stay on site and receive structured, daily therapy with 24/7 clinical support, instead of travelling to appointments and going home to the same pressures that made things worse. It suits people whose symptoms are severe, who are not safe or stable at home, or for whom outpatient care simply has not been enough.
At Des Moines Wellness Center, our residential program is built for mental health conditions in their own right, not only as something alongside a substance use problem. Psychiatry reviews your medication, therapy runs every day, and the structure of the day does some of the work for you on the days when getting out of bed is the whole task.
Our campus in Johnston, minutes from downtown Des Moines, is designed to be a clinical sanctuary: quiet, private and removed from the noise of everyday life, so your nervous system has the chance to settle while you do the deeper work of getting well.
Mental Health Conditions We Treat
Intensive, live-in care for depression and a full range of mental health conditions
Depression
Inpatient care for major depressive disorder and persistent low mood, including the days when getting out of bed is the whole task. Psychiatry reviews medication, therapy runs daily, and routine carries you until motivation returns.
Anxiety & Panic Disorders
Generalized anxiety, panic disorder and social anxiety, treated with cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure work and medication where it helps.
PTSD & Trauma
Trauma-informed care, including EMDR, in a setting where you are not going home to the trigger at the end of each session.
Bipolar & Mood Disorders
Stabilization, medication management and psychoeducation for bipolar I and II and related mood disorders, with psychiatry on site rather than a month between appointments.
OCD & ADHD
Obsessive-compulsive disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, treated in their own right with structured therapy and medication management.
Personality Disorders
Dialectical behavior therapy and long-form individual work for borderline and other personality disorders, delivered by a team that has done it before.
If you need help right now
Call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, to reach a trained counselor free of charge, any time, day or night. If this is a medical emergency, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
Clinical Care Meets Whole-Person Healing
How we treat
Individual Therapy
One-on-one sessions with a master's-level clinician, several times a week, focused on the roots of what you are experiencing.
Learn more — Individual TherapyGroup Therapy
Small, clinician-led groups where you practice new skills alongside people who understand what you are going through.
Learn more — Group TherapyCBT & DBT
Cognitive behavioral therapy to change the patterns that keep symptoms going, and dialectical behavior therapy for emotional regulation and distress tolerance.
Learn more — CBT & DBTTrauma-Informed Care & EMDR
Care delivered with an understanding of how trauma shapes the mind and body, including EMDR where it is clinically indicated.
Learn more — Trauma-Informed Care & EMDRMedication Management
Psychiatric evaluation on admission and ongoing medication review, so adjustments happen in days rather than between distant appointments.
Family Therapy
Structured family sessions that repair communication and give the people closest to you the tools to support your recovery.
Learn more — Family TherapyA Day in Residential Mental Health Treatment
Structure and calm, working together
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Mornings: Grounding and Health
The day starts with a healthy breakfast and a morning check-in with our clinical team, where we review how you slept, how you are feeling and any medication adjustments.
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Afternoons: Clinical Work
The middle of the day is for one-on-one therapy and small group sessions, where you build the skills to manage symptoms and address what is underneath them.
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Evenings: Reflection and Connection
After dinner, the pace slows. Peer support groups, wellness activities and personal time for journaling or reading before lights out.
Who Residential Mental Health Treatment Is For
When outpatient care has not been enough
If you have been in therapy or on medication and your symptoms are still running your life, a period of intensive, live-in care can reset the trajectory.
After a crisis or hospitalization
A structured step between the hospital and home, where stabilization continues with 24/7 support and a clear plan for what comes next.
When home is part of the problem
If your environment is full of stress, conflict or triggers, our campus offers a private, secure space to step away and focus entirely on your health.
Mental health alongside substance use
If you are also using alcohol or drugs to cope, our Dual Diagnosis program treats both conditions together, because you cannot fix one without the other.
Learn more — Mental health alongside substance useA Calm, Home-Like Setting in Central Iowa
A private place to reset
Getting well is hard enough; you should not have to do it in a loud, chaotic hospital setting. Our campus in Johnston is designed to be a clinical sanctuary, a quiet, comfortable environment where you can actually hear your own thoughts. By removing the noise and stress of everyday life, we give your nervous system the chance to finally calm down.
You will have a private or semi-private room, healthy meals prepared by our team, quiet rooms and outdoor space for reflection. This is not just about comfort. It is about creating a secure space where you feel safe enough to be honest and do the deep work of recovery.
What Comes After Residential Care
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Residential Mental Health
Immersive stabilization. Daily therapy and psychiatric care while you live on site in a calm, structured setting.
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Intensive Outpatient (IOP)
Several therapy sessions a week while you live at home, with morning and evening tracks that fit around work and family.
- 3
Outpatient & Virtual Care
Ongoing therapy and medication management, in person or by secure video, as you return to everyday life.
Why People Choose Our Des Moines Mental Health Program
PREMIER INPATIENT CARE IN IOWA
Physician-Led Clinical Care
24/7 medical and psychiatric oversight from a multidisciplinary team of doctors and master's-level therapists.
A True Environmental Reset
A quiet, secure campus away from daily stressors, so your nervous system can stabilize and heal.
Integrated Dual Diagnosis
If substance use is part of the picture, we treat it alongside your mental health, at the same time and under one roof.
Learn more — Integrated Dual DiagnosisA Full Continuum of Care
Residential, IOP, outpatient and virtual care on one campus, so stepping down never means starting over with a new team.
Learn more — A Full Continuum of CareA Calmer, Steadier Life Is Possible
Our admissions team is available 24/7 to answer your questions, verify your insurance and help you or your loved one take the first step. One confidential conversation is all it takes to get started.
Secure Your Private Clinical Assessment
START THE PROCESS
Fill out the confidential form below to connect directly with our Des Moines admissions team. We provide a comprehensive clinical review and insurance verification so your transition into residential care is seamless and immediate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about residential mental health treatment
Residential treatment is live-in care: you stay on site and receive structured therapy with 24/7 clinical support, rather than travelling to appointments. It suits people whose symptoms are severe, or for whom outpatient care has not been enough.
Length of stay is personalized. Your clinical team sets a timeline around your goals and your progress, and reviews it with you as you go rather than fixing it on day one. Most stays range from 30 to 45 days.
The terms are often used interchangeably. Both mean you live on site with round-the-clock support. "Residential" emphasizes our calm, home-like setting rather than a clinical hospital environment.
Yes. We encourage healthy connection in a safe, structured way so you can carry your wellness tools into real life. Our team explains visitation and communication during admissions, and family therapy is part of the program.
Yes. Many of our residents have both a mental health condition and co-occurring substance use. Our Dual Diagnosis program treats them together rather than in sequence.
We work with most major private insurance providers as part of the Quadrant Health Network. Because every plan is different, we offer a free, confidential insurance verification before you arrive so you know exactly what is covered. Call us at (888) 378-2158 to get a fast answer.
Mental Health Information & Support Resources
Independent organizations offering information, helplines and community support.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Free, confidential support 24/7 for anyone in emotional distress or crisis. Call or text 988.
Visit resource — 988 Suicide & Crisis LifelineNIMH: Depression
The National Institute of Mental Health explains what depression is and how it is treated.
Visit resource — NIMH: DepressionNIMH: Anxiety Disorders
An overview of anxiety disorders and their evidence-based treatments.
Visit resource — NIMH: Anxiety DisordersNIMH: PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder, its symptoms and evidence-based treatments.
Visit resource — NIMH: PTSDNIMH: Bipolar Disorder
How bipolar disorder is diagnosed and managed.
Visit resource — NIMH: Bipolar DisorderYour Life Iowa
Iowa's statewide resource for mental health and substance use support. Call (855) 581-8111 or text (855) 895-8398.
Visit resource — Your Life IowaClient Testimonials
They Trusted Us. So Can You.
Find Us
Minutes from Des Moines, in Johnston
Our campus sits at 5820 Winwood Dr, Johnston, IA 50131, a short drive from downtown Des Moines and easily reached from Polk and Dallas County.