Child & Adolescent Residential Services

Oaklawn’s Intensive Mental Health Program For Youth

Oaklawn provides long-term residential programs, as well as 30-day diagnostic and evaluation services. We treat psychiatric, emotional, developmental or behavioral challenges and support youth in learning healthy skills so they can live successfully in their community. We serve youth primarily between the ages of 13 and 17.

We accept referrals from DCS, probation and schools, as well as Children’s Mental Health Initiative (CMHI) placements. Unfortunately, we do not accept out-of-state or private referrals.

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Common Characteristics Our Programs Address

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Suicidal thoughts
  • Poor boundaries
  • Complex mental health challenges
  • Trauma symptoms
  • Self-injury
  • Substance use
  • History of running away
  • Problems with authority
  • Inability to form healthy relationships
  • Difficulty in school
  • Court involvement
  • Unsafe behaviors in the community and home

Specialized Units for Youth

Oaklawn provides comprehensive treatment with the highest quality care. Our clinical teams have uncommon expertise working with these behavioral health issues:

  • Complex mental health (males)
  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (females)
  • Co-occurring intellectual and developmental disabilities (males and females)
  • Substance use (males)
  • Co-occurring substance use and mental health (females)
  • Sexually harmful behaviors (males)
Youth in treatment at Oaklawn's Mishawaka campus
Teen girl participating in group therapy

Diagnostic and Evaluation Services

Oaklawn provides a comprehensive 30-day diagnostic and evaluation assessment for youth, designed to understand the whole person within the context of their life experience. The assessment examines eight key domains: psychiatric, psychological, psychosocial, physical, family functioning, independent living skills, substance use and ongoing clinical observation.

Each evaluation includes an in-depth review of existing records as well as standardized social-emotional and psychological testing. A multidisciplinary team works together to identify strengths, needs and barriers to health, stability and well-being, within the youth’s home, school and community settings. This team includes a psychiatrist, physician, psychologist, therapist and case manager.

At the conclusion of the assessment period, the team provides individualized, clinically grounded recommendations for further treatment. These recommendations are documented in a comprehensive written report that details assessment findings, diagnostic impressions and considerations impacting the youth’s capacity for sustained health and wholeness.

Take a Virtual Tour of Our Oaklawn Mishawaka Campus

What Sets Oaklawn Apart

Youth will participate in:

  • Weekly individual therapy
  • Group therapy at least five times per week
  • Family therapy as indicated by treatment need

All treatment is individualized to fit the specific needs of each youth.

We use evidence-based practices that are scientifically proven to work. These include:

  • Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
  • Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
  • Positive Peer Culture (PPC)
  • Motivational Interviewing (MI)
  • The Matrix Model
  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
  • Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT)

We are a trauma-informed community, including person-centered treatment and planning.

  • Prescribers see youth to perform evaluations, prescribe medication and educate youth on their medication and possible side effects.
  • Nurses are available 24/7. They provide medication management and address physical complaints.
  • A physical health care office is on-site, staffed with a board-certified pediatrician and nurses, who perform routine physicals and see youth for acute illnesses.

At Oaklawn, we believe family involvement is key to a youth’s success. When caregivers are involved in treatment, youth do better. Caregivers work closely with the youth’s therapist to address challenges at home. Care facilitators help keep families involved throughout treatment by offering support, sharing resources, and helping schedule visits, meetings, and activities.

Skills trainers and care facilitators work one-on-one with each youth to build coping skills, life skills, emotional control, and social skills. When appropriate, youth can take part in volunteer work or jobs on campus or in the community. Youth also receive recreational therapy and have access to our 12-acre campus, including gyms, outdoor fields, basketball courts, a Gaga ball pit, and playground equipment.

School is provided on campus by School City of Mishawaka. Each classroom has a licensed teacher and an aide. We also have an on-site guidance counselor, administrator, Title I teacher and a credit recovery service. Credits are transferable. Youth who graduate from high school while at Oaklawn receive a diploma from Mishawaka High School. 

A smooth transition after discharge is essential. Oaklawn provides six months of aftercare services in the youth’s home community after their residential stay. Because Oaklawn is part of the community mental health system in St. Joseph and Elkhart counties, youth have access to ongoing support such as therapy, psychiatry, group counseling and other adolescent or adult treatment services.

Make a Referral

We accept referrals from DCS, probation and schools, as well as Children’s Mental Health Initiative (CMHI) placements. Unfortunately, we do not accept out-of-state or private referrals.

To learn more about whether our program is right for your youth, call 574-259-5666, ext. 222, or email our Admissions team. After-hours referrals can be made by calling 574-533-1234.

Email A Referral