UnityPoint Health - Meriter - Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

This provider helps children and adolescents ages 6–18 manage depression, anxiety, self-harm, and mood disorders through inpatient, day treatment (PHP), and intensive outpatient (IOP) psychiatric care. The hospital-based program focuses on emotional stabilization and growth through family involvement and structured therapeutic programming. All programs are offered in person to ensure consistent engagement, personal connection, and therapeutic support.
Inpatient care at UnityPoint Health Meriter provides 24-hour therapeutic support for youth needing safety and stabilization in a 30-bed unit with private rooms, a sensory room, gym, yoga studio, and outdoor walking track. Staff provide balanced meals and structured routines that build reflection and emotional growth. Day treatment (PHP) blends therapy, education, and skill-building, while intensive outpatient programs (IOP) follow the HEALTH Model, promoting wellness, evidence-based care, family participation, mindfulness, and life skills that strengthen resilience and maintain progress.
Clinicians group patients by age to align treatment with developmental needs, with children ages 6-12 and adolescents ages 13-18 receiving tailored interventions. Clinicians use dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) to teach mindfulness, acceptance, and distress tolerance, helping teens manage stress and strengthen emotional control. UnityPoint Health Meriter uses the Love and Logic approach to promote confidence and problem-solving and applies the Zones of Regulation to help children recognize and express emotions.