Inside the "troubled teen" industry, when help sometimes does more harm
The troubled teen industry has come under scrutiny due to allegations of abuse and neglect at facilities like Change Academy Lake of the Ozarks (CALO). Families are suing CALO, claiming emotional distress and battery, while the facility denies all allegations. Reports indicate a history of violence and criminal activity among staff, raising concerns about the safety and effectiveness of such treatment centers.
- ▪Taylor Kiesel, a former resident of CALO, describes her experience as traumatic and harmful.
- ▪Families are suing CALO for negligent infliction of emotional distress and battery, among other claims.
- ▪Police records show over 400 calls to the sheriff's office linked to CALO's address in the past decade.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
U.S. Inside the "troubled teen" industry, when help sometimes does more harm By Samantha Rappaport, Ash-har Quraishi Ash-har Quraishi Consumer Correspondent Ash-har Quraishi is a consumer correspondent based in Chicago. He is an Emmy Award-winning journalist with more than 25 years of local, national, international and investigative reporting experience. His work has been featured on CNN, Al Jazeera, The PBS NewsHour, A&E, "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and in The New York Times. Read Full Bio Ash-har Quraishi May 18, 2026 / 6:00 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Taylor Kiesel says she hasn't slept through the night in three years."I wake up screaming, in a panic," the 20-year-old said.
…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at CBS News — US.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from CBS News — US
