Change Academy, Lake of the Ozarks: Families of 15 Former Patients File Suits Alleging Abuse, Neglect, and Emotional Harm

May 18, 2026

A new CBS News investigation is raising renewed concerns about the “troubled teen” industry — a network of residential treatment centers, wilderness programs, and therapeutic boarding schools that often operate with limited federal oversight. The report highlights dramatically different outcomes for families who turned to these programs in desperation, with some teens reporting trauma, abuse, and unsafe conditions instead of healing.

One family told CBS News their daughter was harmed at a Missouri residential treatment center called Change Academy, Lake of the Ozarks (or CALO), where 15 lawsuits now allege abuse, neglect, and emotional harm. Former residents and staff described violent incidents, frequent police calls, and a chaotic environment. State records reviewed by CBS News documented findings of physical and sexual abuse over the years, while advocates and lawmakers say the industry remains dangerously underregulated despite receiving taxpayer funding.

Other families reported positive experiences, saying intensive treatment programs helped save their children’s lives — but often at staggering financial cost, with some spending hundreds of thousands of dollars out of pocket. Survivors, parents, and advocates are now calling for stronger national oversight, transparency, standardized licensing requirements, and a federal bill of rights for children placed in residential treatment facilities

(Source: CBS News, May 18, 2026)