Concerns Rise Over Residential Treatment Centers Like CALO

Taylor Kiesel shares that she hasn’t had a full night’s sleep in three years. ‘I wake up screaming, in a panic,’ the 20-year-old reveals. She finds comfort in the reptiles she has collected since childhood, including Russian tortoises, geckos, and snakes. Taylor started a home-based animal rescue near Seattle to channel what she describes as ‘anger and sadness and passion’ into something meaningful. Her progress happened in spite of, not because of, the mental health treatment she received.

Taylor’s difficulties began at a young age. Her father left when she was five. Diagnosed with autism in first grade, she started expressing thoughts of self-harm by age six. ‘I remember driving in the car,’ her mother Rachelle recalls, ‘and she said, ‘Mom, what would happen if I just jumped out of the car right now?’ It’s not something you would expect from a six-year-old.’

After numerous therapies and hospitalizations failed to protect Taylor, a consultant recommended a longer-term stay at Change Academy Lake of the Ozarks, or CALO in Missouri. Rachelle did extensive research before agreeing. ‘You think as a parent, I’ll do whatever it takes just to make sure that she’s okay,’ she states.

Allegations of Abuse at CALO

Upon arrival, Taylor immediately sensed something was wrong. ‘The way other kids treated each other and how staff pitted us against each other — that was not normal,’ Taylor said. Now, the Kiesels are among 15 families suing CALO for issues ranging from emotional distress to battery. While CALO denies all allegations, police records show more than 400 calls linked to CALO over a decade.

Numerous incident reports describe concerning situations: a 12-year-old convulsing, a 15-year-old injuring herself, residents stabbing staff with wooden shards. CBS News confirmed four former staff at CALO faced criminal convictions related to their employment.

‘It’s worse than I thought it was,’ said Caleb Cunningham, who reviewed records as the lead prosecutor in Camden County. He stressed the recurring problems across the country in this industry.

The Missouri Department of Social Services reported five cases each of physical and sexual abuse involving CALO over the last 20 years, but the state attorney general’s office is not actively investigating CALO.

Challenges in Oversight

Taylor’s placement at CALO was partially funded by her Washington school district via her Individualized Education Program (IEP). Federal laws allow students with special needs to attend private residential programs funded publicly. Despite calls for CALO’s removal from approved IEP placements, it remains approved in Washington. Oversight of youth residential treatment programs varies by state, with no federal mandate for minimum care standards.

The Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act, passed in 2024, pushed for a study of these programs by the Department of Health and Human Services, expected by mid-2027. ‘There’s reluctance to mandate regulations,’ explained Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon.

The Cost of Care

Not every family’s experience mirrors Taylor’s. Luca was placed in a wilderness therapy program at 12, followed by a therapeutic boarding school. His mother Martha says it saved his life but the financial burden was immense. Despite an IEP, they depleted savings and retirement accounts to cover about $12,000 monthly costs, spending nearly half a million dollars, with limited insurance and school reimbursements.

With fewer options due to scrutiny and funding shifts, solutions remain elusive. ‘It’s very expensive, and I don’t have a good solution for that,’ Sen. Merkley acknowledged.

Calls for Regulatory Reforms

Both the Kiesels and other families want improved oversight, national databases of program reviews, standardized licensing, and a federal bill of rights for children in these facilities. ‘I would like stricter oversight,’ Rachelle said, hoping to prevent others from experiencing their struggles.

Taylor remains focused on her future and her reptile rescue. ‘I am taking that anger and sadness and passion that I feel,’ she said, ‘and I am turning it into something.’

If you’re struggling, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for 24/7 support.