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'Cult' behavior at a Kansas City teen addiction program

Former members of Kansas City addiction treatment groups for teenagers allege the programs isolated them from friends and family and pushed them into unsafe behavior. Plus: a "foster care bill of rights" is moving through the Kansas Legislature.

When teenagers and young adults in Missouri and Kansas struggle with addiction and alcohol abuse, some turn to “enthusiastic sobriety” programs. The outpatient groups are based on the idea that substance abuse treatment has to be fun and feel good for it to stick. But as KCUR’s Noah Taborda reports, some former group members say the programs pushed them in reckless and illegal behavior.

In Kansas, lawmakers are considering a "foster care bill of rights" that would put protections for foster children and parents into law. Kansas News Service criminal justice and social services reporter Blaise Mesa talked to KCUR’s Steve Kraske on Up To Date about what the bill would do and its odds of passing.

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Kansas City Today is hosted today by Madeline Fox. It is produced by Byron Love, Paris Norvell and KCUR Studios and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

Madeline Fox is a news editor for KCUR.
Paris Norvell is a freelance podcast producer for KCUR Studios,
As an on-demand producer, I am focused on using my skills and experiences across multiple digital applications, platforms and media fields to create community focused audio, video and on-demand products for KCUR Studios. The media that I produce aims to inform, entertain and connect with the Kansas City metro area as we continue to learn from each other. Email me at byronlove@kcur.org.
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