*World Premiere at the 2025 Indy Shorts Intl Film Festival*

In The Business of Trouble, survivors, a former caregiver, and an investigator reveal systemic abuse and demand accountability from the private equity companies behind the multibillion-dollar Troubled Teen Industry that exploits vulnerable youth under the guise of care.

Impact

Every year, as many as 200,000 kids are sent into treatment at private facilities for mental illness, addiction, and behavioral problems. Physical, sexual and emotional abuse, and death are risks faced by thousands of American children and teens who are part of the “Troubled Teen Industry.”

Inconsistent federal and state regulations of this $220 billion industry allow facilities and their owners to reap massive profits while:

• Reducing the number of licensed therapists
• Failing to adequately train their employees
• Employing excessive physical restraint that can result in death
• Tolerating abuse in all forms

Credits

director
Kristi Jacobson

Producers
Alexandra Blaney
Dani Sloan

Executive ProducerS
Susan MacLaury & Albie Hecht
Andrew MacArthur
Susan Polsky

Co-Producer
Kaley Roberts

Co-Executive Producer
William MacArthur

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Nausheen Dadabhoy

Editor
M Watanabe Milmore

ORIGINAL MUSIC
Alex Wakim