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For Immediate Release:                                          Contact:
October 6, 2018                                                           Melanie Mowry Etters
                                                                                  Communication Director
                                                                                  850-414-7551

 

All Former Carlton Palms Residents Transitioned to New Homes

MOUNT DORA, FL—The final resident of Carlton Palms moved out today into a new home they chose in the community. This person joins the other 190 people who have selected community-based homes around Florida or have returned to their home state. Carlton Palms has officially closed.
APD Director Barbara Palmer said, “I cannot tell you how pleased I am to see the doors of Carlton Palms closed. It has taken a lot of very hard work, but we have successfully transitioned nearly 200 people from an institutional placement into community homes. The health and safety of our APD customers is our top priority. With this very important move for these individuals, we believe everyone will be much happier, healthier, and have an opportunity to thrive in their communities.”

The Circuit Court for the Second Judicial Circuit appointed a receiver for Carlton Palms in May. The receiver took over the day-to-day operations of Carlton Palms, while APD and Guardian Healthcare worked to safely transition the residents into community-based behavioral group homes that were chosen by the parent or guardian and the resident. The receivership will terminate effective October 8.
Bellwether Behavioral Heath, Carlton Palms’ parent company, sold its two six-bed group homes that were in operation in Florida and relinquished its four unopened homes. All of these behavioral group homes are now being operated by Attain of Orlando.
APD has taken many actions to hold Bellwether Behavioral Health accountable, including a moratorium on new admissions, video monitoring, outside monitors, and other administrative sanctions including a $10,000 fine.
An APD regional team will monitor every individual who has transitioned out of Carlton Palms to ensure all their needs are met. Additional services will be put in place if a person has a new behavioral need.

APD supports people with developmental disabilities to live, learn, and work in their communities.  The agency annually serves more than 50,000 Floridians with severe forms of autism, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, intellectual disabilities, Down syndrome, Phelan-McDermid syndrome, and Prader-Willi syndrome. For more information about the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, visit APDcares.org or call toll-free 1-866-APD-CARES (1-866-273-2273).

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