By Zoe Linafelt
Linda Masessa enjoys living independently in Martin County with her cat, Brady. [Read more…] about Masessa is the Queen of Burger King
agency for persons with disabilities
Governor Signs Budget Supporting Vulnerable Floridians
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis today signed his A Bold Vision for a Brighter Future Budget that demonstrates his commitment to helping vulnerable Floridians, including those served by the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD). [Read more…] about Governor Signs Budget Supporting Vulnerable Floridians
Companies Honored as Exceptional Employers
Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD), Blind Services, and Vocational Rehabilitation recognized 12 businesses that hire and retain people with disabilities with an Exceptional Employer Award today. The businesses from around the state were honored with a plaque made by people with disabilities. [Read more…] about Companies Honored as Exceptional Employers
12 Exceptional Employers to be Recognized
Disability Employment Awareness Month is Coming
On Thursday, October 4, The Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD), Blind Services, and Vocational Rehabilitation will recognize 12 businesses as Florida Exceptional Employers for hiring and retaining employees who have disabilities. [Read more…] about 12 Exceptional Employers to be Recognized
Closure of Carlton Palms Imminent
The Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) today filed for a receivership of Carlton Palms to ensure a safe transition of all residents. APD is selecting a company to take over operations of the facility after Bellwether Behavioral Health notified APD that it will cease operations in Florida on May 31, 2018. APD’s action to revoke Carlton Palms license is ongoing. Bellwether also notified the agency that it intends to close its two six-bed group homes in Central Florida.
APD Director Barbara Palmer said, “We continue to work diligently to ensure the safe transition of residents from Carlton Palms while holding Bellwether Behavioral Health accountable. Today’s action is a major milestone in our efforts to shut down the facility that has proven it does not have the best interest of our clients in mind. I am very excited to see these residents transition into smaller group homes in their local communities. Keeping our APD customers safe and healthy is the top priority of the agency, and moving them into smaller homelike settings lends itself to a happier and healthier environment.”
APD has taken multiple actions to hold Bellwether Behavioral Health accountable, including an agreed moratorium on new residents, extensive video monitoring in all homes, an outside monitoring and transition team, along with other administrative sanctions and a prior $10,000 fine.
Residents will continue to be safely transitioned to other community settings over the next few months. Parents or guardians are being encouraged to make their selection of a new residential option for their loved one. The goal is to give parents or guardians choices in their local communities while ensuring that the new homes can meet the unique needs of these clients.APD is working with community providers to develop additional group homes for individuals with intensive behavioral needs. These specialized services will help APD customers live in their home communities near families or guardians.
To date, 58 people have transitioned into new community group homes. Guardian Healthcare has been contracted to provide daily health and safety oversight during this transition period.
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).
Important Notice on Agency for Persons with Disabilities Regarding Security Breach
On April 10, an employee of the Agency for Persons with Disabilities was a victim of a malicious phishing email. APD immediately began investigating this potential security breach. To date, there is no indication that any sensitive information has been misused. However, in an abundance of caution we are sending a notification to 1,951 APD customers or guardians, and providing a one-year membership with a credit monitoring service because client names, addresses, birth dates, health information, telephone numbers, and Social Security numbers were potentially included in these email accounts.
APD takes this matter very seriously and has taken steps to protect personal information, including taking swift action to help prevent this type of event from happening again. On April 13, APD implemented a security upgrade to prevent unauthorized persons from gaining access to APD’s email system. APD will also be enacting additional training for staff members regarding appropriate email security protocols.
At this time, APD has no reason to believe individuals’ information has been misused. Again, in an abundance of caution and to help individuals detect any possible misuse of this information, we are providing a one-year membership with a credit monitoring service for those who could have been affected. This service will be free for APD clients. For more information, individuals may call APD’s hotline at 1-855-476-1180. If you are writing on this event, it is imperative to include APD’s hotline phone number in your reporting.
APD is notifying all potentially affected customers in accordance with state and federal law, including information on credit monitoring services. Pursuant to 45 CFR 164 and Section 501.171, Florida Statutes, this is notification that the Agency for Persons with Disabilities had a security breach, which may have affected 1,951 individuals in the state of Florida.
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 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).
APD Seeks Revocation and Closure of Carlton Palms
The Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) is seeking to revoke the license of Carlton Palms, which is operated by Bellwether Behavioral Health, and impose a $10,000 fine, the maximum allowed by Florida law. APD filed an Administrative Complaint against Carlton Palms of Mt. Dora today. Numerous recent verified findings of abuse and neglect by the Florida Department of Children and Families warrant this action by APD.
APD Director Barbara Palmer said, “Protecting the health and safety of APD customers is the top priority of the agency. APD demands excellence in service to Floridians with developmental disabilities. We are actively working to close Carlton Palms as soon as possible, and we have taken multiple actions in the past to hold Bellwether Behavioral Health accountable, including an agreed moratorium on new residents, extensive video monitoring in all homes, an outside monitoring and transition team, along with other administrative sanctions and $10,000 in fines. We will not tolerate any type of abuse or neglect at any of our APD licensed facilities.”
With this action APD seeks closure of Carlton Palms as soon as residents can be safely transitioned to other community settings. APD is expediting the transition of the remaining customers living at Carlton Palms into community group homes. The agency is increasing its outreach to parents or guardians to encourage their selection of new residential options. The goal is to give parents or guardians choices for their loved ones in their local communities while ensuring that the new homes can meet the unique needs of these clients. APD is working with community providers to develop additional group homes for individuals with intensive behavioral needs. These specialized services will help APD customers live in their home communities near families or guardians.
Previously in 2016, APD reached an agreement to close Carlton Palms by March 2019 and transition residents into smaller, homelike settings that follows new requirements by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). To date, 52 people have transitioned into new community group homes. Guardian Healthcare has been contracted to provide daily health and safety oversight during this transition period.
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).
Cabinet to Declare Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
Attorney General Pam Bondi will introduce a resolution at the Florida Cabinet meeting tomorrow, March 7, declaring the month of March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month in Florida.
Representatives from the following organizations will be there to accept the resolution:
- Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD)
- Family Care Council Area 2
- Florida Developmental Disabilities Council
- The Arc of Florida
- Florida Association of Rehabilitation Facilities
- RESPECT of Florida
- ABLE Trust
- Vocational Rehabilitation
- Blind Services
- Association of Support Coordination Agencies of Florida
- Support Coordination Association of Florida
- Florida Association of Assistive Services and Technology
Susan Mikesh of Tallahassee will address Governor Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet on the importance of meeting the changing needs of individuals with developmental disabilities. Mikesh, who has cerebral palsy, has worked for more than 20 years at Creative Preschool in Tallahassee.
The Cabinet meeting will begin at 9 a.m. in the Cabinet meeting room on the lower level of the Capitol Building.
APD supports people with developmental disabilities to live, learn, and work in their communities. The agency annually serves more than 50,000 Floridians with autism, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, intellectual disabilities, Down syndrome, Phalen-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).
Important Notice to Agency for Persons with Disabilities Customers Regarding Security Breach
No indication that any sensitive information has been compromised
On February 14 and 15, several employees of the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) were victims of phishing emails. APD immediately began investigating this potential security breach, and it was reported to the APD Inspector General and the Agency for State Technology to begin a thorough review, which is ongoing. To date, there is no indication that any sensitive information has been compromised, including the information of parents or guardians. However, in an abundance of caution we are sending a notification to 55,400 APD customers and providing a one-year membership with a credit monitoring service because client names, addresses, birth dates, and Social Security numbers were potentially included in these email accounts.
APD takes this matter very seriously and has taken steps to protect personal information, including taking swift action to help prevent this type of event from happening again. On February 16, APD implemented a previously-scheduled security upgrade requiring a multi-factor authentication to prevent unauthorized persons from gaining access to APD’s email system. APD will also be enacting additional training for staff members regarding appropriate email security protocols.
At this time, APD has no reason to believe individuals’ information has been misused. Again, in an abundance of caution and to help individuals detect any possible misuse of this information, we are providing a one-year membership with a credit monitoring service for those who could have been affected. This service will be free for APD clients. For more information, individuals may call APD’s hotline at 1-855-476-1180. If you are writing on this event, it is imperative to include APD’s hotline phone number in your reporting.
APD is notifying all potentially affected customers in accordance with state and federal law, including information on credit monitoring services. Pursuant to 45 CFR 164 and Section 501.171, Florida Statutes, this is notification that the Agency for Persons with Disabilities had a security breach, which affected 55,400 individuals in the state of Florida.
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 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).
APD Participates in Developmental Disabilities Day
Disability Stakeholders Praise Governor’s Support
Governor Rick Scott today issued a proclamation recognizing today, February 14, as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Day in Florida. Hundreds of disability advocates came to the Capitol in Tallahassee today to talk with legislators. To read Governor Scott’s proclamation, click here.
Governor Scott said, “I am proud to proclaim today as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Day in Florida. We want every person in our state to have the opportunity to live the American Dream. We will keep working to ensure every Floridian has the resources they need to be successful.”
Governor Scott ‘s Securing Florida’s Future Budget proposes $1.4 billion to serve Floridians with developmental disabilities. Some of the proposed investments include:
- $18.1 million to offer enrollment to approximately 900 individuals with developmental disabilities who are in crisis into the APD waiver program. This funding will serve individuals who are in a crisis situation, in extended foster care, or those in foster care who are adopted or reunified with their families.
- $1 million to provide employment services for approximately 800 individuals with developmental disabilities who are ready to work.
APD Director Barbara Palmer said, “Governor Scott is a fabulous advocate for people with developmental disabilities. The Governor’s budget recommendations support $34 million in General Revenue funding for the increased needs of individuals on the waiver. I appreciate his continued support of individuals with special abilities. We want all Floridians with developmental disabilities to receive the resources they need to succeed.”
Family Care Council Florida Chairperson Mary Smith said, “We are happy to see Governor Scott’s Securing Florida’s Future budget will move 900 people from the waiting list to being served by APD. We appreciate his understanding of the growing needs of people already on the waiver too.”
