Florida and H. Middleton's Vacation Resort

By Elizabeth Scheinberg

Nina Bernstein had opined correctly. For-profit facilities had compromised the care of the children within them. Chronic weaknesses in state regulations had allowed profit-seeking entities to lobby successfully for loopholes and influence. And one man had indeed masterminded a national policy shift without the scrutiny owed to those who would be affected by that policy - the profoundly disabled.

Heather Vogell would reach the same conclusion in 2015:

A deep examination of Advoserv - a veteran industry player now owned by a private equity firm - show how a powerful, well financed provider can exploit a fractured system, using its deep pockets to beat back sanctions, bully regulators and shape the very rules it plays by. - http://www.wmfe.org/how-a-mount-dora-group-home-evaded-regulators-as-abuse-allegations-piled-up/55155

Harlow Middleton's Vacation Resort dba Carlton Palms II

School Board Inks Deal with Au Clair

· Thu, Jan 29, 1987 – Page 87 ·

The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Florida) ·

Newspapers.com

1987 - Mazik established Carlton Palms to serve 20-30 high needs children. Carlton Palms received licenses from the states that sent their children to them. This distance between licensors and the educational center allowed Carlton Palms to operate unfettered to the detriment of many residents.
1987 - Lake County School District inked a deal to serve students with autism to Au Clair Palms despite conjecture that Mazik was not seeking to be licensed by Florida. A request for information has been submitted to the appropriate State agency to ascertain when Carlton Palms received its first Florida license.
1990- The South Central Sun Sentinel ran an expose on the gaps in the mental health system in Florida and the HRS, the social services department entrusted with protecting all children and those adults with mental health placement needs.
1990 - At the same time, the Fort Meyers News Press was publishing the findings of its own investigation into the Florida Mental Health Crisis.
1990 - Carlton Palms had stretched to serve 48 students from 28 states.
1991 - According to The Orlando Sentinal, the Palms submitted plans to expand their facilities. Once again, neighbors objected. In the planning process, it was determined that despite the organization's original project plan to serve only 20-30 students, it already had capacity for 60. Harlow Middleton, the school's attorney, explained that the project would allow Carlton Palms to add several portable classrooms. Middleton went as far as to say that the plans for the school "looks like a resort." That resort would be comprised of single and/or double-wide trailers for classrooms, dormitories, and offices. Middleton also told the Sentinel that the purpose for the expansion "would allow them to work with students ready for less restrictive care, who are ready to be taught independent living skills and can live in a group environment."

Au Clair Palms Original Campus
Not surprisingly, the Sentinel endorsed the project and opined: "Au Clair Palms is one of the finest private treatment center of its kind in the nation and a true credit to Lake County." Who wouldn't? The State of Florida was in crisis. Mazik's facilities moved children and adults out-of-site to a remote location, lessening the load on the overwhelmed HRS and related agencies. The expansion could be described as calculated and well-planned, designed to maximize outcomes.
May 22, 1991 - Carlton Palms received zoning approval to expand by the Lake County Commission to a nearby seven acre parcel on Lake Jem. However, the Commission also sent the plans back to the Lake County Planning and Zoning Commission for a re-vetting. The expansion increased capacity at the school from 48 to 108.

A day later, May 23,1991, The Orlando Sentinel announced the addition of a new face to Au Clair Palms, John J. Mulvena; they noted that the Center's Clinical Director Dr. Judith Favell had been named president of the Association of Behavior Analysis International.

There is little to archive about the mechanics of Carlton Palms from 1991 through 2005. It was a decade of silence, although there are handful of noteworthy tales to share on another day, but none that Echo could find that apply here. Locals and aficionados, please feel free to leave leads in the comments.