RED ROCK BHS ENDS OUTREACH TO GAY COMMUNITY

December 12, 2008

By James Miko

Red Rock Behavioral Health Services has gone into a program-specific phase out period that will see community outreach to the LGBT community come to an end on December 31, 2008. At that time, services like anonymous HIV testing and distribution of condoms on the Strip will end along with community and internet outreach activities.

Until today, Red Rock BHS had not made any formal statement, nor attempted to notify the public of its withdrawal in serving the LGBT community.

In an interview Red Rock’s Chief Executive Officer Allyn S. Friedman did confirm the end of those services.

Friedman stated, “We’re just overwhelmed here. We serve several counties and provide a large amount of services. Due to this, we had to make decisions on where our energy and funding must be focused. The outreach program, if you want to call it that, is one of a few smaller areas we felt we could no longer invest Red Rock’s resources in.”

The CEO stressed limited funding sources saying that it was a major factor in ending the services to the gay community. However, Gossip Boy has learned the HIV Prevention Program is not paid for through Red Rock’s general funding, but via a state grant that is to be used only for that program. Red Rock can no longer fund the service, because they’re declining future grants.     

A source within Red Rock, who wants to remain unnamed, stated, “The grant that funds the HIV program is through Community Promise and the state. It is used specifically for that service and nothing else. The state is not ending or cutting the grant. Red Rock has just decided to refuse the money and shut down the much needed services.   

Acting on a tip that a state legislator was behind the closing of Red Rock’s 39^th St office three months ago and its decision to end all programming geared to the gay and lesbian community, the organization’s head was asked if anyone was involved in unduly influencing the sudden decision to cease all LGBT-related programming.

Friedman commented, “Except for one legislator in the distant past Red Rock has never been hassled over its services to the gay community by anyone involved in government or political office.” 

On September 1, 2008, Red Rock closed their offices in the heart of the LGBT community at 2136 NW 39^th Street and moved staff and programs to their main facility.

Friedman initially stated the move was forced, because the building’s owner would not renew their lease. However, in later comments Friedman mentioned, “In two years that location lost money every month but one, but we felt it was important enough to keep it going. When the building’s owners wanted to raise the rent, we decided to relocate everything to our main facility. Had we kept the building we’d certainly retained the outreach aspect, because it is so important.”   

Asked, if the outreach program was important enough to continue had the 39^th Street site remained opened what necessitated it’s full closure now, Friedman avoided answering and repeated information about underfunding, the organization being overwhelmed, and the need to focus on larger services. 

Chuck Longacre, who along with Randy Shanahan are the two gay men employed by Red Rock to operate the outreach program, said that when the office lease came up for renewal the owner decided to take the property into another direction and the program did not fit in with the future of the building.

Longacre and Shanahan will lose their jobs effective January 2, 2009. Friedman says they are welcome to apply for any future openings at Red Rock if positions they’re qualified for become available. 

Although there will be no HIV testing on the strip for now, testing will still be done at Red Rock’s central location at 4400 N Lincoln Blvd in OKC. Longacre stated he is working on finding a funding source that will allow volunteers to restart HIV testing to the LGBT community.