Hope Community Center to host art show

Amelia — The Hope Community Center in Amelia will host Imagination Unleashed: Art Show & Open House this Friday. The open house will feature various creative projects from members and include a tour of the facility. Guests can view and buy art from the exhibit between 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.

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Reports indicate that nearly 23% of adults live with a mental illness. These conditions are both genetic and developed, affecting thousands of people in Clermont County. While inpatient services and traditional psychiatry are important for individual recovery, people often overlook the critical impact the local community has on rehabilitation.

Bob Pautke, host of Good Day Clermont!, met with Hope Community Center's Executive Director, Zoe Fiscus-Doss, to learn more about the organization and how it helps connect peer groups to improve community and well-being.

Hope Community Center is a “peer-run clubhouse” established in 2004 to help adults manage and overcome mental health challenges through dignity, compassion, and purpose. Fiscus-Doss joined the organization two years ago, following her role as a senior care manager at Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services.

Executive Director of Hope Community Center, Zoe Fiscus-Doss.

A team of five peer support advocates and behavioral health specialists manages the clubhouse. They host daily meetings for members to plan upcoming events and tasks that maintain the facility. Hope Community Center also provides a critical volunteer network for nursing homes and food pantries like IPM.

“Doing meaningful work together is how people build relationships. And those relationships between members and staff are really what helps support recovery.” Fiscus-Doss explained during her interview.

Behavioral health research and day-to-day observations at Hope Community Center reinforce the importance of these peer groups in the recovery process. Community-led treatment correlates with a reduction in substance use and ER visits and improves the quality of life for those managing their illnesses. Higher rates of employment, longer tenure, and improved wages are also proportional to involvement in these programs.

Member task chart at the Hope Community Center in Amelia.

“We’re not a traditional day treatment center. The model is all about working side-by-side.” Fiscus-Doss said. “[Our] model has been supported by the Ohio Department of Health statewide and the Clermont County Mental Health and Recovery Board locally.”

Hope Community Center is accessible for tours and general information during regular hours. The organization has room to grow, encouraging residents to explore its programs and become members.

The upcoming Image Unleashed exhibit will include artworks from many of the clubhouse’s 40 members. The event will also include guest entertainment and a raffle.

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Fiscus-Doss spoke about the organization’s emphasis on creativity during her interview. “One of the things our members love coming here for is creative expression.” The clubhouse’s arts program allows members to showcase their work to the community via opportunities that may be challenging to find independently.

While Fiscus-Doss expects a good turnout this weekend, she still believes Hope Community Center has the potential to broaden its reach in the near future.

Member art displayed on the walls of Hope Community Center.

“We really hope to continue to be a vibrant community center that's supporting individual transformation and to be a hub of recovery and opportunity for people with mental illness living in the county.” She said, “I would personally love to see an expanded employment program, partnerships with local businesses who want to help someone with a disability get back into employment, and just expanded partnerships.”

Adults 18 or older can visit the website for more information about the program and membership opportunities.

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