This analysis has identified four primary areas of need related to mental health in the city of Xenia, Ohio: Mental illness, drug abuse, poverty, and homelessness. While there are numerous governmental, nonprofit, and faith-based agencies addressing mental illness, drug abuse, and poverty in Xenia and Greene County, the provision of emergency services for the homeless appears to be limited. It is this author’s hope that the recently opened faith-based emergency homeless shelter, Bridges of Hope, will succeed in fulfilling this need.
Future research is needed to determine whether existing resources are adequately serving the homeless population, and if not, how those services might be expanded to meet the needs of the community. Bridges of Hope has a vision for becoming a “hub of hope”, expanding its services from being an overnight winter shelter to becoming a year-round, 24-hour shelter providing a food pantry, medical clinic, chapel, and serving as an information hub to assist clients in connecting to other local resources that will help them gain long-term housing stability. One potential future research direction would be a feasibility study to determine the practicality of Bridges of Hope’s proposed plan.
