About This Course
Critical Time Intervention (CTI) is an evidence-based, time-limited case management model designed to support people through the most vulnerable moments of transition — discharge from a hospital, release from incarceration, exit from a shelter, or any high-risk change that can unravel without the right support. This course gives you a clear, practical understanding of how CTI works: the three phases (Transition, Try-Out, and Transfer), the core tasks that drive each phase, and the principles that make the model effective — including trauma-informed care, recovery orientation, and culturally responsive practice. Whether you're new to CTI or looking to strengthen your foundation, you'll walk away understanding not just what to do, but why it works.
You'll learn how to build meaningful community linkages, structure a time-limited caseload, and gradually transfer support to lasting community resources — the skills that actually prevent people from cycling back through crisis systems. Through real-world case examples and practical exercises, you'll see how CTI is applied across settings like hospitals, shelters, housing programs, behavioral health, and reentry — and how to adapt your approach to meet people where they are. By the end, you'll have a solid grasp of the CTI framework and the confidence to begin applying it with the individuals and communities you serve.
But this isn't just a course you watch — it's one that responds to you. Built into the learning experience is an AI-powered practice coach that adapts to your real-world context. Share details about your program — your setting, your population, your team structure — and the instructor tailors examples, feedback, and guidance to match. You'll work through interactive Q&A, case scenarios, and role-play simulations where you practice applying CTI in situations that mirror your actual caseload. It's the closest thing to having a personal mentor walking you through the model, available whenever you're ready to learn.
Curriculum
- Interactive Lesson: Part One – History and Background of Critical Time Intervention
- PDF File
- Interactive Lesson: Part Two – Fundamentals of CTI – Key Concepts, Values and Principles
- PDF File
- Interactive Lesson: Part Three – Fundamentals of CTI – Roles and Phases
- Interactive Practice: Part Three – The First Conversation – Engaging a Client in Pre-CTI
- PDF File
- Interactive Lesson: Part Four – Fundamentals of CTI – Skills Necessary For Each Phase
- Interactive Practice: Part Four – Trust and Trauma – Roberto's Intake Meeting (Pre-CTI)
- Interactive Practice: Part Four – Advocacy in Action – Supporting Jill Through Anxiety (Phase 2)
- Interactive Practice: Part Four – Transition Phase – Accompanying Dominique to a Benefits Office
- Interactive Practice: Part Four – Preparing for Goodbye – Ending Support with Vincent (Phase 3)
- Interactive Lesson: Part Five – CTI with Marginalized Populations
- Interactive Practice: Part Five – Facing Discrimination – Empowering a Client in Crisis
- PDF File
- Interactive Lesson: Part Six – Resources – Finding and Linking
- Interactive Practice: Part Six – Building Informal Networks – Reconnecting with Family
- Interactive Practice: Part Six – Finding the Right Fit – Connecting a Client to a Faith-Based Support Group
- PDF File
- Interactive Lesson: Part Seven – Documentation for the CTI Worker
- Interactive Practice: Part Seven – Documentation Debrief – Writing a Progress Note After a Challenging Visit
- PDF File
Your Course Designer
Carolyn Hanesworth, PhD, LCSW, is a social work educator and practitioner with extensive experience in Critical Time Intervention (CTI), behavioral health, homelessness services, and community-based support. Her work focuses on improving care during periods of transition and strengthening the systems that serve individuals facing crisis, instability, and marginalization. Carolyn has trained practitioners, supervisors, and organizations across multiple settings in the core values, phases, and skills of CTI, blending research, real-world practice, and trauma-informed approaches. She is committed to helping workers apply CTI with clarity, intention, and respect, ensuring that each learner leaves with practical tools they can use immediately in the field.
Carolyn designed this course for professionals doing work that matters — who deserve training that respects their time and matches the importance of what they do. It's on-demand, engaging, and built on the best technology available.
