Critical time intervention for reentry from prison for persons with mental illness

Area of Science:

• Mental Health Services Research
• Criminal Justice and Public Health
• Social Work and Community Support

Background:

• Critical Time Intervention (CTI) is an empirically supported nine-month, three-stage program.
• CTI enhances engagement with treatment and community supports for individuals with mental illness post-discharge.
• Existing research demonstrates CTI's effectiveness in improving continuity of care after hospital or shelter stays.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe Critical Time Intervention (CTI) as a model for supporting individuals with mental illness during reentry from correctional settings.
• To present a conceptual model for evaluating CTI's impact on the transition from correctional facilities to the community.
• To explore the potential of CTI in developing mental health service-driven reentry models.

Main Methods:

• The article describes the components of CTI, including individualized community linkages, problem-solving skills, motivational coaching, and advocacy.
• A conceptual model is presented for assessing the outcomes of CTI in the context of correctional reentry.
• The discussion considers the adaptation of CTI to diverse correctional and community environments.

Main Results:

• CTI is presented as a promising intervention for enhancing reentry for individuals with mental illness.
• The conceptual model offers a framework for evaluating CTI's effectiveness in this population.
• Adaptation of CTI to specific correctional and community contexts presents challenges.

Conclusions:

• Critical Time Intervention (CTI) shows promise as a model for supporting mental health service needs during prison reentry.
• The proposed evaluation model can guide further research and development of CTI for correctional populations.
• Successful implementation requires addressing contextual challenges within specific justice systems and communities.