[Engaging patients with serious mental illness in care services by Critical Time Intervention]

Patients with serious mental illness who are difficult to engage in services often face multiple complex problems, like homelessness, debts, and poor hygiene and social skills. Critical Time Intervention (CTI) is a time-limited, manual-guided case management approach intended to enhance continuity of care for mentally ill patients. We present two patients who received intensive outpatient CTI care. A 42-year-old woman diagnosed with depression and addiction to alcohol and medication and a 38-year-old man diagnosed with autism were offered practical and emotional support while they became linked to a long term support system. CTI offers pro-active case management where the patient lives, taking into account the patient's strengths and informal support system. CTI is especially suited for patients relatively new to psychiatric care, who would not engage in services without support.