Centralized Training Institute

The Centralized Training Institute (CTI) was created in 1997 to meet a dire need for systematized and high quality training of domestic violence advocates and allied professionals throughout Cook County.

The Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women's Network (The Network) is proud of what we have been able to achieve with CTI. Since its inception, CTI has trained over 12,000 professionals, paraprofessionals and community members at large.

As the training and education program of The Network, the Centralized Training Institute plays a key role in fulfilling our long-term mission. It enables The Network to pursue a number of important strategies. The primary focus of CTI training is to prepare participants to effectively respond to and deliver quality services to victims of domestic violence and their children in an ethical and culturally appropriate manner.

In order to successfully reach its goals, CTI stays abreast of currents issues and trends, including the latest theory and practice in the field. CTI uses adult educational methodologies and anti-oppression frameworks that promote critical thinking and build upon participants' knowledge, skills and life experience.

CTI's trainings are divided into three categories:

1. Domestic Violence 40-Hour Training: This is the basic state-required 40-hour certificate training for new domestic violence workers. CTI is an official certified training site for domestic violence professional workers by the Illinois Certified Domestic Violence Professionals Board and is considered a model 40-Hour training program.
   
   
2. Advanced and Specialized Training: These trainings improve the knowledge of domestic violence workers through professional development opportunities on emerging issues experienced by domestic violence victims.
   
   
3. Allied Professional Training: These are customized domestic violence training courses for staff of allied organizations that focus on other needs of their constituency but frequently encounter survivors, perpetrators and/or their children. These trainings are offered for health care professionals, social workers, police, legal system professionals, youth workers, therapists, substance abuse professionals, clergy and others.

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Spanish Language Trainings

CTI is committed to ensure limited English/Spanish speaking survivors have access to services that are well informed and culturally relevant. Therefore, since 2003, CTI has offered the only Spanish language training on domestic violence in Illinois that is open to the general public. CTI also produces the only Spanish language 40-Hour manual in the state—a resource that is consistently sought for reproduction nationwide.


Diversity and Equal Access Issues

Since its creation in 1997, CTI has deliberately and conscientiously addressed diversity and equal access issues. CTI has thrived -since its inception- because of the collective efforts of a diverse membership and a multicultural environment that is committed to valuing cultural sensitivity and sharing. The Trainers and Network members involved in planning and implementing training are diverse racially, geographically, economically, in age, ability/disability and in gender and sexual orientation. Our efforts on behalf of diversity issues have enhanced our ability to provide culturally relevant training and have, in turn, been reflected in the diversity of CTI training participants. We present trainings in English, Spanish, and American Sign Language. Our Domestic Violence 40-Hour Training Manual is available in Spanish and all training locations are handicapped accessible.