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Structured Interview, Counselor Position
Structured Interview, Counselor Position
Structured Interview, Counselor Position
Pre-interview Instructions:
1. Act casually and encourage candidate to be relaxed.
2. Disclose information that can be conducive to candidate comfort such as this
being the first time you are interviewing people for a job.
3. Talk about your experience at MHANC; about its mission, various work and
organizational culture; and about the responsibilities of the position for which the
candidate is interviewing.
Interview Instructions:
1. Ask the candidate each item (i.e., each provided question or command). Speak
slowly for long items.
a. Try to elicit a more comprehensive, detailed, or categorically better
response by clarifying as needed, by using relatable analogies such as
ones about other roles in the workforce or in life in general, and by asking
follow up questions as needed. In doing so, do not lead the candidate to a
more valuable response by giving examples herein.
b. Score each response by discerning the most analogous rating for the
candidate’s response based on the evaluative criteria that accompany
each item.
2. Add the points together then turn to the scoring page. On the scoring page, write
the total score (i.e., total points) and refer to the scoring key to learn the
candidate’s quantified suitability for the position (i.e., interview performance).
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CLP Structured Interview, Part-Time Counselor
Scoring Instructions:
1. [Optional Notation] Circle any examples in the evaluative criteria with which the
candidate responds. Write in the margin (next to the respective evaluative level
of criteria) any keyword(s) the candidate answers with that are categorically
qualifying for the evaluative criteria level. Write in the margin a summation of
their response.
2. Score an insufficient response with one (1) point. Score a standard response with
two (2) points. Score three (3) points to responses that exceed the standard. For
accurate results, ensure every item is answered and scored.
3. Write the score of each item in the margin next to the respective item number.
Items:
1. Tell us about any experience working with people who are mentally ill.
A. What population(s) have you worked with?
B. How long did you work in the relevant field(s)?
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CLP Structured Interview, Part-Time Counselor
● Insufficient:
○ Does not express __________
○ Examples:
■ 1.
■ 2.
● Standard:
○ Expresses __________
○ Examples:
■ 1.
■ 2.
● Exceeds Standard:
○ Expresses the standard and beyond.
○ Examples:
■ 1.
■ 2.
● Insufficient:
○ Does not express more than three good qualities of a mental health
worker.
● Standard:
○ Expresses four or five good qualities of a mental health worker such as
compassion or empathy, patience, kindness, sensitivity, encouragement,
persistence, congruency, honesty, sincerity, acceptance, provides
unconditional positive regard, listens well, has ability to manage time
strategically, has ability to multitask, is confidential/discreet or respectful of
clients’ privacy, is open to learning or seeks to learn more.
● Exceeds Standard:
○ Expresses six or more good qualities of a mental health worker.
4. This position requires working well in teams and not assuming details in
important areas like client medications. What would you do if you do not know
how to perform a task at work that you are responsible for completing?
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CLP Structured Interview, Part-Time Counselor
5. An ADL is an common and standard task most people perform daily, weekly or
otherwise regularly. Examples include cooking, showering, and doing laundry.
How would you show people how to be more functional in an ADL in which they
have a problem doing? You can pick an example like doing laundry to explain
your answer.
● Insufficient:
○ Does not express teaching or a hands-on approach.
○ Examples:
■ Show them a video on Youtube.com on how to be more functional.
■ Tell them to try to ignore their deficit(s) and instruct them to perform
the ADL.
● Standard:
○ Expresses a hands-on or tailored approach, and patience.
○ Examples:
■ Demonstrate desired behavior and encourage them to copy and
regularly practice it. Show, hands-on, how to do something with
which they needs help.
■ Role model for them. Lead by example.
● Exceeds Standard:
○ Expresses the standard and beyond.
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CLP Structured Interview, Part-Time Counselor
○ Examples:
■ Consistently explain to them how to be productive in the problem
ADL.
■ Consistently encourage conducive thinking, behavior, and
environmental or social factors that can help mitigate the problem.
6. Part of the job is encouraging people to do things. Every week in a CR like this,
the residents have a meeting and decide who cooks on which night and who is in
charge of which chore for the next week. Cooking and chore charts are hung on a
wall at the start of each new week. How would you encourage people with SMI to
do a chore assigned to them.
7. How would you encourage people with SMI to eat or drink more nutritiously?
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CLP Structured Interview, Part-Time Counselor
● Insufficient:
○ Does not express __________
○ Examples:
■ Tell them to eat fruit.
■ Tell them to read the labels of foods and drinks they consume.
● Standard:
○ Expresses __________
○ Examples:
■ Review and encourage toward any diet restriction they are
prescribed.
■ Help them read the labels of foods and drinks.
■ Encourage them to eat vegetables and drink a lot of water
■ Encourage them to avoid eating fried foods, candy, processed
foods including low-quality fast food, or sugary drinks.
● Exceeds Standard:
○ Expresses the standard and beyond.
○ Examples:
■ Tell them to ask staff for guidance whenever need be especially if
they has a dietary restriction.
■ Show them what important nutrition facts and ingredients to
consider on the Nutrition Facts labels of foods and drinks (these
include the amount of calories, fewer is better for most people; bad
nutrients: sugar, carbohydrates, sodium; good nutrients: protein,
vitamins, minerals; bad ingredients: sodium nitrite and nitrate,
partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, BHA, Red 40, Yellow 5; and
good ingredients: whole grains like 100% whole wheat, whole oats,
whole rye, quinoa, whole vegetables, grilled vegetables, grilled
chicken, egg whites).
8. How would you manage a situation in which a resident was violating a house
rule such as by smoking indoors or by stealing property of another resident?
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CLP Structured Interview, Part-Time Counselor
○ Examples:
■ 1.
■ 2.
● Exceeds Standard:
○ Expresses the standard and beyond.
○ Examples:
■ 1.
■ 2.
9. How would you manage a situation in which a client is having very severe
symptoms? E.g., they may be sad and crying, paranoid and angry, and having
homicidal or suicidal ideation.
10. How would you manage a situation in which two residents are verbally
fighting loudly?
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CLP Structured Interview, Part-Time Counselor
■ 1.
■ 2.
● Standard:
○ Expresses __________
○ Examples:
■ 1.
■ 2.
● Exceeds Standard:
○ Expresses the standard and beyond.
○ Examples:
■ 1.
■ 2.
11. How would you encourage people with body odor to bathe?
12. How would you manage a situation in which a resident is aggressive and
attempts to intimidate you? E.g., the client may be cursing, disrespectful and
invading your personal space.
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CLP Structured Interview, Part-Time Counselor
■ 1. Yell back at the client and try to “put them in their place.”
■ 2.
● Standard:
○ Expresses __________
○ Examples:
■ 1. Attempt to talk down the client by trying to reason with them and
discovering if they can be safely appeased.
■ 2. Seek help from a co-worker or call the supervisor.
■ 3. Call the police if they are a imminent physical threat to anyone.
● Exceeds Standard:
○ Expresses the standard and beyond.
○ Examples:
■ 1.
■ 2.
Scoring Page
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CLP Structured Interview, Part-Time Counselor
Notes:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Scoring is configured for twelve (12) well-explored responses. Adjust in accordance with
the following.
● Quantity of items (#) times (x) three (3) equals (=) maximum score (max.).
● Divide (/) maximum score (max.) into three (3) tiers that are equal or nearly equal
in range (i.e., quantity of possible scores).
● If the three tiers are not equal in range, to give the candidate the benefit of the
doubt, assign the Insufficient total score tier with the least range or (if any two
tiers have a difference in range greater than two (2), assign the Standard total
score tier with the most range and adjust accordingly).
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