Substance Abuse Counselor (SA Counselor) Interview Questions

16 Provide an experience in which you were sensitive to somone's needs or feelings. How did your helpfulness affect your work environment?
17 Name a time when you completed and maintained accurate records or reports regarding the patients' histories and progress, services provided, or other required information.
18 Describe a time when you successfully persuaded another person to change his/her way of thinking or behavior.
19 Please share with me an example of how you helped coach or mentor someone. What improvements did you see in the person's knowledge or skills?
20 How do you balance cooperation with others and independent thinking? Share an example. (Try to determine if the candidate has a cooperative attitude or is otherwise good-natured.)
21 In your opinion, how often should you participate in case conferences or staff meetings?
22 Share an example when you successfully conducted chemical dependency program orientation sessions.
23 In your experience, what is the key to developing a good team? (Look for how they build mutual trust, respect, and cooperation.)
24 Provide a time when you worked in a rapidly evolving workplace. How did you deal with the change? (Make sure the candidate is flexible.)
25 Walk me through how you would interview clients, review records, and confer with other professionals to evaluate individuals' mental and physical condition and to determine their suitability for participation in a specific program.
26 What factors do you consider when reviewing and evaluating clients' progress in relation to measurable goals described in treatment and care plans?
27 What is the most challenging part of coordinating counseling efforts with mental health professionals or other health professionals, such as doctors, nurses, or social workers?
28 Tell me about the last time when you intervened as an advocate for clients or patients to resolve emergency problems in crisis situations.
29 Tell me about a time when you developed your own way of doing things or were self-motivated to finish an important task.
30 What kind of experience do you have coordinating activities with courts, probation officers, community services, or other post-treatment agencies?