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This position has closed. Northwestern Medicine removed this listing from their careers page on Sep 30, 2026. The interview prep below is still useful, and there are similar open roles at the bottom of this page.

Behavioral Health Counselor-Community Support

Northwestern Medicine · DeKalb, IL · Full time · Health Care Provider

Posted Sep 17, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Sep 29, 2026

Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Forty hours a week, Monday to Friday, daytime, based at DeKalb. How does that fit your life?

What they are checking: The posting states the schedule and the site.

What would you do

What is different about meeting a client in their own home rather than in a clinic?

What they are checking: The posting names field work in the community and in clients' homes.

How do you keep yourself safe doing field work?

What they are checking: Community mental health work happens alone in unpredictable places, and nobody asks this enough.

A client in crisis calls you while you are with someone else. What do you do?

What they are checking: The posting names intervening, stabilizing and managing acute crisis situations.

A client keeps missing appointments. How do you handle it?

What they are checking: The posting names contact varying from weekly to monthly, and engagement is the whole task.

How do you plan a day that includes driving, home visits and transporting clients?

What they are checking: The posting names transporting clients to medical and other appointments.

About the work

Tell me about case management with people who have serious mental illness.

What they are checking: The posting names a population with moderate to severe mental illness and co-occurring disorders.

Walk me through screening and evaluating a request for service.

What they are checking: The posting names screening and evaluating requests for service.

How do you work with someone who has both a mental illness and a substance use disorder?

What they are checking: The posting names co-occurring disorders specifically.

How do you collect and report a social history usefully?

What they are checking: The posting names collecting and reporting social history for assigned cases.

Practice this interview out loud.

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The full job description

As published by Northwestern Medicine.

Schedule: 40 hours per week, Monday-Friday, daytime hours. Behavioral Health Counselor/Case Manager Reflects the mission, vision, and values of NM, adheres to the organization's Code of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program, and complies with all relevant policies, procedures, guidelines and all other regulatory and accreditation standards. Population: Moderate to severe mental illness and co-occurring disorders requiring case management, varies from once a week to once a month Field work: meeting with clients in the community or in their homes with the intention of providing case management support, transporting to medical/psych appointments, connecting to resources, assisting in food pantry pick-up, practicing coping skills in the community, assisting in signing up for benefits like Medicaid/SSDI/SSI, etc. As a member of a multidisciplinary team, the Behavioral Health Counselor assists in providing patient assessments and treatment as directed. Under supervision, this role provides supportive counseling, case management, and community support services. The Counselor assesses patient and family needs, develops treatment plans, provides and evaluates patient care, and assists with discharge planning. Responsibilities: • Screen and evaluate requests for service • Collect and report social history for assigned cases • Intervene, stabilize, and manage acute crisis situations • Assess and evaluate client needs, strengths, goals, and resources • Develop individual plans with clients utilizing available assessment tools • Work with an interdisciplinary team in reviewing cases and developing individual plans • Implement individual plans through rehabilitation services such as case management, advocacy, outreach, skills training groups, social rehabilitation, community support, and support counseling • Provide linkage case management, participate in treatment planning, and discharge planning • Consult with other center staff regarding problem assessment and treatment/intervention planning • Refer and link clients to other human services programs • Serve as a liaison to other agencies as needed • Train other providers and non-providers in areas relating to service specialties Minimum Requirements: Education: • Bachelor’s in Behavioral Health Licensure: • All NM, Ben Gordon Center (WR849) employees, at point of hire and annually, are required to have a valid State of Illinois driver’s license, current auto liability insurance, and an annual driving abstract Behavioral Attributes: • Advance verbal and written communication skills Preferred: • One year of experience interacting with clients in an outpatient setting Northwestern Medicine is an equal opportunity employer (disability, VETS) and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected status. Background Check Northwestern Medicine conducts a background check that includes criminal history on newly hired team members and, at times, internal transfers. If you are offered a position with us, you will be required to complete an authorization and disclosure form that gives Northwestern Medicine permission to run the background check. Results are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and we follow all local, state, and federal laws, including the Illinois Health Care Worker Background Check Act. Artificial Intelligence Disclosure Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position, however, all employment decisions will be made by a person. Benefits We offer a wide range of benefits that provide employees with tools and resources to improve their physical, emotional, and financial well-being while providing protection for unexpected life events. Click on or copy and paste URL to your browser to view detailed benefits information NorthwesternMedicine Career Page https://jobs.nm.org/benefits Please refer to the Benefits Eligibility by Employment Classification to determine benefits eligibility for job postings. If sign-on bonus is included in a job posting eligibility is as followed: Internal employees and rehires who left Northwestern Medicine within 1 year are not eligible for the sign-on bonus. Exception : New graduate internal employees seeking their first licensed clinical position as a Registered Nurse at NM may be eligible.