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This position has closed. Northwestern Medicine removed this listing from their careers page on Sep 26, 2026. The interview prep below is still useful, and there are similar open roles at the bottom of this page.

Psychiatric Counselor Full Time Evenings

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

Posted Sep 20, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Sep 25, 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

Tell me about working on an inpatient psychiatric unit.

What they are checking: The posting is direct care to the psychiatric patient under the charge or staff nurse.

Three in the afternoon to half past eleven at night, with rotating weekends, at Winfield. How does that fit your life?

What they are checking: The posting states the shift and the rotation precisely.

What do you do after a shift that was hard?

What they are checking: Behavioral health work costs something, and whether they have a way to carry it matters.

What would you do

How do you orient someone to a unit when they do not want to be there?

What they are checking: The posting names orienting patients, and a reluctant admission is the common case.

A patient is escalating. What do you do first?

What they are checking: The moment that defines safety on a psychiatric unit, for the patient and everyone else.

How do you keep yourself and the patient safe while staying calm and respectful?

What they are checking: De-escalation is the core skill, and how they describe it says whether they have really done it.

About the work

Walk me through admitting someone, including the voluntary forms and patient rights.

What they are checking: The posting names the pre-admission assessment, admission and voluntary forms and patient rights.

How does running a group change between adolescents, adults and older patients?

What they are checking: The posting names facilitating groups for adolescent, adult and geriatric populations.

What do you do in a wrap-up group that makes it worth the time?

What they are checking: The posting names community, wrap-up and expressive therapy groups by name.

How do you contribute to a master treatment plan?

What they are checking: The posting names beginning and adding to the master treatment plan.

Practice this interview out loud.

Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Northwestern Medicine from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.

Practice this out loud

The full job description

As published by Northwestern Medicine.

Full-Time Evenings 3pm-11:30pm with rotating weekends The Psychiatric Counselor 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. • A Psychiatric Counselor, under the direction of the Patient Care Manager, Charge or Staff Nurse, delivers direct care to the psychiatric patient. Effectively interacts with the patient, their support network, and other members of the multi-disciplinary treatment team to rapidly identify and treat the crisis that is occurring. Responsibilities: • Conducts intake's consisting of the BHS Pre-Admission Assessment, all admission forms, Voluntary forms along with patient rights. Orient's patient to unit and conducts body and belongings search under the direction of the Charge RN. • Plans and implements care in collaboration with the multi-disciplinary team. Able to begin and add to the Master Treatment Plan. • Facilitates groups, educational, and focus to Adolescent, Adult and Geriatric population. Conducts Community and Wrap- Up and Expressive Therapy Groups along with milieu management. • Under the direction of the Charge RN assists with ADL's. • Serves on BHS and unit work groups when requested. • Communicates to Manager and Charge Nurse any incidents regarding patients and staff that may compromise unit safety. • Conducts telephone screenings (inquiry calls) in a fashion resulting in appropriate disposition based on the phone contact. Required: • Bachelor’s degree • One year experience in a behavioral health unit or one completed semester of internship in a behavioral health field. • CPR – Basic Life Support • De-escalation training within six months of hire Preferred: • Bachelor’s degree in a behavioral health science field • Experience in mental health substance abuse 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.