Informational Interview Questions: Mental Health Supervisor

Dennis Thomas Informational Interview Questions: Mental Health Supervisor Human Lifespan Development Psych 3210 Capella University November 2013

Informational Interview Questions: Mental Health Supervisor In my informational interview, I chose to conduct my interview with a Residential Coordinator for Good Shepherd Services, a residential treatment center located in Baltimore, Maryland that services at risk teenager’s within the age range of 12-21. I reached out to this person through a friend who also works in the mental health field and found that the interviewee posses over 20 years of supervisory experience in the mental health field as a supervisor. As a Residential Coordinator, the interviewee offers support to staff in assisting at risk teen’s process through many challenging mental health issues and concerns with the hope of discharging them back into society. I chose this topic because of my desire to work with at risk children in some capacity in the mental health field. Below is my series of questions I asked the interviewee during the interview:
1) How long have you worked in the mental health field?
2) What caught your interest in working in the mental health profession, particularly in your position as a Residential Coordinator?
3) Throughout your years of work, what skills did you obtain that enabled you to develop in your career path?
4) How has management at Good Shepherd Services supported you in regard to problem solving and creating a safe work environment?
5) How much input regarding behavior management and implementation does upper administration allow you and your staff to have?
6) What qualities do you look for within your staff?
7) What is a typical day like at its worst?
Informational Interview Questions: Mental Health Supervisor
8) What is a typical day like at its best? Is there a rewards system in place to acknowledge a child’s success? How is the rewards system used?
9) As a supervisor, what are some challenges you may face with your staff and the children you work with?
10) What is the success rate for the children once discharged from the center?
11) What are some of the services that would be provided and readily available to children that have discharged?
12) How often do you provide informational training for your staff as a method of professional development?
13) As we all develop into our career path, we may have been trained or mentored throughout the years. What or who has helped your career development?
14) Depending on job title and position held in mental health, there may be moments where the stress level may be extremely overwhelming. Are there any services that are extended to an employee who may suffer from secondary trauma?
15) What advice would you offer to anyone pursuing a career in mental health?