St. Michael's Hospital Interview

What are your strengths?

1. One of my biggest strengths is building rapport with diverse populations, especially individuals experiencing vulnerability, mental health challenges, or major life transitions. Through my work in addictions and older adult settings, I've learned the importance of patience, empathy, and non-judgmental support.

2. I'm also adaptable in fast-paced environments and able to balance crisis situations, documentation, teamwork, and client support while staying organized and calm.

What are your weaknesses?

1. Earlier in my placements, I sometimes lacked confidence speaking up in unfamiliar interdisciplinary environments because I wanted to make sure I fully understood situations before contributing.

2. However, through placements, group facilitation, and teamwork experiences, I've become much more comfortable advocating for clients and contributing professionally within teams.

What makes you stand out from other candidates?

1. I think what makes me stand out is the combination of experiences I've had across addictions, mental health, older adults, and community-based support settings.

2. I've worked with individuals experiencing crisis, trauma, substance use, cognitive impairment, housing instability, and social isolation, which has helped me develop strong communication and engagement skills with diverse populations.

How would you handle a patient who is upset or emotionally distressed?

1. Creating a calm and supportive space by listening actively and validating the patient's emotions without rushing to problem-solve immediately.

2. Assess immediate concerns such as safety, confusion, family stress, or unmet needs.

3. Depending on the situation, I may use grounding strategies, provide psychoeducation, involve family supports if appropriate, and collaborate with the interdisciplinary team to ensure the patient receives holistic support.

How do you approach working with marginalized populations?

1. I approach practice from an anti-oppressive and trauma-informed lens.

2. I recognize that many clients face systemic barriers related to poverty, race, disability, mental health, substance use, housing, or language barriers.

3. I try to remain aware of my own assumptions while creating space for clients to define their own goals and experiences.

4. I also believe advocacy is an important part of social work, especially in health care settings where systems can feel overwhelming or inaccessible.

How do you manage stress or emotionally difficult situations?

1. I try to manage stress through reflection, supervision, organization, and maintaining boundaries between work and personal life.

2. I also value debriefing and feedback because I see difficult situations as opportunities for growth.

3. In emotionally intense settings, I focus on staying calm, grounded, and present for the client while also recognizing when I need support from supervisors or colleagues.

How would you handle conflict within a team?

1. Respectful and open-minded.

2. I think it's important to clarify misunderstandings early, focus on shared goals for patient care, and remain receptive to feedback.

3. I also understand that interdisciplinary settings involve different perspectives, so collaboration and communication are essential.

Tell us about yourself

1. Name

2. Degree (BSW graduating in June, MSW starting in June, doing an intensive course in social work in health)

3. Experiences (Placement)

4. Skills (case management, rapport, supportive counselling, one-on-ones, DBT facilitation, interdisciplinary teams, discharge planning)

5. Interest in this placement (want to experience a hospital setting, learn psychosocial assessments and discharge planning, and like how there are different rotations)

Why are you interested in stroke, neurology, or hospital social work?

1. In stroke and neurology settings, patients and families are often adjusting to sudden changes in functioning, identity, independence, and caregiving roles.

2. I find meaning in helping people navigate those transitions while also supporting their emotional well-being and access to resources.

3. I also enjoy interdisciplinary collaboration and learning from different health professionals in a hospital environment.

Tell us about a challenging client situation

Situation: Client in the treatment program became escalated during the DBT group.

Task: Maintain safety while preserving rapport.

Action: Used grounding, calm tone, validation, offered space, collaborated with team.

Result: Client de-escalated and later re-engaged.

Tell us about your experience working in interdisciplinary teams.

1. Counsellors, case managers, support workers, recreation staff, and nursing staff.

2. I've learned the importance of communication, documentation, and respecting different professional perspectives while still advocating for the client's needs and goals.

What are your learning goals for this placement?

Some of my learning goals are to strengthen my psychosocial assessment skills, gain more experience with discharge planning and hospital documentation, and further develop my confidence in crisis intervention within medical settings.

A patient recovering from a stroke wants to leave the hospital immediately, but the team is concerned about safety because they live alone and have mobility issues. What would you do?

1. Understand why the patient wants to leave by using a calm and non-judgmental approach.

2. Assess psychosocial factors and explore whether there are barriers or unmet needs contributing to the decision.

3. Reach out to appropriate help

Two family members disagree about whether an older patient should go home or to rehab/LTC after discharge. The conversation becomes emotional. What would you do?

1. Try to de-escalate the situation by remaining calm and acknowledging that this is likely a stressful and emotional time for everyone involved. I would ensure each person feels heard while redirecting the conversation toward the patient's needs, goals, and safety.

2. I would gather information about the patient's wishes and concerns from both the family and care team. I would also help provide education about available options.

During a psychosocial assessment, a patient suddenly becomes emotional and starts crying after their stroke diagnosis. What would you do?

1. Pause and create space for the patient to express their emotions.

2. Validate their feelings and acknowledge that they are going through a hard time.

3. Use active listening and assess what support they may need.

A patient is medically ready for discharge, but they are homeless and have nowhere safe to go. What would you do?

1. Psychosocial assessment to better understand the patient's history, support systems, health needs, and immediate risks.

2. Collaborate with the interdisciplinary team and explore available resources.

3. Advocate for the patient while recognizing systemic barriers that may affect discharge planning.

You are working with a patient who speaks limited English and their family is answering all the questions for them. What would you do?

1. Ensure the patient's voice remains centered in the conversation while being respectful toward the family's involvement. If possible, I would advocate for a professional interpreter.

2. Be mindful of cultural dynamics, communication styles, and power imbalances while ensuring informed participation and understanding.

A patient becomes very attached to you and asks for your personal phone number to stay in contact after discharge. What would you do?

1. Respond compassionately while maintaining professional boundaries. I would explain that I'm unable to provide personal contact information.

2. Explore appropriate ways they can continue receiving support through hospital services, community resources, or follow-up care.

You have multiple patients needing support at once: one patient is crying, another family is waiting for discharge information, and the team asks for urgent documentation. How would you prioritize?

Assess urgency and safety. If someone is in immediate emotional crisis or safety risk, I would prioritize stabilizing that situation first. I would communicate with the team about competing demands and provide realistic timelines for follow-up.

What would you do if you disagreed with the medical team?

1. Approach the situation respectfully and professionally by first trying to better understand the team's perspective.

2. If I still had concerns related to the patient's psychosocial well-being, autonomy, or discharge safety, I would advocate for the patient while remaining collaborative and solution-focused.

3. I think effective interdisciplinary work involves open communication and recognizing that different disciplines may bring different but valuable perspectives to patient care.

Can you share your knowledge of this organization and the specific services it offers

1. This organization is a hospital working with all types of care.

2. Organization emphasizes values such as dignity, compassion, inclusivity, excellence, and community.

3. Practicum is divided between the Stroke and Neurology inpatient unit and the MS Barlo Clinic. The role involves psychosocial assessments, discharge planning, crisis intervention, advocacy, system navigation, counselling, and interdisciplinary collaboration with patients and families affected by neurological conditions.

What aspects of the organization's mission or services resonate with you?

1. organization's commitment to compassion and inclusivity, especially for individuals facing vulnerability or systemic barriers.

2. Through my experiences in addictions and older adult settings, I've learned the importance of dignity, advocacy, and culturally responsive support in healthcare.

Tell me about your time management and organizational skills.

1. During my BSW, I balanced coursework, placements, relief work, and volunteer roles while maintaining a strong academic standing.

2. I try to stay organized by prioritizing tasks, using calendars and scheduling tools, and breaking responsibilities into manageable steps.

3. In placement settings, I've learned how important flexibility is because priorities can shift quickly, especially when supporting clients in crisis or working within team environments.

Example of constructive feedback.

1. Earlier in my placement, I received feedback that I sometimes hesitated to engage clients directly because I was worried about saying the wrong thing or triggering them. My supervisor encouraged me to balance being trauma-informed with being more confident in conversations.

2. Over time, I became more comfortable facilitating discussions, asking difficult questions appropriately, and trusting my skills more. That experience taught me that growth comes from stepping outside your comfort zone while still practicing reflectively and ethically.

Understanding of EDI principles.

1. Involves recognizing systemic barriers and creating environments where individuals feel respected, valued, and supported regardless of their identity or background.

2. Equity also means understanding that different individuals may require different supports based on their lived experiences and access to resources.

How can I assist you in integrating social work values, ethics, or classroom content into practicum?

1. I think regular supervision, reflection, and opportunities for discussion would be very helpful for integrating classroom learning into practice.

2. I appreciate constructive feedback and conversations that help connect theory, ethics, and real-life situations within the practicum setting.