Mentioning recovery from mental illness in a job interview?

[lunalilith]

Hello,

I'm a new grad RN and I am wanting to work in psych. I have 2 interviews coming up for a psych adolescent inpatient and an eating disorder treatment center. I have struggled in the past with mental health and eating disorders, and I actually was a patient at both of these places when I was a teenager (I am 31 now). I completed a year long intensive DBT program when I was 24 and have researched DBT extensively since then because I believe it can be so powerfully life changing and life saving. Being a new grad I don't have any professional experience (except volunteering at the crisis text line) but I was wondering... would it be helpful or harmful to mention in an interview that the reason why I am interested in this line of work is because of my past history and recovery, and that I know in depth about the many DBT and CBT skills because of that? 

I was going back and forth on whether or not I would mention this when I was looking on the website for the eating disorder clinic I am interviewing with and I see this quote on their "about" page: 

"Several staff members also have a personal experience with recovery, and their work often extends beyond caring for clients. Many are involved with prevention efforts that promote awareness of eating disorder causes and effects on families and our communities. We truly care.

“We think like people with eating disorders think,” says our Executive Chairman and Founder, Dirk Miller, PhD, LP. “We are our clients. We know the changes people need to make to live through an eating disorder’s destructive patterns of thoughts and feelings. We know how to restore people to whole and happy lives.”

It made me think that perhaps they would be more open to hiring those who are honest about their personal experience with recovery. What do you all think? Has anyone mentioned this in an interview and what was the outcome?

[Sindoriel, ASN, BSN, RN]

Generally I would stick to professional topics during the interview process. From what you've mentioned I would discuss studying DBT and CBT, but leave out the connection to your past. Truth be told depending on where you're practicing it won't matter too much what you say though. I know where I live we have staff shortages in all the nearby psychiatric facilities. You should be fine in your interviews as long as you're positive and professional. Also fyi with the quotes you provided its pretty easy to see the place you're discussing if your aim was to be anonymous. 

[deza, MSN, NP]

I agree with sindoriel. I wouldn't trust that the ones  interviewing you would be understanding of your past. As a nurse I doubt you'll be doing cbt or dbt, so they may not care that you know about those types of therapy. I would be more impressed if you knew psych meds, side effects and deescalation techniques or something about eating disorders. 

You'll probably get asked how do you feel managing techs, how do you deal with conflict between a coworker and why you want work in this field. 

[Orca, ADN, ASN, RN]

There may be a time when self disclosure might be appropriate. When you are trying to get hired isn't it.

[chevyv, BSN, RN]

Nope, I would not disclose a past mental health history. Stick to the professional end of the questions. I think the knowledge that you have will definitely help your interview. Good luck!

[elkpark]

I also am a long-time psych nurse (child psych CNS), and I also vote "no" on disclosing.  Furthermore, I would not disclose anything about my own past once I was working in the setting, especially to clients.  Work is work and your personal life is your personal life, and, IMO, it's much healthier if you don't loosen those boundaries.

[verene, MSN]

I would be very cautious about disclosing. A family member of mine worked for a nursing school (non-RN/non-nursing capacity) and when one of his nursing coworkers mentioned how hard it was to get students a good foundation in psych he mentioned to them that he had once been hospitalized inpatient and would be willing to share his experience from a patient perspective if it would be helpful to the students to help humanize individuals with mental illness. Long-story short it got around the school faculty that he was "crazy" and "mentally unstable" and (though he had ADA accommodations), he was ultimately fired for being a "safety risk" to the school. Apparently having had been hospitalized over a decade prior meant he was now mentally unsound and a danger to students or something. ?  Even worse he'd been employed there for a while, and it was only after this conversation that he went from being well liked to no one trusting him. ?

I say this as a cautionary tale, because you never know how an employer will react. I worked for a different location as an RN that specifically incorporated a large number of peer specialists into our treatment team, and I do think this led to a more open culture where it was more okay to mention lived experience. However, it was still our peers (who were specifically trained on how to use their lived experience therapeutically) who were most likely to disclose to our patients, even if other staff also had lived experience.  

When it comes to interviewing I think your volunteering at the crisis line is excellent to bring in and it is appropriate to say you've had a lot of interest in and exposure to DBT and CBT and done your own independent research into these therapy modalities.   I think it is okay to say you have personal connection to someone with mental health/eating disorders and this motivates your interest in this area, but not disclose that this person is yourself. 

 

[Rionoir, ADN, RN]

Jeez at least half the non-clinical staff that work in the building I'm in right now have been residents in the same building... and they are on just such another level of ability than people who have no personal experience with what they are helping others with. These staff members walk residents through CBT/DBT skills when they are dysregulating and you can just tell the ones that have used those skills themselves. I'd absolutely mention it when they ask why you are interested in the job.

 

On 10/4/2021 at 11:39 AM, verene said:

he mentioned to them that he had once been hospitalized inpatient and would be willing to share his experience from a patient perspective if it would be helpful to the students to help humanize individuals with mental illness. Long-story short it got around the school faculty that he was "crazy" and "mentally unstable" and (though he had ADA accommodations), he was ultimately fired for being a "safety risk" to the school.

 

Well that's illegal, so... ?‍♂️ I also try not to believe every story I read on the internet. LOL 

[lilRN16, ASN, BSN, RN]

On 10/26/2021 at 4:42 PM, Rionoir said:

Jeez at least half the non-clinical staff that work in the building I'm in right now have been residents in the same building... and they are on just such another level of ability than people who have no personal experience with what they are helping others with. These staff members walk residents through CBT/DBT skills when they are dysregulating and you can just tell the ones that have used those skills themselves. I'd absolutely mention it when they ask why you are interested in the job.

 

Well that's illegal, so... ?‍♂️ I also try not to believe every story I read on the internet. LOL 

OP, don't disclose... This poster is either being facetious or obtuse.

@Rionoir Just because something is illegal, doesnt mean it won't occur ~ as a former trauma nurse, I just to take care of countless ortho patients who were knocked into the trees as a result of jaywalking... Which is also illegal. 

[DoubleblessedRN, ADN, RN, EMT-B, EMT-P]

It’s probably too late to be answering this question, but for anyone in the same predicament:  I would not mention it during the hiring process, but if you’re hired perhaps you could confide in maybe one or two coworkers you trust.  I wouldn’t really make information like that well known to others.  You never know, if you ever clash with a coworker or if you are written up or investigated for a minor error even in which patient harm did not occur, that could potentially be used against you.

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

You can utilize your "insider" experience in your practice, but don't disclose your private health history.  Boundaries!