Occ. Code 1471300

MENTAL HYGIENE STAFF DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST 3, GRADE 18
MENTAL HYGIENE STAFF DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST 3 (NURSING), GRADE 18

New York State Department of Civil Service

Classification Standard

NATURE OF WORK

Incumbents of positions in these classes develop and present major segments of institution and community training programs designed to improve the knowledge and abilities of those responsible for the care and treatment of the mentally ill and developmentally disabled at various State institutions.

Positions in these classes are located in the various treatment facilities of the Office of Mental Health and the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities.

CLASSIFICATION CRITERIA AND DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

Mental Hygiene Staff Development Specialist 3 is the first supervisory level in this training series. These two classes are characterized by responsibility for developing and presenting specific portions of a facility's training program and by the supervision of a group of lower level staff development specialists who assist in this process. At the next highest level, Mental Hygiene Staff Development Specialist 4, incumbents assist in the overall direction of facility training or in a Children's Psychiatric Center direct the total program.

The tasks performed by incumbents of each of these classes are essentially the same. The parenthetic designation is designed to insure adequately trained and properly licensed staff in the design and presentation of courses in the nursing care instruction program with particular responsibility for nursing care training programs provided to registered professional nurses, licensed practical nurses, nursing student affiliates, and patient care staffs.

Positions in this class are distinguished from those in the Agency Training and Development Specialist Series by their responsibility for developing staff development programs requiring the knowledge of specific concepts and techniques in the treatment of the mentally ill and developmentally disabled. Those in the Agency Training and Development Specialist Series typically plan, organize, develop and present training programs utilizing supervisory, procedural and administrative concepts.

TYPICAL ACTIVITIES, TASKS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Supervises a group of lower level staff development specialists in the development and presentation of specific training courses.

• Assigns specific courses or portions of courses to subordinates for development and presentation.
• Assigns specific data gathering tasks to subordinates in conjunction with the identification of facility training needs.
• Reviews written reports, lesson plans, training outlines and other staff work for accuracy, relevancy and completeness.
• Assists by providing advice and suggesting courses of action to subordinates in the various phases of developing training courses and their presentation.
• Monitors by personally observing and reviewing critiques of training programs presented by the subordinate staff.
• Discusses training programs developed and presented with subordinates in order to provide them with information and techniques in improving the quality of the program.

Plans and organizes a portion of the facility's overall training programs and develops and presents specific training courses.

• Identifies training needs by observing facility activities, by discussing staff requirements and program demands with facility program managers or representatives of the community and by reviewing program performance records. |
• Organizes and develops training programs by obtaining training materials from various sources, consulting with resource and discipline specialists, determining appropriate course content and method of presentation, arranging agreements with community resources for course presentation and designing methods to evaluate training.
• Presents training programs making the necessary scheduling arrangements, obtaining expert instructors or personally conducting the instruction, selecting films, slides or other audiovisual aids and conducting an evaluation through the construction questionnaires or tests and a review of the information they produce.

Discusses with facility staff their educational and training opportunities that are available and who might contribute to their overall occupational development.

• Gives employees written and oral information about available training programs in local colleges and schools and those conducted by the facility.
• May suggest those courses that have a direct relationship to the employee's present career and future career objectives.
• Disseminates information designed to stimulate employees interest in staff development.

RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS

Mental Hygiene Staff Development Specialists 3 engage in frequent face-to-face oral communications with "trainees," and other institution staff on a group or individual basis either during the presentation of training programs or the process of determining individual and group training needs. They present training courses which involve a wide range of practical and theoretical concepts. Incumbents of positions in these classes inform support staff and paraprofessional clinical staff on education and training opportunities related to professional growth. Further, they serve as training advisors to program managers in determining training needs and in formulating training programs.

In addition incumbents participate in discussions with other trainers to assess and modify training programs in order to more effectively meet the needs of the staff.

NATURE OF SUPERVISION

Positions in these classes typically supervise a group of lower level staff development specialists. The supervision involves making specific assignments, providing both written and oral instructions, providing periodic technical assistance in the subordinates' conduct of tasks, reviewing written reports and lesson plans for completeness, relevancy and aCCUr8Cy, monitoring their classroom instruction periods, reviewing the "trainees' " critique of the training program and discussing methods of improvement with the subordinates.

Incumbents of these classes are usually supervised by an incumbent of a Mental Hygiene Staff Development Specialist 4 position. Usually, assignments are made in terms of broad training needs with only suggested ways of meeting them. Incumbents are usually free to develop training programs in conjunction with program managers. However, such training programs are usually submitted for approval to the incumbent's supervisor. The supervisor evaluates the effectiveness of the training program by various direct and indirect techniques and insures that the policies and guidelines of the facility are adhered to.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

• Working knowledge of the principles and practices of effective supervision.
• Working knowledge of the resources, methodology and trends in employee training.
• Working knowledge of the theory, principles and techniques of staff development.
• Working knowledge of the theory, principles and techniques of instruction.
• Working knowledge of the subject matter taught when serving as instructor.
• Basic knowledge of the human developmental process.
• Basic knowledge of the trends and changing concepts in the treatment of the mentally ill, developmentally disabled and alcoholics.
• Ability to orally communicate clearly and effectively to groups of "Trainees."
• Ability to supervise a staff of trainers.
• Ability to plan, describe in written format and organize course outlines and lesson plans.
• Ability to communicate, in writing, descriptive materials in a clear and precise manner.
• Ability to evaluate training courses.
• Ability to listen.

MINIMUM OUALIFICATIONS

Mental Hygiene Staff Development Specialist 3:

One year as a Mental Hygiene Staff Development Specialist 2.

Mental Hygiene Staff Development Specialist 3 (Nursing):

Possession of or eligibility for a license to practice as a registered professional nurse in New York State and a Bachelor's degree in nursing with one year of teaching experience.

NOTE: These qualifications are subject to change due to selection plan considerations. For current information on qualification requirements for selection purposes, contact the Division of Staffing Services in the Department of Civil Service.

Revised: 9/00