New York State Department of Civil Service Announces Examinations Open to All Qualified Individuals

Mental Health Therapy Aide Trainee

Beginning Salary	Effective Date
$28,152	4/1/09
$29,278	4/1/10

OPEN TO ALL QUALIFIED EMPLOYEES OF THE NEW YORK STATE OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH

Appointees in the New York City area (Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Queens, Richmond [Staten Island], Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties) will receive an additional $1,850 annual downstate adjustment effective April 1, 2008, (to increase to $3,026 effective October 1, 2008, and thereafter).

Appointees who work in Dutchess, Orange, or Putnam Counties will receive an additional $1,000 annual mid Hudson adjustment effective April 1, 2008, (to increase to $1,513 effective October 1, 2008, and thereafter).

* As a Mental Health Therapy Aide Trainee, you would participate in a 12-month traineeship. At the successful conclusion of your traineeship, you would advance without further examination to Grade 9 (Beginning Salary $30,483 effective 4/01/08-Job Rate $37,469; Beginning Salary $31,397 effective 4/01/09-Job Rate $38,593; Beginning Salary $32,653 effective 4/01/10-Job Rate $40,136).

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Minimum Qualifications

On or before the date of filing your application, you must be a qualified employee of the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) and have had six months of permanent competitive, non-competitive, labor, or 55-b/55-c service in a position allocated to Grade 3 or higher.

Qualifying Experience for Appointment from the Eligible List

After one year of the service described in the Minimum Qualifications, successful candidates will be qualified for appointment from the eligible list.

Notes

1. You may be required to take a medical examination.
2. An appointee not meeting required standards can be terminated at any time after the initial four (4) weeks and before completion of the traineeship.
3. If you receive a passing score on the written test, your name will be placed on the eligible list for OMH facilities in the geographic area where you took the exam. You may also request to have your score transferred to the open competitive lists used by OMH facilities in other geographic areas. (See page 2 for a complete listing of geographic areas.) In addition, you may request to have your score transferred to the open-competitive lists for Developmental Aide Trainee and Developmental Disabilities Secure Care Treatment Aide Trainee used by Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD) facilities. Instructions on how to have your score transferred will appear on your written test score notice.
4. The same test is used to test candidates for Mental Health Therapy Aide Trainee, Developmental Aide Trainee, and Developmental Disabilities Secure Care Treatment Aide Trainee positions. A candidate cannot be tested more than once during the same test form period. Each test form period runs from September 1st through August 15th of the following year. If you take the test more than once during the same test form period, you will not receive a score for the second test.
5. If you are considered for appointment to a language parenthetic position, you will be required to demonstrate proficiency in that language. Proficiency must be at a level which will permit you to perform the duties of the positions satisfactorily.

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Duties

As a Mental Health Therapy Aide Trainee, you would provide personal care, treatment, and rehabilitation to individuals diagnosed with mental illness who live in an institutional or community-based setting. Under supervision, you would groom, feed, and wash individuals who are unable to take care of themselves. You would help individuals to participate in games and recreational programs; coach and encourage individuals to develop daily living skills; and provide a clean, safe, and comfortable environment. You would work with other staff to develop, carry out, and record care plans, and, in accordance with special instructions, you may administer medication. These positions may be physically demanding. You would need to be prepared to act to ensure the health and safety of patients in emergency situations. You must be able to do such things as stand, bend, stretch, and lift bedridden and/or incapacitated individuals.

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Subject of Examination

There will be a written test which you must pass in order to be considered for appointment. The written test is designed to test for knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in such areas as:

1. Dealing with daily situations in an OMH/OMRDD setting - These questions test for the ability to apply common sense in dealing with daily situations encountered by Aides in OMH and OMRDD settings. No specific knowledge or training is needed to answer these questions.
2. Observing and recording situations of daily living - These questions test for the ability to accurately observe and record situations of daily living. Candidates will be given a brief description of a situation of daily living, followed by a number of sentences. Candidates must indicate whether or not the sentences factually and accurately describe the situation presented.
3. Understanding and applying written instructional material - These questions test for the ability to understand and apply written instructional material. Each question has two parts. The first part presents a short piece of instructional information. The second part describes a related situation. For each question, candidates must pick the one best answer, based on the instructional material and the situation presented.
4. Arithmetic for daily living - These questions test for the ability to use basic arithmetic in daily living situations encountered by Aides in OMH and OMRDD settings. The situations involve the application of simple addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division, as well as interpreting information from simple tables, to answer the problems presented.

If you pass, your seniority credit(s), if any, will be included in the computation of your final score. Rank on the eligible list will be determined after adding any wartime veterans' credits to your final passing score.

Credit for Seniority

Seniority is credited at the rate of one credit for each five-year period (or fraction thereof) excluding the first year of service.

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How and Where to Apply

On the special application form XD-91B() specify the number(s) and title(s) of the examination(s) you wish to take. Indicate the geographic areas(s) where you would like to take the examination. All statements made on the application are subject to investigation. You may be asked to provide additional information and/or documentation to support statements made on the application.

MAIL THE APPLICATION TO:

Recruitment/Examination Unit
Office of Mental Health
44 Holland Avenue
Albany, NY 12229

The NYS Office of Mental Health has an ongoing need for persons qualified for appointment to these positions and will accept applications at any time and will schedule the written tests whenever additional eligibles are needed. It is anticipated that the examinations will be held on a periodic basis throughout the year. For the testing schedule and other information about this examination, contact NYS Office of Mental Health at any of the following phone numbers: for the Capital District, Hudson River, and Long Island Regions, call 1-800-550-2903; or for the New York City Region, call 1-800-551-0675; or for the Western New York and Central New York Regions, call 1-800-550-2863.

Retest Policy

Candidates may file as frequently as once a year, but a new application is required each time.

Geographic Area Listings for the New York State Office of Mental Health

AREA 1 Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga,Oswego
AREA 2 Broome, Chenango, Delaware, Otsego, Tioga, Tompkins
AREA 3 Allegany, Chemung, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Yates
AREA 4 Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Wayne, Wyoming
AREA 5 Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Niagara
AREA 6 Dutchess, Ulster, Putnam
AREA 7 Rockland, Westchester
AREA 8 Nassau, Suffolk
AREA 9 Bronx, New York (Manhattan, Ward's Island), Queens, Kings (Brooklyn), Richmond (Staten Island)
AREA 10 Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren, Washington
AREA 11 Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Montgomery, Onieda
AREA 12 Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis, St. Lawrence
AREA 13 Orange, Sullivan

Additional Information

New York State is an Equal Opportunity Employer

It is the policy of the State of New York to provide for and promote equal opportunity in employment, compensation and other terms and conditions of employment without discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, disability, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, or arrest and/or criminal conviction record unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification or other exception.

Reasonable Accommodations in Testing

In addition, it is the policy of the Department of Civil Service, in accordance with the New York State Human Rights Law and the Americans with Disabilities Act, to provide qualified persons with disabilities equal employment opportunity and equal opportunity to participate in and receive the benefits, services, programs, and activities of the Department. It is the policy of the Department to provide such persons reasonable accommodations and reasonable modifications as are necessary to enjoy equal opportunity. Persons with disabilities who require an accommodation to participate in an examination must note this on their applications. Further information is available from the Special Arrangements Unit of the Department of Civil Service at 518-457-2487 [press 2, then press 2] in the Albany area, toll free at 1-877-697-5627 [press 2, then press 2], or via TDD (telecommunications device for the deaf) at 518-457-8480.

Eligibility for Examination

To be eligible to compete in this examination, you must be employed in the specified department or agency on a permanent or contingent permanent basis in the competitive class, or in the non-competitive class or labor class if specifically noted on this announcement (or be on an appropriate preferred list), and have the specified time in the specified title or salary grade. You may not compete in a test for a title if you are permanently employed in that title (unless you are still on probation) or in a higher direct line of promotion.

Cell Phones or Electronic/Communication Devices at the Test Site

Do not bring cell phones, beepers, headphones, or any electronic or other communication devices to the test site. The use of such devices at the test site in the test room, hallways, restrooms, building, grounds, or other areas could result in your disqualification.

Continuous Recruitment/Eligible Lists

Candidates who meet the qualification and pass this examination will have their names placed on the eligible list in the order of final scores, regardless of the date on which they filed or took the test. Generally, the names of qualified candidates will remain on the eligible list for two years. Appeal of ratings will not be allowed as the opportunity for retest exists. The department of Civil Service reserves the right to terminate this special recruitment program.

S1/TB1 SAR-vla
Reissued: 8/08

This announcement is subject to amendment or cancellation without notice. Do not copy it, or post it to any other site, but link to it instead.

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