NEW YORK STATE
Department of Civil Service Announces
Examinations Open to All Qualified Individuals

Appointees who work in the five boroughs of New York City or in Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, or Westchester Counties will receive an additional $1,264 annual downstate adjustment (to increase to $1,302 effective April 1, 2006). Appointees who work in Dutchess, Orange, or Putnam Counties will receive an additional $632 annual Mid-Hudson adjustment (to increase to $651 effective April 1, 2006).

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES

Many of these positions require extensive field work, some of which might include nights and weekends within assigned regions or areas. Some appointees will be required to possess a valid license to operate a motor vehicle in New York State at the time of appointment, or continuously thereafter, or otherwise demonstrate their ability to meet the transportation needs of the job as some work responsibilities may include travel to areas not served by public transportation.

Because exposure to potentially hazardous substances may be involved in some of these positions, candidates who accept appointment may be required to wear personal protective equipment, undergo pre-employment and periodic health evaluations and receive specific immunizations. After appropriate training, appointees to any of these titles may be required to take blood samples or inject immunization vaccines.

The nature of the assignments of these positions is such that considerable interpersonal contact on sensitive topics is required.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: On or before January 21, 2006, you must have experience as shown below:

1. Providing direct health-related patient/client services in a health or human service agency or institutional setting or in a community-based organization. This may include communicable disease, mental health, or alcohol/substance abuse counseling. For the purpose of these examinations, school health offices are considered an institutional setting and health care providers, such as private physician’s offices are considered health care settings.
2. Performing oversight activities in a health regulatory organization to determine compliance with appropriate laws, rules, or regulations.
3. Conducting epidemiological research including assisting in data collection, conducting patient interviews, abstracting medical records, participating in study design, and developing questionnaires and/or data analysis. Research must have involved the study of the incidence, spread, and/or control of communicable or chronic diseases. Laboratory bench research will not be considered qualifying.
4. As a registered professional nurse.
5. A bachelor’s degree in one of the following areas: Public Health, Community Health, Health Promotion, Health Communication, Education, Physical Therapy, Psychology, Sociology, Social Work, Human Services, Nursing, Nutrition. (A bachelor’s degree in any of the above areas may be credited for all required experience for Numbers 24-520, 24-521, and 24-522 and up to four years for Number 24-523.)

Number of years of experience needed:

For Numbers 24-520 and 24-521: three years
For Number 24-522: four years
For Number 24-523: five years

Substitution: College study in areas other than as noted above may be substituted for up to two years of experience for Numbers 24-250 and 24-521, and up to three years for Number 24-522, and up to four years for Number 24-523. Study is substituted at the rate of 15 credits equaling six months of experience.

Non-qualifying experience: Examples of non-qualifying experience include, but are not limited to, experience in building maintenance or housekeeping or experience of a clerical or secretarial nature.

NOTES:

1. Your degree and/or college credit must have been awarded by a regionally accredited college or university or one recognized by the NYS Education Department as following acceptable educational practices. If your degree and/or college credit was awarded by an educational institution outside the United States and its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency. You can write to the Examination Information Desk of the Department of Civil Service for a list of acceptable companies who provide this service. This information is also available here. You must pay the required evaluation fee.
2. You may file for these examinations by completing one OC-APP application form. Unless you are eligible for a fee waiver, the indicated processing fee must be submitted for each examination listed on your application.
3. Promotion examinations are also being held for Public Health Representative 2 and 3. If you are eligible for appointment from a promotion list, you may not be appointed in your own agency from the list resulting from this examination open to the public.
4. A transition examination is also being held for Public Health Representative 1.
5. Although promotion and transition examinations are being held, it is expected that appointments will be made as the result of these examinations open to the public.
6. The Department of Health has the option of making appointments from either the list resulting from this examination open to the public or the list resulting from the transition examination. If you meet the requirements for both examinations you may wish to file for both. The processing fee must be paid for this examination unless you are eligible for a fee waiver.
7. If you pass the Examination Number 24-521 for Public Health Representative 1 (Spanish Language), you will be required to demonstrate your Spanish language proficiency at a level that will ensure your ability to perform properly the duties of the position. If other language parenthetics are established, the list will also be used to fill those positions and appointees must demonstrate their language proficiency prior to appointment.
8. If you are qualified for Examination Number 24-521, Public Health Representative 1 (Spanish Language); you should also file for Examination Number 24-520, Public Health Representative 1, as there is only one application processing fee.
9. Appropriate part-time and volunteer experience, which can be verified, will be accepted on a prorated basis.
10. New York State residence is not required.

THE POSITIONS: These positions exist in the New York State Department of Health in Albany, Erie, Jefferson, Monroe, Nassau, New York, Onondaga, Rensselaer, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties. Currently there are 30 vacancies in Albany, 5 in Erie, 8 in Monroe, 1 in Nassau, 3 in New York, 8 in Onondaga, 5 in Rensselaer, 2 in Suffolk, and 5 in Westchester County at various levels. The lists established as the result of these examinations will be used to fill positions which may be established at additional geographic locations in New York State during the life of these lists.

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:

For Examination Numbers 24-520 , 24-521, 24-522 and 24-523:

1. Interviewing – These questions test for knowledge of the principles and practices employed in obtaining information from individuals through structured conversations. These questions require you to apply the principles, practices, and techniques of effective interviewing to hypothetical interviewing situations. Included are questions that present a problem arising from an interviewing situation, and you must choose the most appropriate course of action to take.
2. Public health issues & practices – These questions test for knowledge of significant public health problems and strategies for promoting and protecting the public health. Topics may cover such areas as immunization programs, disease vectors, sexually transmitted diseases, disease surveillance, epidemiology, public education, disease reporting and control.
3. Educating and interacting with the public – These questions test for a knowledge of techniques used to interact effectively with individual citizens and/or community groups, to educate or inform them about topics of concern, to publicize or clarify agency programs or policies, to negotiate conflicts or resolve complaints, and to represent one’s agency or program in a manner in keeping with good public relations practices. Questions may also cover interacting with others in cooperative efforts of public outreach or service.

In addition to the above, for Examination Numbers 24-522 and 24-523:

• Preparing written material – These questions test for the ability to present information clearly and accurately, and to organize paragraphs logically and comprehensibly. For some questions, you will be given information in two or three sentences followed by four restatements of the information. You must then choose the best version. For other questions, you will be given paragraphs with their sentences out of order. You must then choose, from four suggestions, the best order for the sentences.

In addition to the above, for Examination Number 24-523:

• Public health program planning – These questions are designed to test for knowledge of methods and techniques used to develop, monitor, and evaluate public health treatment and prevention programs. Topics may include, but are not necessarily limited to: Program evaluation, data gathering and contract instruments; oversight and surveillance; liaison with the public, and other agencies; cost effectiveness; goal setting; targeting and site selection; research and planning; program modification.
• Public health tables, graphs, and statistical computations – These questions test for knowledge of methods and techniques used to present and interpret public health data and statistics. Topics may cover such areas as: identification, preparation, and use of various types of tables and graphs; interpretation of data presented in tables and graphs; calculation of simple statistical values; calculation of latency, morbidity, and mortality rates.
• Supervision – These questions test for knowledge of the principles and practices employed in planning, organizing, and controlling the activities of a work unit toward predetermined objectives. The concepts covered, usually in a situational question format, include such topics as assigning and reviewing work; evaluating performance; maintaining work standards; motivating and developing subordinates; implementing procedural change; increasing efficiency; and dealing with problems of absenteeism, morale, and discipline.

Your final score must be 70 or higher in order to pass. Rank on the eligible list will be determined after adding any wartime veterans' and Civil Service Law Section 85-a credits to your final passing score.

DUTIES: Public Health Representatives duties may include providing support and guidance to local public health programs, medical facilities, providers and local health departments, supporting collaborative relationships between providers; ensuring compliance with public health law and mandated federal and state reporting requirements, and involvement in a wide variety of public health outreach, prevention, referral, case and contract management and education activities. Positions in this title series may also participate in responding to public health emergencies.

Specifically, Public Health Representative 1’s participate in limited scope public health investigations; assist in the delivery of public health education and outreach programs; support public health registries, conduct on-site medical record reviews, conduct interviews to gather information on chronic or communicable diseases or genetic conditions and/or may be responsible for contacting the public, providers or agencies to provide information or referrals about public health issues and problems, and assist in the agency’s response to public health emergencies.

Public Health Representative 2’s, in addition to the duties noted above, work with greater independence, providing technical assistance to grant-funded programs/projects; conducting education or training programs for the general public, providers and public health officials; collecting and reviewing data on specific program areas; preparing written reports; providing counseling to individuals focusing on disease prevention strategies and promoting good health and wellness through the areas of nutrition, maternal and child health, injury prevention, and other public health interventions.

Public Health Representative 3’s perform many of the above duties and may also oversee small public health program areas or a component of a large program including supervision of staff. They oversee and direct field investigations and contact follow-up, assigning staff caseloads and monitoring records and reports to ensure consistency of service. They assist in the administration of grants and contracts; provide assistance to county health departments and assist in the programmatic management of public health programs, evaluating the programs’ effectiveness and modifying as necessary.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

ADMISSION TO EXAMINATION: Notice to appear for the test may be conditional as review of applications may not be made until after the test. If you have not received your notice to appear for the written test three days before the date of the test, call (518) 457 5483 if taking the test in Albany; (518) 457-6556 for New York City Test Center; (518) 457 7022 for all other Test Centers.

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.

RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION: Most written tests are held on Saturdays. If you cannot take the test on the announced test date, due to a conflict with a religious observance or practice, check the box under "Religious Accommodation." We will make arrangements for you to take the test on a different date (usually the following day).

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) 457-3416 or TDD (telecommunications device for the deaf) (518) 457-8480.

MULTIPLE EXAMINATIONS SCHEDULED FOR THE SAME DAY: With the exception of written tests announced by New York City, if you have applied to take a written test announced by a local jurisdiction (county, town, city) scheduled to be held on the same test date as this written test, you must call (518) 457-7022 no later than two weeks before the test date to make arrangements for taking all tests at one test site. All tests will be held at the State examination center.

S1/TB3 DMH-tmc
Issued: 11/4/05