Psychologist 2

IMPORTANT: Unless waived, you must pay the non-refundable processing fee. For information on fee waivers, visit https://www.cs.ny.gov/examannouncements/types/oc/appinfo.cfm##Fee. It is important that you verify that you entered the correct examination number and title on your online or paper application prior to submitting. If you apply online, you should immediately review your email confirmation notice to verify that you applied for the correct examination. If you do not receive a confirmation number after submitting your online application, your application was NOT received by the Department of Civil Service. No late applications will be accepted after the filing deadline has passed.

Appointees who work in the five boroughs of New York City or in Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, or Westchester Counties will receive an additional $3,026 annual downstate adjustment. Appointees who work in Dutchess, Orange, or Putnam Counties will receive an additional $1,513 annual mid-Hudson adjustment.

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Minimum Qualifications

On or before January 20, 2018, you must have a master of psychology degree from a regionally accredited college or university psychology degree program which prepares graduates for clinical positions in the field of psychology in a clinical, forensic, community mental health, or school setting. Qualifying degree programs must have included coursework in psychological and behavioral assessment, and treatment modalities for psychological and behavioral disorders; AND you must also have three years of supervised post master's degree experience in a clinical, forensic, community mental health, or school setting, where your primary duties were providing psychological services as described below.*

Substitutions:

• a doctoral degree in a clinical field of psychology and one year of qualifying experience may be substituted for both the education and experience requirements above.
• a clinical psychology practicum, externship, or fieldwork assignment, that was completed as part of a qualifying master of psychology degree program, may be substituted for one year of the required experience.**
• a certificate of advanced study in a clinical field of psychology or school psychology may be substituted for one year of the required experience.

For the purposes of qualifying for these examinations, examples of qualifying degree programs/majors include but are not limited to the following: clinical psychology, clinical forensic psychology, community psychology, counseling psychology, school psychology, and child psychology.

Examples of non-qualifying degree programs/majors include but are not limited to the following: education, counseling, clinical counseling, clinical hypnosis, community counseling, educational counseling, forensic counseling, guidance counseling, human relations, marriage and family counseling, professional counseling, rehabilitative counseling, school counseling, student and personnel services, mental health counseling, psychological counseling, pastoral psychology, transpersonal psychology, neuroscience, experimental psychology, industrial psychology, and organizational psychology.

*For the purposes of these examinations, qualifying experience is considered to be direct experience with individuals, families, or groups in a hospital, psychiatric hospital, psychiatric clinic, community mental health clinic, correctional facility, intermediate care facility, institutional or school setting, or community based residential and/or day program, under the supervision of a doctoral level psychologist, licensed psychologist, licensed physician, licensed psychiatrist, psychiatric nurse practitioner, or licensed clinical social worker (Or in the case of school psychologists with permanent certification from the New York State Education Department, working under the supervision of a school principal or similar administrator). In order for experience to be considered qualifying, primary duties must have included activities such as administering assessments and tests for diagnostic psychological evaluations or completing functional behavior assessments; developing behavior support plans or writing psychological treatment plans; and/or providing psychological counseling and treatment in one or more of the following areas: mental and/or emotional disorders, cognitive disorders, behavioral disorders, intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities, alcoholism, addictions, substance abuse disorders, sex offender assessment and treatment, or forensic mental health.

Examples of non-qualifying experience include but are not limited to experience in experimental psychology, research psychology, industrial psychology, organizational psychology, health psychology, utilization review, guidance counseling, pastoral counseling, or as a habilitation specialist, or instructor of psychology.

**A practicum, externship, or clinical fieldwork assignment is defined as a direct clinical experience providing psychological services in a hospital, psychiatric hospital, psychiatric clinic, community mental health clinic, correctional facility, intermediate care facility, institutional or school setting, or community based residential and/or day program; and must have been a component of a qualifying master of psychology degree program listed on the official transcript.

The Positions

These positions exist in the facilities, locations and community programs of the New York State Office of Mental Health, Office For People With Developmental Disabilities, Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, Office of Children and Family Services and Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.

Notes

1. Your degree 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 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 NYS Department of Civil Service for a list of acceptable companies who provide this service. This information can also be found on the Internet at http://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/degrees.cfm. You must pay the required evaluation fee. If you are applying on the Internet, you must mail the independent verification of equivalency to the New York State Department of Civil Service, Albany, New York 12239. Attention: S1JFG.
2. Background Investigation/Justice Center Review: In some agencies, the names of all prospective employees will be:
   • Checked against the Staff Exclusion List (SEL) maintained by the Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs. Prospective employees whose names appear on the SEL as having been found responsible for serious or repeated acts of abuse or neglect will be barred from appointment and may have their names removed from the eligible list(s) for the title(s);
   • Investigated through a Criminal Background Check (CBC). All convictions must be reported. Conviction of a felony or misdemeanor or any falsified or omitted information may bar appointment or result in removal after appointment. Each case will be determined on its own merits, consistent with the applicable provisions of state and federal laws;

   and may be:

   • Screened against the Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment (SCR). Prospective employees whose names appear on the SCR may be barred from appointment. You will be responsible for payment of all required fees.
3. Medicaid and Medicare: In order to be eligible for appointment and to maintain employment, you cannot be listed as an excluded individual or entity on any of the Federal and/or State Medicaid and Medicare exclusion lists (or excluded from any other Federal or Federally assisted program). If you are appointed and subsequently listed as an excluded individual or entity on any of these lists (or excluded from any other Federal or Federally assisted program), you may be terminated from your employment.
4. A promotion examination is also being held for these positions. 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.
5. Although promotion examinations are being held, it is expected that appointments will be made as the result of these examinations open to the public.
6. If you pass the examination for No. 26-418 Psychologist 2 (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. Only enough candidates to fill current vacancies will be called to the proficiency test.
7. If you submit an application for No. 26-418 Psychologist 2 (Spanish Language), an application will automatically be submitted for you for No. 26-344 Psychologist 2 at no additional cost.
8. You may file for these examinations by completing one NYS-APP application form or applying on the Internet. Unless you are eligible for a fee waiver, the indicated processing fee must be submitted for each examination listed on your application.
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.

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Duties

As a Psychologist 2 or Psychologist 2 (Spanish Language), you would, as a member of a treatment team, perform psychological evaluations; complete behavior assessments; develop and implement plans of treatment for individuals, groups, and families, or develop behavior support plans for individuals; provide technical direction to program staff; maintain records; and write reports. You would handle more complex problems and situations than Psychologists 1 and would have greater responsibility and independence. You may also act as a program administrator and supervise subordinate staff.

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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. Developing, implementing and evaluating psychological treatment - These questions test for knowledge of basic theories of intellectual and developmental disabilities, mental illness, chemical dependency, dual diagnosis and multiple impairment diagnosis used to develop, implement and evaluate treatment. Questions may relate to children, adolescents and adults and may include areas such as human development, treatment modalities, treatment evaluation, and impact of support network on prevention and continuity of care.

Psychological assessment tools and techniques - These questions test for knowledge of intellectual and development disabilities, mental illness, chemical dependency, dual diagnosis and multiple impairment diagnosis related to children, adolescents and adults and used to perform and evaluate psychologist tools and techniques. Questions may relate to choosing and conducting standard psychological tests, performing functional assessments of strengths and weaknesses, facilitating rehabilitation, evaluating and planning discharge, and consultation with team members, as well as other professionals.

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.

2. Understanding and interpreting written material - These questions test for the ability to understand and interpret written material. You will be presented with brief reading passages and will be asked questions about the passages. You should base your answers to the questions only on what is presented in the passages and not on what you may happen to know about the topic.

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.

Important: The Department of Civil Service and other state agencies may communicate with you through email correspondence. This may include the notification of your examination results and canvassing you for interest in appointment. It will be important for you to keep your email address, phone number and mailing address current by logging into https://www.cs.ny.gov/home/myaccount.

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How To Apply

If you do not receive a number after submitting your online application, your application was NOT processed.

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 employment, compensation, and other terms and conditions of employment without unlawful discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, disability, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, veteran or military service member status, marital status, domestic violence victim status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, arrest and/or criminal conviction record, or any other category protected by law, unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification or other exception.

Appointment to many positions in State government require candidates to undergo an investigative screening. This may include a thorough character investigation, a Federal Bureau of Investigation Criminal Record History Check, a Child Abuse Registry clearance, or other similar procedures. Candidates may be fingerprinted and may be required to pay any necessary fees for that procedure. Depending on the nature of the job, the criminal convictions discovered, or any falsified or omitted information revealed, the investigative findings may bar appointment or result in removal after appointment.

Eligibility for Employment

You must be legally eligible to work in the United States at the time of appointment and throughout your employment with New York State. If appointed, you must produce documents that establish your identity and eligibility to work in the United States, as required by the federal Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, and the Immigration and Nationality Act.

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

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 provide equal opportunity. Persons with disabilities who require an accommodation to participate in an examination must note this on their application. Further information is available from the Test Administration Unit of the Department of Civil Service. In the Albany area, call 518-457-2487. Outside of the Albany area, call toll free at 1-877-697-5627. For TDD services, call NY Relay at 711 (requires a fee) or 1-800-662-1220.

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 518-474 6470 in the Albany area or toll free at 1-877-697-5627.

Multiple Examinations Scheduled for the Same Day

If you have applied to take a written test announced by either one or several local jurisdictions (county, town, city) scheduled to be held on the same test date as this written test, you must notify each of the local jurisdictions 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. For your convenience, contact information for all local civil service agencies is available on our website at: http://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/local.cfm

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.

S1/TB1 JFG-dah
Issued: 11/3/2017

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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