Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Assistant

* Due to the size of the candidate population for this test date, you may be assigned to either Saturday, March 17, 2018, or Sunday, March 18, 2018, to take your test. Your admission notice will tell you where and when you are scheduled to appear. You cannot request a day in advance or change your scheduled day.

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 March 17, 2018, you must have a bachelor?s degree in social work, psychology, counseling, or vocational rehabilitation; OR 60 semester college credit hours and one year of qualifying experience;** OR three years of qualifying experience.**

**For experience to be considered qualifying, the primary responsibilities of a position must have involved professional or paraprofessional duties in one of the following areas:

Either A. providing direct services beyond routine personal care or supervision to physically, mentally, or learning disabled adults or adolescents in a rehabilitation program or facility. (Qualifying examples include casework, counseling, daily living skills training, benefit advisement, or peer mentoring. Clerical duties such as answering the telephone or scheduling appointments are NOT considered qualifying experience);

Or B. providing vocational or educational services to adults or adolescents with physical, mental, or learning disabilities in the areas of assessment, counseling, job coaching, guidance, placement, or job development.

If you expect to meet the educational requirements by June 30, 2018, you can be admitted to the written test, but you cannot be considered for appointment until you submit proof of successful completion of the educational requirement to the Appointing Authority at the time of the employment interview. Failure to meet the educational requirements by June 30, 2018 may result in your removal from the eligible list.

Notes

1. Your degree 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 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 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: S2SEP.
2. A transition examination is also being held for these positions.
3. Although transition examinations are being held, it is expected that appointments will be made as the result of these examinations open to the public.
4. The New York State Education Department 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.
5. 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.
6. Language Proficiency: If you pass the examination for No. 26-420 Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Assistant (Spanish Language) or No. 26-421 Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Assistant (Manual Communications), you will be required to demonstrate your Spanish Language or Manual Communications 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. 26-420 Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Assistant (Spanish language) or No. 26-421 Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Assistant (Manual Communications), an application will automatically be submitted for you for No. 26-419 Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Assistant at no additional cost.
8. Appropriate part-time and volunteer experience, which can be verified, will be accepted on a prorated basis.
9. New York State residence is not required.

The Positions

These positions exist in the New York State Education Department in locations throughout the state.

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Duties

As a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Assistant, you would be a part of a rehabilitation unit in a district office and perform a variety of paraprofessional tasks to support the counselors in assisting individuals with physical, mental, or learning disabilities in obtaining or retaining employment. You would follow the individual?s progress through the rehabilitation process; conduct interviews and orientation sessions; review eligibility for financial assistance; monitor training records; and verify employment which might require site visits to rehabilitation facilities, schools, and training centers. You might authorize necessary medical diagnostic examinations; prepare financial and statistical records and reports; and prepare routine correspondence to individuals and their families, vendors, and other agencies concerning the individual?s status and progress. You might also assist to arrange needed transportation, TTY telephone connections, interpreters, readers, and independent living services for disabled 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. 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. 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.
3. Working with people to promote vocational rehabilitation services - These questions test for the knowledge required to help individuals by assisting them in securing gainful employment. Questions may cover such topics as communicating effectively, interpersonal skills, listening skills, human behavior and development, learning styles and motivational techniques.

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, email us at AdmissionNotices@cs.ny.gov. Please provide your first and last name, address, and the last four digits of your social security number, and we will provide you with the information you need to attend your written test. If you have an issue other than not receiving your admission notice, please contact our office at (518) 474-6470 in the Albany area or toll free at 1-877-697-5627. Please leave a clear concise message and provide your first and last name, last four digits of your social security number and a daytime phone number.

Taking State and Local 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: https://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.

S2/TB1 SEP-dah
Issued: 12/29/2017

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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