Habilitation Specialist 1

You may be assigned to either Saturday or Sunday to take your test. The Department of Civil Service reserves the right to administer tests either online or with paper booklets and answer sheets. Your admission notice will tell you whether your test will be administered online. 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.

Transition examination open to all qualified employees of the New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities.

An open-competitive examination is being held at the same time as this transition examination. Agencies have the option of making appointments from either list. If you meet the requirements for the open-competitive as well as the transition examination, you may wish to apply for both. The appropriate processing fee must be filed for each examination.

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Minimum Qualifications

On or before December 14, 2019, you must be a qualified employee of the New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities and have had three months of permanent competitive or 55-b/55-c service in a clinical or direct care position*. The list of qualifying titles is available at: http://www.cs.ny.gov/examannouncements/announcements/00470titles.cfm

AND you must also possess a bachelor���s degree or higher in a human services field*.

*For the purpose of these examinations, a degree in a human service field includes the professional disciplines of audiology, community mental health, nursing, nutrition, occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychology, rehabilitation counseling, vocational counseling, social work, speech/language pathology and therapeutic recreation (including concentrations in art, creative art, dance, drama, music, or physical education.) Also included are related academic disciplines associated with the study of human behavior (e.g., gerontology, human services, sociology, speech communication); or human skills development (e.g., counseling/guidance, education, human development.) Examples of non-qualifying degrees include but are not limited to: criminal justice, political science, liberal arts, and business.

If you were permanently appointed to a qualifying title on or before September 14, 2019, and have served continuously in this title since that date, you are eligible to file for this examination.

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.

If you expect to meet the educational requirements by June 30, 2020, 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, 2020 may result in your removal from the eligible list.

Notes:

1. Your degree must have been awarded by a college or university accredited by a regional, national, or specialized agency recognized as an accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education/U.S. Secretary of Education. 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: S1BLM.
2. This examination has special minimum qualifications in addition to the usual "time in service requirement." If you are filing on the Internet, please list all pertinent information online. If you are applying on NYS-APP application form, you must list all pertinent information on the application. Attach additional sheets if needed.
3. Language Proficiency: If you pass the examination for No. 00-471 Habilitation Specialist 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. Only enough candidates to fill current vacancies will be called to the proficiency test.
4. If you submit an application for No. 00-471 Habilitation Specialist 1 (Spanish Language), an application will automatically be submitted for you for No. 00-470 Habilitation Specialist 1 at no additional cost.
5. Background Investigation/Justice Center Review: 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. (NY Social Services Law, Section 424a.)

You will be responsible for payment of all required fees.

6. 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.

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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. Caring for individuals diagnosed with intellectual or developmental disabilities - These questions test for the knowledge and understanding of services that help an individual diagnosed with an intellectual or developmental disability to acquire, keep or improve, partially or fully, and at different points in life, skills related to communication and activities of daily living. Questions may cover such topics as assessing individual needs, linking individuals with community services, and developing and evaluating habilitation plans.
2. 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.
3. 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.

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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Duties

As a Habilitation Specialist 1, you would carry out a variety of activities in support of individuals diagnosed with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities; and assist them in developing pre-academic, academic, self-help, communication, prevocational, and appropriate community skills. You would assist in the development and evaluation of individual habilitation plans and setting goals; monitor and record individuals��� progress; provide guidance and training to direct care staff in the implementation of goals and service plans; and may supervise direct care staff.

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

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.

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.

Eligibility for Examination

To be considered a qualified employee eligible to compete in this examination, you must be employed in, or on leave from, 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.

S1/TB1 BLM-rkv
Issued: 09/06/2019

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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