OR:

3.         Graduation from a regionally accredited or New York State registered two
            year college with an Associate's Degree in Human Services or related
            field AND three (3) years of full-time, paid experience in a mental health
            setting, or other human services field, working directly with mentally ill
            individuals [IF CLAIMED, PLEASE ATTACH A COPY OF YOUR
            OFFICIAL COLLEGE TRANSCRIPT(S) TO YOUR APPLICATION AND
            INDICATE ALL RELEVANT EXPERIENCE].

A copy of an official transcript is acceptable for the purpose of taking this examination, however, at such time a candidate is offered an appointment, an official, sealed transcript must be on file with Genesee County Human Resources prior to the appointment.

NOTE: You may file for this examination if you expect to complete the educational requirement by June 30, 2015.  If successful on the examination, however, you will not be certified for appointment until you have submitted proof of completion of the educational requirements to Genesee County Human Resources.

NOTE: PHOTO ID WILL BE REQUIRED ON THE DAY OF THE EXAMINATION.

CANDIDATES, PLEASE NOTE: It is vital that you submit, with your application, all information necessary to show your qualification for examination.  APPLICATIONS WHICH DO NOT SHOW TRAINING AND/OR EXPERIENCE TO MEET MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS WILL BE DISAPPROVED, AND WE WILL NOT REFER TO OTHER APPLICATIONS ON FILE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

NOTE – FILING FEES: (The acceptance of your application is dependent upon your following these instructions accurately):

A fee of $20.00 is required for each separately-numbered examination for which you apply.  The required fee must accompany your application.  The fee may be submitted in the form of either CASH (if delivered in person), PERSONAL CHECK or MONEY ORDER, (if by mail).  Personal Checks and Money Orders must be payable to the GENESEE COUNTY TREASURER.  Please write the examination number(s) on your personal check or money order.  YOUR APPLICATION FEE WILL NOT BE REFUNDED if you do not meet the requirements for admission to the examination. Compare your qualifications carefully to the requirements stated on the announcement and file only for those examinations for which you are clearly qualified. A waiver of application fee will be allowed if you are receiving unemployment and are primarily responsible for the support of a household.  In addition, a waiver of application fee will be allowed if you are determined eligible for Medicaid, or receiving   Supplemental Security Income payments, or Public Assistance (Temporary Assistance for Needy Family assistance or Safety Net Assistance), or are certified Job Training Partnership Act/Workforce Investment Act eligible through a State or local social service agency.  All claims for application fee waiver are subject to verification.  In order for us to verify your eligibility for an application fee waiver, you must complete a “Request for Fee Waiver” form and submit it with your application by the close of business on the Last Filing Date as indicated on the Examination Announcement. The “Request for Fee Waiver” form can be obtained at Genesee County Human Resources, 15 Main Street, Batavia, NY 14020 or from our website, www.co.genesee.ny.us.

TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES:

Identifies clients in need of case management services by completing initial intake and assessment forms with clients applying for mental health services, by visiting with clients in State Hospitals, community hospitals, community residences and local emergency services;

Coordinates the complete assessment of clients on their caseloads by arranging for clinical evaluations, psychiatric consultations, psychological testing, functional assessments, rehabilitative and social needs;

Integrates a written service plan for each client and plans for its implementation;

Monitors and follows-up the implementation of the written service plan by linking clients with necessary providers, assisting in gaining access to needed medical, psychiatric, social, educational, and other services, maintaining contact through the course of treatment;

Assures medication regimen compliance through teaching and interpreting to clients the importance of prescribed medications, monitoring usage and refilling prescriptions, and being aware of and alert to side-effects;

Assists clients in learning to use fiscal resources through budget planning, monitoring and instruction in spending, and assisting with applications to entitlements;

Prevents and/or resolves developing crises to avoid unnecessary use of emergency rooms and re-hospitalizations;

Assures the maintenance of case management records with appropriate reviews and updating of service plans;

May be required to serve on the “On Call” team.

SUBJECT OF EXAMINATION: The written test is designed to test for knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in such areas as:

1.         Interviewing

2.         Preparing Written Material

3.         Principles and Practices of Social Casework

4.         Working with Individuals to Promote Mental Health

CANDIDATES ARE PERMITTED TO USE QUIET, HAND-HELD, SOLAR OR BATTERY POWERED CALCULATORS.  DEVICES WITH TYPEWRITER KEYBOARDS SUCH AS COMPUTERS, SPELL-CHECKERS, PERSONAL DIGITAL ASSISTANTS, ADDRESS BOOKS, LANGUAGE TRANSLATORS, DICTIONARIES AND ANY SIMILAR DEVICES ARE PROHIBITED.

EXPANDED SUB-TEST DESCRIPTION:

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.

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.

Principles and Practices of Social Casework-These questions test for knowledge of the principles and practices used in social casework. Questions may cover such topics as symptoms and treatments associated with various mental, social, and physical illnesses and disabilities; client rights and confidentiality; referral techniques; maintaining client records; establishing and maintaining relationships with clients, families, co-workers, referral agencies, and the general public; and professional and ethical concerns in casework practice.

Working with Individuals to Promote Mental Health-These questions test for knowledge of characteristics, causes and treatment methods associated with chronic mental illness and/or addiction. Questions cover such topics as establishing, maintaining and terminating client relationships; recognizing, interpreting, and responding to individual and group behaviors; providing access to essential services such as financial, housing, medical, educational, legal, vocational, and recreational; and eligibility criteria of programs and agencies offering such services.

The New York State Department of Civil Service has not prepared a test guide for this examination. However, candidates may find information in the publication "How to take a written test" helpful in preparing for this test. This publication is available on line at: www.cs.ny.gov/testing/localtestguides.cfm

NOTE: Religious Accommodations or Persons with Disabilities: If special arrangements for testing are required, please indicate this on your application. An explanation of your need for special testing accommodations must be attached to your application.  If due to disability – medical documentation must be provided.

ACTIVE MILITARY MEMBERS: Any member of the armed forces of the United States who has duly filed an application to compete in a scheduled competitive examination but was deprived of the opportunity to compete in the examination due to active military duty could be provided with a special military make-up examination.

Current members of the Armed Forces may apply for Veteran’s credits by filing an “Application for Veteran’s Credits” (Form VC-1).  The “Application for Veteran’s Credits” can be obtained at Genesee County Human Resources, 15 Main St., Batavia, NY 14020 or from our website at, www.co.genesee.ny.us. Proof of military status must also be presented and verified in order for consideration of granting of “conditional” Veteran’s credit.  Acceptable proof may include a military I.D. card, military orders, or other official military document that substantiates active military service at time of exam. This documentation and VC-1 Form must be received prior to the establishment of the Eligible List for this examination.  The “conditional” status of the additional credits will remain until proof is provided indicating that the service was in time of war and that the veteran received an honorable discharge, or was released under honorable circumstances.

VETERANS: Additional credits are available to veterans who meet certain established requirements.  Veterans who have not exhausted their credits should make application for their use, if desired.  A COMPLETED APPLICATION FOR VETERANS CREDITS (FORM VC-1) AND a COPY OF SEPARATION PAPERS (FORM DD-214) MUST BE RECEIVED BEFORE THE ELIGIBLE LIST FOR THIS EXAMINATION IS ESTABLISHED IN ORDER TO UTILIZE ADDITIONAL CREDITS.  DISABLED VETERANS MUST SUBMIT, IN ADDITION, A COPY OF FORM VC-3 (AUTHORIZATION FOR DISABILITY RECORD). The “Application for Veteran’s Credits” can be obtained at Genesee County Human Resources, 15 Main St., Batavia, NY 14020 or from our website at, www.co.genesee.ny.us.

ADDITIONAL CREDIT AUTHORIZED:  Additional credits shall be allowed for children of firefighters and police officers killed in the line of duty, as “child” in this section in competitive examinations for original appointment.  (a) On all eligible lists resulting from competitive examinations, the names of eligible persons shall be entered in the order of their respective final earned ratings on examinations, with the name of the eligible person with the highest final earned ratings at the head of such list, provided, however, that for the purpose of determining final earned ratings, children of firefighters and police officers killed in the line of duty shall be entitled to receive an additional ten (10) points in a competitive examination for original appointment in the same municipality in which his or her parent has served.  (b) Such additional credit shall be added to the final earned rating of such child, as the case may be, after he or she has qualified in the competitive examination and shall be granted only at the time of establishment of the resulting eligible list.

PLACE TO FILE: To get an application, come in or send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to: Genesee County Human Resources, County Building I, 15 Main Street, Batavia, NY 14020 or download from website: www.co.genesee.ny.us. Phone 344-2550, Ext. 2221.

Applications mailed to us must be postmarked with a date no later than the last filing date indicated on this announcement.

All correspondence will be sent only to the address provided on the application for examination. It is your responsibility to inform the Genesee County Human Resources office of any change of address. Correspondence returned for incorrect address will not be forwarded.  All address changes must be submitted to the Genesee County Human Resources office in writing.

APPLICANTS: Please contact this office three days prior to examination, if you have not been notified by us, as to your eligibility to participate in this exam.

This examination is being prepared and rated by the New York State Department of Civil Service in accordance with Section 23-2 of the Civil Service Law.  The provisions of the New York State Civil Service Rules and Regulations dealing with this rating of the examination will apply to this test.

THE COUNTY OF GENESEE DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE ON THE BASIS OF AGE, RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, GENDER, CREED, NATIONAL ORIGIN, PHYSICAL OR MENTAL DISABILITY, MARITAL STATUS, VETERANS STATUS, DISABLED VETERANS STATUS, OR STATUS AS A MEMBER OF ANY OTHER PROTECTED GROUP OR ACTIVILYT IN ALL ASPECTS OF EMPLOYMENT.