GENESEE COUNTY HUMAN RESOURCES

COUNTY BUILDING I, BATAVIA, NEW YORK

ANNOUNCES

AN OPEN COMPETITIVE EXAMINATION FOR:

CASE MANAGER – PUBLIC DEFENDER, O.C. #64-779

SALARY: $20.33 - $23.90 per hour (2015), Genesee County.

VACANCY:  The Genesee County Public Defender has one (1) position currently held by a provisionally appointed employee, who may be appointed on a permanent basis if found reachable on a civil service list established as a result of this exam. This examination is also being held to establish an eligible list to fill future vacancies, which may occur during the life of the eligible list.

An eligible may receive only one permanent appointment from this list. Once appointed, there will be a Probationary Period of 8 to 52-weeks based on performance of duties. During this probationary period the Department Head has the ability to terminate employment, without cause.

CANDIDATES MUST HAVE BEEN LEGAL RESIDENTS OF GENESEE COUNTY FOR AT LEAST TWO (2) MONTHS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE DATE OF THE WRITTEN EXAMINATION, AND MUST HAVE CONTINUED THEIR RESIDENCY THROUGH THE PERIOD LEADING TO THEIR INITIAL APPOINTMENT.

                    LAST FILING DATE----------APRIL 29, 2015

                                    EXAMINATION DATE----------JUNE 6, 2015

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Candidates must meet the following requirements on or before the date of the written test:

Graduation from high school or possession of an appropriate equivalency diploma recognized by the NYS Department of Education, AND EITHER:

            A.        A Master’s Degree in the Human Services field*;  [IF CLAIMED,
                       PLEASE ATTACH A COPY OF YOUR OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
                       TO YOUR APPLICATION];

OR:

            B.        A Bachelor’s Degree in the Human Services field* AND two (2)
                       years of full-time, paid experience in providing direct services to
                       substance abusers or addicted individuals or in linking mentally
                       disable patients/clients to a broad range of services essential to
                       successfully living in a community setting, (e.g. medical,
                       psychiatric, social, education, legal, housing and financial
                       services);  [IF CLAIMED, PLEASE ATTACH A COPY OF YOUR
                       OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT TO YOUR  APPLICATION AND
                       INDICATE ALL RELEVANT EXPERIENCE];

OR:

            C.        A Bachelor’s Degree in the Human Services field* and certification
                       as a New York State credentialed Alcoholism and Substance
                       Abuse Counselor, AND one (1), year of full-time, paid experience
                       as defined in (B) above;  [IF CLAIMED, PLEASE ATTACH A
                       COPY OF YOUR OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT TO YOUR
                       APPLICATION AND INDICATE ALL RELEVANT EXPERIENCE];

OR:

            D.        Any equivalent combination of training and experience indicating
                       ability to perform the duties;  [IF CLAIMED, PLEASE INDICATE
                       ALL RELEVANT TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE ON YOUR
                       APPLICATION].

*For purposes of qualifying for this title a “Human Service Field” includes Social Work, Psychology, Nursing, Rehabilitation, Education, Counseling, Community Mental Health, Child and Family studies, and Criminal Justice.

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.

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

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 Public Defender status;

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

Monitors and follows-up the implementation of written service plans by linking clients with necessary providers, assisting them in gaining access to needed medical, psychiatric, substance abuse, social, educational, and other services;

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

Prepares and submits timely progress notes on each participating offender to Judge and specified attorney;

Interview clients for public defender eligibility;

Monitors jail population and explores resources for reduction in jail population;

Attends organizational/board meetings regarding jail diversion;

Prepares court reports, such as status updates, sentencing memorandum, advocacy and service coordination with the New York State Division of Parole;

Fosters good relationships through written and verbal communication with families, and community agencies.

Does related work as required.

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

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.

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

CROSS-FILING: If you have applied for other local government or state examinations, call or write to each civil service agency to make arrangements no later than two weeks before the date of the examinations.  You must notify all local government civil service agencies with whom you have filed an application of the test site at which you wish to take your examinations.  The “Cross-filer Form” for Genesee County can be obtained at Genesee County Human Resources, 15 Main St., Batavia, NY 14020 or from our website, www.co.genesee.ny.us.