GENESEE COUNTY HUMAN RESOURCES

COUNTY BUILDING I, BATAVIA, NEW YORK

 

ANNOUNCES

 

A PROMOTIONAL EXAMINATION FOR:

 

EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM ASSISTANT, PROM. #75-658

 

SALARY:  $17.69 - $21.37 per hour, (2016) Genesee County.

 

VACANCY:  Genesee County Social Services 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.

                            

                        LAST FILING DATE----------SEPTEMBER 7, 2016

 

                                             EXAMINATION DATE----------OCTOBER 15, 2016  

 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Candidates must meet the following requirements on or before the last filing date:

Applicants must be current employees of the Genesee County Department of Social Services with three (3) years of full-time permanent, Competitive status as a Social Welfare Examiner and must have continued their employment through the period leading to the date of appointment from this Eligible List,  [PLEASE INDICATE ALL RELEVANT EXPERIENCE ON YOUR APPLICATION].

 

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 or CREDIT CARD (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 are receiving Supplemental Security Income payments, or 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:

ORIENTATION:

Describes and conducts client orientation, explaining program requirements and expectations;

Promotes the benefits of work over welfare;

Describes and conducts the assessment, planning and monitoring processes that the department uses to assist clients in becoming self-sufficient;

Discusses the time frames to which the department and client are bound;

Disseminates information about programs and benefits available to support clients to work;

Identifies situations where immediate short term assistance from the department might prevent the client from needing long term extensive services;

Gathers preliminary information necessary to establish the appropriate pathway for the client.

ASSESSMENT:

Uses a variety of interview techniques, assessment forms, review of records and collateral information to develop a clear understanding of the strengths, needs, and goals of the individual and their family;

Participates with service providers in determining the need for service including substance abuse or other limiting conditions (e.g., housing, transportation barriers).

PLANNING:

Guides the recipient through the planning of a combination of work, skills development activities, and family development activities which will reduce or eliminate the continuing need for cash assistance and related supportive payments;

Prepares self-sufficiency plans with the client, not for the client including but not limited to issues such as employment, transportation, child care, housing improvement, health and nutrition improvement and school attendance;

Conducts financial planning sessions with clients ensuring that they are able to budget and manage their finances;

Explains skill development and education options;

Explains client’s rights and responsibilities;

Assists clients to prioritize needs so that goals can be met and achieved.

LINKING:

Utilizes a variety of the community programs and resources available to assist the recipient in attaining self-sufficiency objectives;

Updates information databases;

Encourages clients to become involved in community activities;

Promotes job placement and retention through referral to employment providers and other services as needed;

Communicates client information with internal agency staff who have a connection to the client’s case and self-sufficiency plan;

Communicates client information with external providers who are managing programs and services related to the client’s self-sufficiency plan.

MONITORING:

Evaluates client progress toward self-sufficiency goals and completion of associated tasks through regular contact with client and service providers.

Checks on program attendance by visiting clients in various program settings, including home visits; Interviews clients to determine whether the client is able to develop and maintain attitudes that are conducive to self-sufficiency;

Assists in the design, and may conduct various client workshops/seminars;

Prepares a variety of written reports;

Reports and consults regularly with program supervisor;

 

SUBJECT OF EXAMINATION: A written test designed to evaluate knowledge, skills and /or abilities in the following areas:

1.            Educating and Interacting with the Publi
2.            Interviewing
3.            Preparing Written Material
4.            Principles and Practices of Employment Counseling.

 

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:

Educating and Interacting with the Public-These questions test for knowledge of techniques used to interact effectively with individuals and/or community groups, to educate or inform them about topics of concern, to publicize or clarify agency programs or policies, to negotiate conflicts or resolve complaints, and to represent one's agency or program in a manner in keeping with good public relations practices. Questions may also cover interacting with others in cooperative efforts of public outreach or service.

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 Employment Counseling-These questions test for knowledge and understanding of principles, practices, and techniques of employment counseling in individual and group settings. Questions may cover such topics as assessing customers' job-related skills and abilities; matching customers with appropriate training and employment opportunities; matching customers with special incentive programs; assisting customers to develop job search skills and career plans; working with customers and employers to develop appropriate job opportunities; utilizing public employment service programs; applying department policies and program knowledge to counseling and working with special applicant groups; and establishing, maintaining, and terminating the customer-counselor relationship.



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.

 

NOTE: Religious Accommodations, Persons with Disabilities or Active Military: 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.

 

SENIORITY CREDITS: Candidates who pass the written and qualifying tests will have seniority credits added to their scores as follows:

 

Less than 1 year                              0 Points

1 year up to 6 years                         1 Point

Over 6 years up to 11 years           2 Points

Over 11 years up to 16 years         3 Points

Over 16 years up to 21 years         4 Points

Over 21 years up to 26 years         5 Points

 

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 examination.

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 ACTIVITY IN ALL ASPECTS OF EMPLOYMENT.