Residence Requirements:

THERE ARE NO RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTICIPATION IN THIS EXAMINATION. There is one vacancy at the Erie County Medical Center Corporation.

Examples of Duties:

An Alcoholism Counselor assists with the rehabilitation of alcoholism patients at the Erie County Medical Center Corporation by applying generally accepted methods and techniques of rehabilitation counseling;

Makes preliminary recommendations as to appropriateness of client services and recommends level and type of care, discharge and aftercare;

Works cooperatively with other staff members in affecting patient rehabilitation and coordinates the work with other public and private agencies;

Contacts collaterals, family members and others to encourage their participation;

Serves as a resource person to alcoholism rehabilitation workers in advocating, linking and expediting activities;

Instructs workers in appropriate roles for group counseling;

Prepares reports on cases, maintains files and records, participates in training of rehabilitation interns and keeps abreast of latest developments in the field.

Qualifications:

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

Graduation from a regionally accredited or New York State registered college or university with a Bachelor’s Degree and in addition either:

A) Graduation from a regionally accredited or New York State registered college or university with a Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling or Social Work; or:
B) Graduation from a regionally accredited or New York State registered college or university with a Master’s Degree in therapeutic or counseling related field and one (1) year of supervised work experience providing
alcoholism or chemical dependency counseling treatment services; or:
C) Two (2) years of supervised work experience providing alcoholism or chemical dependency counseling treatment services; or:
D) An equivalent combination or training and experience as defined by the limits of (A), (B) and (C).

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
1) Possession of a current license to practice in New York State in Counseling, Social Work or therapeutic related field; or:
2) Possession of a current certification as a Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) as issued by the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services at time of appointment; or:
3) Possession of a current certification as a Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor – Trainee (CASAC-T) as issued by the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services at time
appointment.

Notes:

1. Verifiable part-time and/or volunteer experience will be pro-rated toward meeting the experience requirements.

2. Your degree and/or college credit must have been awarded by a regionally accredited college or university or one recognized by the New York State Education Department as following acceptable educational practices. A grade of "D" or better is necessary for a course to be credited as successfully completed. If your degree and/or college credit was awarded by an educational institution outside of the United States and its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency. You can write to this Department for a list of acceptable companies providing this service; you must pay the required evaluation fee.

Notice to Candidates: Transcripts will now be accepted by the Department of Personnel ONLY at time of application.
All subsequent transcripts must be submitted at time of interview.

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

Subjects of Examination:

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

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. 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. Principles and practices of social casework

These questions test for knowledge of the principles and practices used to provide casework services. Questions may cover such topics as developmental, mental, physical, and social disabilities and/or impairments; assessing client strengths and needs; building and maintaining relationships with clients and their support network; ability to make and advocate for appropriate service referrals; ability to provide advocacy and support; and professional and ethical concerns in casework practice.

4. 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. 

NOTICE TO CANDIDATES: Unless otherwise noted, candidates are permitted to use quiet, hand held, solar or battery powered calculators. Devices with typewriter keyboards, "Spell Checkers", “Personal Digital Assistants", "Address Books", "Language Translators", "Dictionaries", or any similar devices are prohibited. You may not bring books or other reference materials.

**IMPORTANT APPLICATION FEE - READ CAREFULLY**

A $20.00 filing fee is required for this exam. The required fee must accompany your application. Send or bring check or money order made payable to Erie County Personnel Department and write the examination number(s) on your check or money order. Do not send or bring cash, as the County cannot be responsible for cash payment. As no refund will be made, you are urged to compare your qualifications carefully with the requirements for admission and file only for those examinations for which you are clearly qualified.