Residence Requirements:

THIS EXAMINATION IS OPEN TO ALL QUALIFIED EMPLOYEES OF THE ERIE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES.  At present there are two anticipated vacancies at the Erie County Department of Social Services. 

The eligible list resulting from this examination will not supersede currently existing promotional eligible lists for this title, if any. The duration of all promotional eligible lists is four years from date of establishment unless otherwise indicated.

Examples of Duties:

A Social Services Clinical Specialist  is responsible for providing specialized diagnostic assessment in complex cases and in the investigation, diagnosis, assessment and formulation of treatment plans for children and families; 

Formulates the criteria and standards for clinical diagnosis and treatment of children and families for department approval and implementation;

Assesses needs, develops diagnoses and formulates treatment plans in cases of special difficulty and complexity and with high risk to the child;

Provides clinical treatment for a small specialized caseload; Evaluates the need for and coordinates the implementation of specialized medical, psychological and other professional consultative services;

Assists in developing standards and methods for treatment planning and assessment of risk; Conducts specialized clinical instruction sessions;

May provide in-service training and consultation in treatment planning methods for social services;

Keeps abreast of current concepts and methods relating to children and family services, especially treatment models and methods;

May be the designated liaison with other community agencies or professional and support groups;

Prepares reports and maintains required records, documents and correspondence;

May supervise staff in the administration of a full social services program for families, children and/or adults.

Qualifications:

QUALIFYING EXPERIENCE FOR TAKING THE TEST: Candidates must be permanently employed in the competitive class and must be serving and have served continuously on a permanent or contingent permanent basis in the competitive class for 12 months immediately preceding the date of the written test in the position of Senior Child Protection Worker or Senior Caseworker and in addition the following and special requirements:

Graduation from a regionally accredited or New York State registered college or university with a Master's degree in Social Work and three (3) years of experience* providing social casework services to children and families in a public or private agency adhering to acceptable standards in social work.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: 1. Eligibility for a New York State Driver's License at the time of application. Possession of the license and use of a private automobile required at time of appointment and throughout period of employment. 2. Section 424-a of the Social Services Law requires the local social services district to inquire of whether the applicant is the subject of an indicated report of child abuse or maltreatment on file with the State Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment. 3. All potential employees for this position will be requested to sign the necessary clearance form prior to being advised that they will be hired. Refusal to sign will be cause for an automatic non-selection.

Notes:

NOTE 1.*Acceptable experience should include the following: a. Responsibility for making diagnostic assessments of individual and family situations;  b. Determining or participating in the determination of case pathology or risk; c. Formulating treatment plans; and d. Implementing treatment services such as individual counseling, group therapy, or child play therapy. Such experience must have been acquired in practice settings such as psychiatric clinics serving children and families, child guidance clinics, or social agencies operated under the mandates of the New York State Department of Social Services, or certified by the Child Welfare League of America or Family Service Society, Inc.; 2. Verifiable part-time and/or volunteer experience will be pro-rated toward meeting full-time experience requirements. 3. 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. Caring for children with special needs

These questions test for knowledge and understanding of children who have chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional conditions. Questions may cover such topics as care and treatment of children with special needs; managing and interacting with children with special needs; causes, symptoms, and effects of disabilities in children; normal behavior and behavioral problems; programs and support services for children with special needs; helping families adjust to living with and supporting a child with special needs; and providing for the safety, health, and personal growth of children with special needs.

2. Child development

These questions test for knowledge and understanding of child development. Questions may cover such topics as psychological, social, and biological influences on a child's personality; family socialization; parent-child relationships; self-concept; normal and abnormal behavior; causes of problem behavior; influence of peers; educational and recreational activities; and the role of social interaction on cognitive development.

3. Fundamentals of child care

These questions test for basic knowledge and understanding of the principles and practices of providing proper care to children. Questions may cover such topics as care, safety, nutrition, health, growth, and behavior of young children; parenting skills and resources that are available to help parents; and programs that promote the healthy development of children.

4. 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.

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.

INFORMATION FOR PROMOTION CANDIDATES

Unless otherwise indicated, the eligible list resulting from this examination will have a duration of four years and will not supersede existing promotional lists, if any.

RATINGS REQUIRED:  Test is rated on a scale of 100 with a passing mark at 70.  Test instructions may further divide the tests into parts and set minimum standards for each part.

Points will be added to scores of candidates who achieve a passing mark as follows: Seniority:  For each year of service in the classified service:

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………………………..................…5 points

VETERANS:  Disabled and non-disabled veterans as defined in Section 85, New York State Civil Service Law, will have 5 and 2.5 points, respectively added to their earned scores if successful in the examination.  You must claim these credits when you file application but you have an option to waive them any time prior to appointment.  If you have already used these credits for a permanent position in NYS, you may not claim them again.

**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.