Residence Requirements:

RESIDENCE REQUIREMENTS:  CANDIDATES MUST HAVE BEEN LEGAL RESIDENTS OF ERIE COUNTY OR AN ERIE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT* FOR AT LEAST ONE MONTH IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE DATE OF THE WRITTEN TEST AND MUST BE LEGAL RESIDENTS OF ERIE COUNTY OR AN ERIE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT* AT THE TIME OF APPOINTMENT. Preference may be given to successful candidates who have been residents of the municipality in which the appointment is to be made for one month preceding the date of the certification of the eligible list and who are residents of the municipality at the time of appointment.  Non-residents may be required to become a resident of the appointing municipality if local law so states.  * Candidates who reside in a school district which, for civil service purposes is administered by the Erie County Personnel Commissioner, but who are not legal residents of Erie County may apply for examination.  However they will be certified for appointment only in the school district in which they are legal residents.  At present there is one vacant position at Erie 1 BOCES.

Salaries vary among municipalities and districts.

Examples of Duties:

A Transition Coordinator evaluates, plans and implements strategies for the transition from school to career and adult lifestyle opportunities for disabled young adults (ages 12-25); plans and provides informational sessions for school district staff and families of participants; ensures individualized transition planning is conducted for each participant and monitors implementation; assists participants and families in connecting to appropriate community agencies and supports; provides interim services until community resources can be identified and obtained; acts as liaison between families, schools, and service providers; participates in case conferencing regarding individual participation; maintains records and completes reports for submission; attends local, regional, and State meetings on applicable program topics; develops and maintains expertise on current transition practices and trends.

Qualifications:

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

 Graduation from a regionally accredited or New York State registered four year college or university with a Bachelor’s Degree in  Special Education, Nursing, or a Human Services* field (see Note 1), and three years of experience as a teacher of the disabled or as a provider of treatment or case management services for the disabled and their families.

Notes:

NOTES: 1. *Human Services field is defined as a course of study designed to prepare individuals to enhance and increase the well-being of our society and the individuals it comprises while clearly focusing on giving the student the knowledge and capacity to deal with people in need of support services. It includes the helping professions which for purposes of definition include those involved in social work; childcare; mental health; mental retardation; early childhood education; working with the elderly or terminally ill or individuals having learning disabilities. 2. 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 theUnited 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.

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. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

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.