********************Amendment Issued 2-12-2020********************

See below under Scopes / Subjects of examination

Residence Requirements:

CANDIDATES MUST HAVE BEEN LEGAL RESIDENTS OF ERIE COUNTY FOR AT LEAST ONE MONTH IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE DATE OF THE WRITTEN TEST AND MUST BE LEGAL RESIDENTS OF ERIE COUNTY AT THE TIME OF APPOINTMENT. There is one present vacancy at the Erie County Department of Mental Health.

Examples of Duties:

An Assistant Coordinator Adult Single Point of Access and Accountability I providing clinical supports to the County Mental Health Department’s Adult Single Point of Access And Accountability (SPOA); 

Reviews Referral Assessments to the Single Point of Access and Accountability (SPOA) making mental health clinical determinations regarding admission to the SPOA or recommendations for an alternative level of care;

Serves as Department representative with hospital and forensic mental health discharge planning staff regarding the status of pending discharges and ensuring linkage to care coordination/transition management services;

Determines care coordination placement against clinical eligibility criteria and makes recommendations regarding placement at the appropriate level of oversight and care coordination service model with the SPOA; links individuals determined to be ineligible for SPOA services to step down case management services;

Acts as Department liaison with treatment providers, hospital staff, family members, care coordinators/transition managers, and attorneys in support of the delivery of services consistent with an Individualized Service Plans;

Monitors resolution of critical incidents for individuals enrolled in the SPOA;

Prepare case assessment and service planning paperwork and compiles necessary documentation for cases being petitioned to the courts for enrollment to Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT);

Along with the Assistant SPOA Coordinator II is directly involved in data collection and preparation of AOT evaluation reports. Utilizes data to develop Quality Improvement Projects which improve the timeliness, accuracy and efficacy of AOT operations for ECMDH, community stakeholders and recipients of AOT services. Utilizes data and other related information to evaluate trends in AOT appropriateness, access, and related systems level issues;

Develops policies and procedures in support of Single Point of Access and Accountability mental health clinical determinations and operations;

Performs orientations and training sessions to provider agency staff regarding SPOA operations;

Serves as Department liaison to the County Department of Social Services, the Forensic Mental Health Clinic and community providers regarding all operations of the Medication Grant Program;

Provides assistance to Medication Grant Program as needed;

Serves as back up to the Assistant Coordinator Adult SPOA II in his/her absence and performs job duties accordingly.

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 Master’s Degree in Social Work, Psychology, Counseling, or Nursing, and three (3) years of experience in mental health assessment, treatment and /or rehabilitation with at least one (1) year of clinical or clinical administrative experience serving seriously mentally ill adults who are at high risk to self or others as defined in Section 9.60 of New York State Mental Hygiene Law.

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 'General Guide to Written Tests' helpful in preparing for this test. This publication is available on line at:https://www.cs.ny.gov/testing/testguides.cfm.

Subjects of Examination:

Scopes / Subjects of examination: A test designed to evaluate knowledge, skills and /or abilities in the following areas.

********************Amendment Issued 2-12-2020********************

*** DELETE Ensuring effective inter/intra agency communications
These questions test for understanding of techniques for interacting effectively with individuals and agencies, to educate and inform them about topics of concern, to 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 the staff of one's own agency and/or that of other agencies in cooperative efforts of public outreach or service.

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.

*** DELETE Understanding and interpreting written material
These questions test for the ability to understand and interpret written material. You will be presented with brief reading passages and will be asked questions about the passages. You should base your answers to the questions only on what is presented in the passages and not on what you may happen to know about the topic.

***ADD NEW: Principles and practices of social casework

These questions test for knowledge of the principles and practices used to provide casework services to individuals and/or families of all ages, backgrounds, and circumstances. Questions will test for application of this knowledge in various settings and will include such topics as assessment, monitoring and evaluating services, counseling, referrals, and advocacy. 

***ADD NEW:Working with individuals to promote mental health

These questions test for knowledge of characteristics, causes and treatment methods associated with working with individuals who may have mental, developmental, physical, social and substance abuse disorders and/or disabilities. Questions cover such topics as establishing, maintaining and terminating client relationships; recognizing, interpreting, and responding to individual and group behaviors, as well as crisis situations; and facilitating access to essential services such as financial, housing, medical, educational, legal, vocational, and recreational.

***ADD NEW: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.

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.