NEW YORK STATE Department of Civil Service announces Continuous Recruitment Examination Open to All Qualified Individuals

APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED CONTINUOUSLY
TESTS ADMINISTERED PERIODICALLY

Examination No. and Title	Salary Grade
20-487 MENTAL HEALTH THERAPY AIDE TRAINEE	Equated to G-7
20-488 MENTAL HEALTH THERAPY AIDE TRAINEE (Spanish Language)	Equated to G-7
Beginning Salary	Effective Date
$23,587	Current
$24,236	4/1/05
$24,963	4/1/06
$25,763	4/1/05

Appointees who work in the five boroughs of New York City, or in Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, or Westchester Counties, will receive an additional $1,230 annual downstate adjustment (to increase to $1,264, effective April 1, 2005; and $1,302, effective April 1, 2006).

Appointees who work in Dutchess, Orange, or Putnam Counties will receive an additional $615 annual Mid-Hudson adjustment (to increase to $632, effective April 1, 2005; and $651, effective April 1, 2006).

THE POSITIONS: These positions are located throughout the State in facilities and community-based programs of the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH). The lists established as a result of the examination for Mental Health Therapy Aide Trainee will also be used to fill any language parenthetic positions, other than Spanish Language, that currently exist or are established during the life of the list.

As a Mental Health Therapy Aide Trainee, you would participate in a 12-month traineeship. At the successful conclusion of your traineeship, you would advance without further examination to Salary Grade 9 (beginning salary $27,933, effective April 1, 2006; and $28,733, effective April 1, 2007).

DUTIES: As a Mental Health Therapy Aide Trainee, you would provide personal care, treatment and rehabilitation to individuals diagnosed with mental illness who live in an institutional or community-based setting. Under supervision, you would groom, feed, and wash individuals who are unable to take care of themselves. You would help individuals to participate in games and recreational programs; coach and encourage individuals to develop daily living skills; and provide a clean, safe and comfortable environment. You would work with other staff to develop, carry out and record care plans and, in accordance with special instructions, you may administer medication. These positions may be physically demanding. You would need to be prepared to act to insure the health and safety of patients in emergency situations.

HOW TO QUALIFY: You must be able to read, write and speak English and must be able to follow both written and spoken instructions. There will be a written test administered in English only which you must pass. You must be in good health and good physical condition; able to do such things as stand, bend, stretch and lift bedridden and/or incapacitated individuals.

NOTES:

1. The minimum length of service in these traineeships is four weeks.
2. The same test is used to test candidates for Mental Health Therapy Aide Trainee and Developmental Aide Trainee positions. A candidate cannot be tested more than once during the same test form period. Each test form period runs from May 15 through April 30 of the following year. If you take the test more than once during the same test form period, you will not receive a score for the second test.
3. Transition examinations Nos. 10-012 and 10-013, Mental Health Therapy Aide Trainee, are also offered for employees of the Office of Mental Health. Contact your personnel office for the appropriate application form.
4. If you receive a passing score on the written test, your name will be placed on the eligible list for OMH facilities in the geographic area where you took the exam. You may also request to have your score transferred to the open competitive list used by OMH facilities in other geographic areas. (See page 2 for a complete listing of geographic areas.) In addition, you may request to have your score transferred to the open-competitive list for Developmental Aide Trainee used by Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD) facilities. Instructions on how to have your score transferred will appear on your written test score notice.
5. If you are considered for appointment to a language parenthetic position, you will be required to demonstrate proficiency in that language. Proficiency must be at a level which will permit you to perform the duties of the positions satisfactorily.
6. You may have to pass a medical examination before you can be appointed.
7. Fingerprinting will be required at the time of appointment. You may be required to pay the processing fee.

SUBJECT OF EXAMINATION: There will be a written test which you must pass in order to be considered for appointment. The written test is designed to test for knowledge, skills and/or abilities in such areas as:

1. Dealing with daily situations in an OMH/OMRDD setting – These questions test for the ability to apply common sense in dealing with daily situations encountered by Aides in OMH and OMRDD. No specific knowledge or training is needed to answer these questions.
2. Observing and recording situations of daily living – These questions test for the ability to accurately observe and record situations of daily living. Candidates will be given a brief description of a situation of daily living, followed by a number of sentences. Candidates must indicate whether or not the sentences factually and accurately describe the situation presented.
3. Understanding and applying written instructional material – These questions test for the ability to understand and apply written instructional material. Each question has two parts. The first part presents a short piece of instructional information. The second part describes a related situation. For each question, candidates must pick the one best answer, based on the instructional material and the situation presented.
4. Arithmetic for daily living – These questions test for the ability to use basic arithmetic in daily living situations encountered by Aides in OMH and OMRDD. The situations involve the application of simple addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division, as well as interpreting information from simple tables, to answer the problems presented.

Your final score must be 70 or higher in order to pass. Rank on the eligible list will be determined after adding any wartime veterans’ and Civil Service Law Section 85-a credits to your final passing score.

INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES

HOW TO APPLY: There is no fee to take this exam. On the attached application form XD-91A specify the number(s) and title(s) of the examination(s) you wish to take. Indicate the geographic area(s) where you would like to take the examination. All statements made on the application are subject to investigation. You may be asked to provide additional information and/or documentation to support statements made on the application. MAIL THE APPLICATION TO: CENTRAL RECRUITMENT UNIT/EXAMS, OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH, 44 HOLLAND AVENUE, ALBANY, NY 12229. Please note: if you are a current Office of Mental Health employee, you must file the application for transition exam No. 10-012 or 10-013. For additional applications for the Western New York and Central New York Regions, call 1-800-550-2863, or for the Capital District, Hudson River and Long Island Regions, call 1 800 550 2903, or for the New York City Region call 1-800-551-0675.

The attached form XD-91A is an examination application, it is not a job application. You will not receive any notice of the receipt of your application. When a test has been scheduled in your area of geographic preference, an admission notice, detailing where and when the exam will be held, will be mailed to you approximately two weeks prior to the exam date.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS IN TESTING: It is the policy of the Department of Civil Service, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, to provide qualified persons with disabilities equal employment opportunity and equal opportunity to participate in and receive the benefits, services, programs, and activities of the Department. It is the policy of the Department to provide such persons reasonable accommodations and reasonable modifications as are necessary to enjoy equal opportunity. Persons with disabilities who require an accommodation to participate in an examination must note this on their application XD-91A.

CONTINUOUS RECRUITMENT/ELIGIBLE LISTS: Candidates who meet the qualifications and pass this examination will have their names placed on the eligible list in the order of final scores, regardless of the date on which they filed or took the test. Generally, the names of qualified candidates will remain on the eligible list for two years. Appeal of ratings will not be allowed as the opportunity for retest exists. The Department of Civil Service reserves the right to terminate this special recruitment program.

S1/TB3 DMC-dmb
Reissued: 1/05