Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Assistant (NY HELPS), Box OSEA-299/43841

The New York State Education Department’s (NYSED) Office of Special Education and ACCES (OSEA) is seeking a candidate for a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Assistant position in the Brooklyn VR District Office. This Office provides vocational rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities, who are interested in becoming employed or retaining their current employment. Duties of this position include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Conduct intake interviews, review eligibility for financial assistance, and monitor training records;
• Verify employment, which may require site visits to rehabilitation facilities, schools, and training centers;
• Authorize necessary medical diagnostic examinations;
• Prepare financial and statistical records and reports;
• Prepare routine correspondence to consumers and their families, vendors and other agencies concerning consumer status and progress; and
• Schedule transportation, interpreters, readers, and independent living services for disabled consumers.

Minimum Qualifications

Ny Helps

This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS).

For the duration of the NY HELPS Program, this title may be filled via a non-competitive appointment, which means no examination is required but all candidates must meet the minimum qualifications of the title for which they apply. At a future date (within one year of permanent appointment), it is expected employees hired under NY HELPS will have their non-competitive employment status converted to competitive status, without having to compete in an examination. Employees will then be afforded with all of the same rights and privileges of competitive class employees of New York State. While serving permanently in a NY HELPS title, employees may take part in any promotion examination for which they are qualified.

Non-Competitive Minimum Qualifications:

To be considered for appointment through NY HELPS, or 55 b/c, candidates must meet the open-competitive minimum qualifications for this position. The qualifications are:

• Three (3) years of experience either providing direct services beyond routine personal care or supervision to physically, mentally, or learning-disabled adults or adolescents in a rehabilitation program or facility; or providing paraprofessional support to counselor staff in a rehabilitation program or facility; or providing vocational or educational services to adults or adolescents with physical, mental, or learning disabilities in the areas of assessment, counseling, job coaching, guidance, placement, or job development.
• An associate degree may substitute for two (2) years of experience; a bachelor's degree may substitute for four (4) years of experience.

Promotional Transitional Qualifications: Current NYSED employees must have:

• One year of competitive service at grade 6 or higher

Competitive Minimum Qualifications:

Reassignment: Candidates must have one year of permanent competitive or 55b/c service as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Assistant.

Section 70.1 Transfer: Candidates must have one year of permanent competitive or 55b/c service in a title SG-11 or above deemed eligible for transfer under Section 70.1 of the Civil Service Law.

For information regarding the transfer options of your current title, please visit the Civil Service Career Mobility Office Website. https://careermobilityoffice.cs.ny.gov/cmo/gotit/title-search/index.cfm.

55b/c Appointment: This position is eligible for 55b/c designation and is subject to verification of applicant eligibility. Candidates must possess a current 55b/c eligibility letter and the following minimum qualifications:

• Three (3) years of experience either providing direct services beyond routine personal care or supervision to physically, mentally, or learning-disabled adults or adolescents in a rehabilitation program or facility; or providing paraprofessional support to counselor staff in a rehabilitation program or facility; or providing vocational or educational services to adults or adolescents with physical, mental, or learning disabilities in the areas of assessment, counseling, job coaching, guidance, placement, or job development.
• An associate degree may substitute for two (2) years of experience; a bachelor's degree may substitute for four (4) years of experience.

*For experience to be considered qualifying, the primary responsibilities of a position must have involved professional or paraprofessional duties in one of the following areas:

Either

A. providing direct services beyond routine personal care or supervision to physically, mentally, or learning-disabled adults or adolescents in a rehabilitation program or facility. (Qualifying examples include casework, counseling, daily living skills training, benefit advisement, or peer mentoring. Clerical duties such as answering the telephone or scheduling appointments are NOT considered qualifying experience); OR

B. providing vocational or educational services to adults or adolescents with physical, mental, or learning disabilities in the areas of assessment, counseling, job coaching, guidance, placement, or job development.