CORRECTION COUNSELOR TRAINEE POSTS OFFERED

Starting Pay Is $34,260; Need College Degree; Applications Must Be Submitted By Aug. 27

The state Civil Service Department is accepting applications for an exam leading to Correction Counselor Trainee I jobs.

Applications must be postmarked by Aug. 27. The written test is scheduled for Sept. 29. The starting salary is $34,260. Individuals assigned to work in the five boroughs or in Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, or Westchester Counties will receive an additional $1,302 annual downstate adjustment.

Job Criteria

To qualify, by the date of the written test candidates must have a bachelor's degree in correctional studies, counseling, criminal justice, human services, psychology, social sciences, social work, or sociology.

Trainees will enter a two-year instruction program, leading to the Correction Counselor title, which pays $47,556. Individuals who have work-related experience beyond the minimum qualifications or a master's degree in the field may be appointed to the Trainee II level or the higher title.

Group work oriented toward behavior modification in areas such as self-improvement or tobacco cessation is not considered qualifying experience, nor is crisis intervention or case management. Appropriate part-time experience will be accepted on a pro-rated basis.

The positions exist in the Department of Correctional Services. There is a $35 filing fee.

What Trainees Do

Correction Counselor Trainees evaluate and investigate inmates' program participation. Trainees also provide counseling relative to personal, social, institutional, and behavioral issues. In addition, they apply casework techniques in recommending individuals for educational and vocational programs, counseling treatment programs, work assignments, and overall coordination of rehabilitative programs.

The written exam will test candidates' abilities to prepare written material. The test will also gauge applicants' knowledge of principles and practices of correction counseling, as well as inmate group counseling. The passing score is 70 percent.

State residency is not required. Individuals who expect to meet the educational requirement by Dec. 31 can take the written test, but will not be considered for appointment until they complete their studies.

Persons who speak Spanish are particularly urged to apply. All the positions exist in the Department of Correctional Services.

Further information can be obtained online at www.cs.state.ny.us under the job-seekers section and the employment opportunities with New York State link. Individuals can also call 518-457-2487 for details about this job and other opportunities.