Position Information

NY HELPYes

AgencyPeople With Developmental Disabilities, Office for

Title Habilitation Specialist 1

Occupational CategoryHealth Care, Human/Social Services

Salary Grade14

Bargaining UnitPS&T - Professional, Scientific, and Technical (PEF)

Salary RangeFrom $57764 to $72630 Annually

Employment Type Full-Time

Appointment Type Permanent

Jurisdictional Class Competitive Class

Travel Percentage 0%

Schedule

Workweek Mon-Fri

Hours Per Week 40

Workday

From 8 AM

To 4:30 PM

Flextime allowed? No

Mandatory overtime? No

Compressed workweek allowed? No

Telecommuting allowed? No

Location

County Queens

Street Address 80-45 Winchester Boulevard Building 80 (CATH Day Hab)

Hillside Complex

City Queens Village

StateNY

Zip Code11427

Job Specifics

Duties Description Instructs and supports individuals in developing and/or enhancing life skills necessary to live more independently in home and community settings; and develops, implements, and modifies habilitation plans to help individuals achieve their valued outcomes.

• Collaborates with individuals, family members, advocates, care managers, and service providers to determine strategies for service delivery (e.g., skill acquisition/retention, staff supports, and/or exploration of new experiences); and attends Life Plan meetings to assess the effectiveness of habilitation plans and services and establish objectives.
• Assesses individuals’ skill levels in relation to their valued outcomes and identifies appropriate methods to teach and assist individuals in acquiring, improving, and maintaining life skills.
• Communicates with treatment team members and gathers information to plan and/or modify services to meet individuals’ needs.
• Implements appropriate safeguards and protective oversight measures to ensure the health and welfare of individuals while participating in programs and services.
• Monitors, records, and measures individuals’ progress in reaching their goals, including accomplishments and challenges; and modifies habilitation plans to ensure continual progress, prevent regression, and meet individuals’ needs.
• Schedules, transports, and assists individuals in participating in community.
• Provide services in a classroom and alternate community settings with developmentally disabled adults to promote basic learning and self-help skills, as well as communication and prevocational skills.
• Facilitate programming, community inclusion and meaningful activities to support Day Hab. Staff Action Plans.
• Provide and oversee services at the day program and alternate community locations.
• Assist with development, revision, and implementation of Day Habilitation Staff Action Plans
• Ensure completion and quality review of monthly notes to document progress toward goals.
• Coordinate with the interdisciplinary residential team to develop/review/revise Safeguard Summary Plans.
• Provide direct care staff with ongoing training and support regarding goal implementation, documentation, safeguard summary plan.
• Schedule and attend annual and semi-annual Life Plan meetings, and special meetings as needed.
• Establish working relationships with Care Managers, clinicians, residential programs to ensure Life Plan
meetings are conducted and services are coordinated.
•Follow up on billing discrepancies, prepare documents for audits and claims reviews.
•Caseload may change based on operational need.
• Conduct on-site reviews of documentation to monitor billing compliance.
• Additional responsibilities as assigned by supervisor.
• Travel required.

Under the supervision of the Treatment Team Leader and the Day Program Supervisor, the incumbent will independently perform the following duties:

• On a daily basis, implement and execute Provider Assigned Habilitative Goals that were identified in the Life Plan
• Attend all annual and semi-annual Life-Plan meetings for approximately 15-25 individuals in the Day Hab.
• Review all Life Plans for completeness and accuracy as detailed in the Life Plan meeting. Any discrepancies, weekly due diligence must be adhered to and seek assistance from the Life Plan Gate Keeper when needed.
• Develop Day Habilitation Plans/ Staff Action Plans for each individual based upon valued outcomes identified in the Life Plan. Ensure Gate Keeping form and Staff Action Plan Checklist are completed.
• Submit all Staff Action Plans to TTL for approval then to the Care Manager within 60 days of the Life Plan Meeting Date
• Review Staff Action Plans at least twice annually in conjunction with the Life Plan and revised as frequently as necessary based upon the Individual’s needs.
• Will ensure all Day Hab. Plans Staff Action plans, Service Checklists are completed in the required time frame.
• Ensure Monthly Service Checklists are available at the beginning of each month
• Upload accurate documents into EHR and appropriately secure and file hard copies of required documentation.
• Write monthly summary notes detailing all services, support and individual’s response to services.
• Provide training to DSA Day Hab. staff on all Day Hab. Staff Action Plans
•Will attend and participate in all mandatory in-servicing and staff meetings.
• Will be up to date on all mandatory training.
• Trains and monitors direct care staff in implementation of day program goals: and may provide a full range of supervisory duties over direct care staff.
• Reviews and maintains data sheets and required documentation in accordance with ICF regulations
• Will ensure all data collection sheets are available at the beginning of the month
• Update goal plans as needed
• Prepare and implement structured program plans.
• Prepare and implement recreational calendars
• Complete quarterly assessments
• Participate in daily rounds.

(CATH UNIT)

The New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) Comprehensive Adult Transitional Home (CATH) program model provides intensive residential and day habilitation services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) discharging from campus-based and institutionalized settings. The CATHs are designed primarily to serve young adults transitioning from residential schools into OPWDD adult residential programs, however, may also serve individuals with high acuity needs, whose clinical presentation would be best met by the comprehensive treatment provided by the CATH.
The CATH is designed to provide acute, time-limited treatment to help the individual meet the behavioral and/or psychiatric stabilization needed for placement in community-based setting, which includes fading of the intensive supports and restrictive elements employed in the previous setting. The current CATH model provides targeted intervention and person-centered treatment for individuals who have completed their educational goals and aged out of their NYS Education Department (NYSED) program. The CATH model for Bernard Fineson follows the Department of Health regulations/ federal regulations as an Intermediate Care Facility (ICF).
The CATH day program provides therapeutic services with a focus on individual goals and planning, activities of daily living (ADL) skills and abilities, creativity-based activities, mindfulness work, behavioral activation stabilization, healthy relationships, and in-depth therapeutic activities

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nys-office-for-people-with-developmental-disabilities/posts/?feedView=all

#LI-MG1

Minimum Qualifications Competitive:
Candidates must be reachable for appointment on the current Civil Service Eligible List for this title.

Open Competitive Qualifications:
A Bachelor’s or higher-level degree in a human services field*

*For the purpose of these qualifications, a degree in a human service field includes the professional disciplines of audiology, community mental health, nursing, nutrition, occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychology, rehabilitation counseling, vocational counseling, social work, speech/language pathology and therapeutic recreation (including concentrations in art, creative art, dance, drama, music, or physical education.) Also included are related academic disciplines associated with the study of human behavior (e.g., gerontology, human services, sociology, speech communication); or human skills development (e.g., counseling/guidance, education, human development.) Examples of non-qualifying degrees include but are not limited to: criminal justice, political science, liberal arts, and business.

Transfer: Candidates must have one year of permanent competitive or 55-b/c status in the posted title and be eligible for lateral transfer; OR be eligible to transfer via Section 70.1, 70.4, or 52.6 of Civil Service Law. The transfer cannot be a second consecutive transfer resulting in an advancement of more than two salary grades.

To determine if your current Civil Service title is eligible for transfer to this title, visit the Career Mobility GOT-IT website: https://careermobilityoffice.cs.ny.gov/cmo/gotit/index.cfm.

Additional Comments This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS). HELPS Program titles may be filled via a non-competitive appointment. This means that you do not need to take an exam to qualify, but you do need to meet the minimum qualifications of the title.

At a future date (within one year of permanent appointment), employees hired under NY HELPS are expected to have their permanent non-competitive employment status converted to permanent competitive status. You will not have to take an exam to gain permanent competitive status.

• Please note that starting salary for this title reflects the Downstate adjustment. Posted Hiring Salary includes the sum of the statutory hiring rate for Grade 14 ($53,764) and Downstate Adjustment ($4,000). Downstate Adjustment is added to the job rate ($68,630).

• If you are currently a New York State employee serving in a permanent competitive qualifying title and eligible for a transfer via Section 70.1 of the Civil Service Law, you may be appointed to this title as a permanent competitive employee.

• The assignment of PS&T employees will be made in accordance with any agreed upon Memorandum of Understanding between PEF and the local DDSO regarding the posting of job vacancies.

• Preference will be given to OPWDD employees impacted by closures. If you are being impacted by closure, please indicate this on your resume.

• All OPWDD employees must be eligible and maintain eligibility for full and unconditional participation in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Continued employment will depend on maintaining eligibility.

• If you are employed by state government you may be able to receive loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF). The PSLF Program forgives the remaining balance on Direct Loans after 120 qualifying monthly payments have been made under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time for a qualifying employer. For more information on PSLF, please visit www.studentAid.gov/publicservice.

• Employees on long term leave can bid on positions but must be able to report to work within fourteen (14) days and be able to perform the essential functions of their positions with or without reasonable accommodation (RA).

• If an employee or job applicant believes that they need a reasonable accommodation, they should contact the Reasonable Accommodation Unit at (518) 486-7222 or email accommodationrequests@opwdd.ny.gov to obtain information and RA forms.

• Savings programs such as the U.S. Savings Bond and the College Savings Plan.

• Voluntary pre-tax savings programs such as Health Care Spending Account and the Dependent Care Advantage Account offer employees options to pay for uncovered health care expenses or dependent care expenses.

• Access to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) an assessment and referral service that connects employees with local service providers and support services to address their personal needs.

• Life insurance and Disability insurance.

• The New York State Deferred Compensation Plan is a voluntary retirement plan that offers employees the option to invest a part of their salaries for retirement on a tax-deferred basis.

• Paid Holidays and Leave:
° Thirteen (13) paid holidays each year.
° Thirteen (13) days of paid vacation leave initially.
° Five (5) days paid personal leave each year.
° Thirteen (13) days of paid sick leave each year (PEF/CSEA), which may carry over from year to year.
° Up to three (3) days professional leave each year to participate in professional development events.

• Health Care Coverage:
Employees and their eligible dependents can choose from a variety of affordable health insurance programs. Employees are provided family dental and vision plans at no extra cost.

• Paid Parental Leave:
Paid Parental Leave allows eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of paid leave at full pay for each qualifying event. A qualifying event is defined as the birth of a child or placement of a child for adoption or foster care.

• Retirement Program:
Participate in The NYS Employees’ Retirement System (ERS), which is recognized as one of the best-managed and best-funded public retirement systems in the nation.

• Professional Development and Education and Training:
NYS offers training programs and tuition assistance to eligible employees to maintain and increase their professional skills and prepare them for promotional opportunities. For more information, please visit https://oer.ny.gov/training-and-professional-development.

• Additionally, the Public Service Workshops Program (PSWP) offers certain professional training opportunities for PEF represented and M/C designated employees that may grant continuing education credits towards maintaining professional licensure. For more information, please visit https://oer.ny.gov/public-service-workshops-program-pswp.

OPWDD is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer dedicated to creating and sustaining a culture of inclusion. We believe that we are most effective in managing and improving our service system with a diverse team of employees. With such a large workforce, we rely on the collective individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, self-expression, ideas and talent that our employees bring to their work. This speaks to our culture and is a key part of our successes. As we continuously recruit people for our team, we welcome the unique contributions that applicants bring in terms of their education, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, color, religion, disability, sexual orientation and beliefs.

***All people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.***

Some positions may require additional credentials or a background check to verify your identity.

How to Apply

Name Bernard Fineson DDSO Human Resources Office

Telephone 718-217-5110

Fax 718-264-3436

Email Address BernardFineson.Careers@opwdd.ny.gov

Address

Street 80-45 Winchester Boulevard Building 80

Hillside Complex

City Queens Village

State NY

Zip Code 11427

 

Notes on ApplyingPlease reference the above EOA# 2026-25 Posting Number and Title with resume in all correspondence.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE: Submit cover letter and résumé by 4/2/2026_to:
Bernard Fineson DDSO
Human Resources Office
Email to: BernardFineson.Careers@opwdd.ny.gov
OR Fax number: 718-264-3436