Probation Officer I Trainee

PROBATION OFFICER I (TRAINEE) (OC)

NYS #60019670 RC/EL #25139010

Examination to be held June 28, 2025; Last filing date May 29, 2025

A $15 non-refundable application filing fee is required. Please refer to Supplement A for further information regarding the application/examination process.

Applications are available at: https://www.rocklandcountyny.gov/departments/personnel/for-job-seekers/applicant-candidate-resources-forms

1. If applying online, completed applications and electronic payment must be submitted by 11:59 PM EST on the last filing date.

2. If applying by mail, completed applications must be postmarked no later than the last filing date accompanied by a check or money order made payable to the Rockland County Commissioner of Finance. POSITION EXISTS IN: Rockland County Probation Department. RESIDENCE REQUIREMENTS: Candidates must be legal residents of the States of New York, New Jersey or Connecticut at the time of application submission for the examination. SALARY: The starting salary is $39.11 per hour for a 35-hour workweek with the County of Rockland. Salary will be pro-rated for less than full-time positions.

WHAT THE JOB IS LIKE: This is a one (1) year traineeship used to appoint individuals to an entry-level Probation Officer I and/or Probation Officer I (Spanish-Speaking) position in a probation department responsible for the care of adults and juveniles subject to probation supervision or intake services which require them to meet certain standards of conduct. A Probation Officer I (Trainee) is responsible for participating in a continuous in-service training program regarding the investigative, supervision, counseling and coaching duties and responsibilities of a Probation Officer I, and under close and ongoing supervision of a higher-level probation administrator, performs such duties and exercises such responsibilities in a limited nature. A Probation Officer I (Trainee) is a Peace Officer pursuant to Criminal Procedure Law Section 2.10 and may be authorized to carry a firearm in the performance of his/her duties. Does related work as required. When completing the application, your description of experience must specify the dates of your employment, the number of hours worked per week, your title, and the main duties for each. Be specific; vagueness will not be resolved in your favor. Candidates who submit incomplete applications or documentation may be disqualified.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: At the time of application submission, you must have: A Bachelor’s degree or higher that included or was supplemented by at least thirty (30) credits in the Social or Behavioral Sciences.

NOTES: 1. Social science includes areas of study concerned with humans living in relation to other humans in a social environment such as anthropology, criminal justice, economics, geography, history, political science, psychology and sociology. 2. Behavioral science is a subset of social science characterized by observation of the behavior of living organisms and focused on human social behavior such as psychology, sociology, anthropology, counseling, criminal justice, gerontology, human behavior, social work/social welfare and vocational rehabilitation.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

1. Possession of a current driver’s license or the ability to otherwise meet the transportation requirements of the position.

2. When authorized by the Director of Probation III to carry or use a firearm in the performance of official Probation Officer Trainee duties, must, prior to carry or using such firearm, complete firearms training in accordance with Criminal Procedure Law (2.30) (3) and in a program approved by the Municipal Police Training Council (MPTC).

3. Completion of required course in fundamentals of probation practice, given by or approved through the New York State Division of Probation and Correctional Alternatives within one (1) year of appointment. 4. Completion of Peace Officer certification training in a program approved by the New York State Municipal Police Training Council within one (1) year of appointment. 5. New York State residency must be maintained for the duration of employment in this title. 6. For Probation Officer I Traineeship (with language parenthetical – i.e. Spanish-Speaking): When considered for appointment a candidate must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the other language at the level deemed appropriate for the department. The language proficiency of the permanent appointees will be further evaluated during the post appointment probationary period.

TRANSCRIPTS: If using college credits to qualify, official college transcripts must be sent directly from the educational institution to the Rockland County Department of Personnel at rcexams@co.rockland.ny.us no later than two (2) months after the last filing date; student transcripts are not acceptable.

Failure to comply with the deadlines set herein may result in the disapproval of your application and/or disqualification from a resulting list of eligible candidates. Your college degree and/or college credit must have been awarded by a college or university accredited by a regional, national, or specialized agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education/U.S. Secretary of Education. If your degree and/or college credit was awarded by an educational institution outside the United States and its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency. Candidates are responsible for any required evaluation fees.

General Information Concerning Evaluation of Foreign Education and Training, including a list of acceptable companies who provide this service, is available here: https://rocklandcountyny.gov/departments/personnel/applicant-candidate-resources-forms

ANTICIPATED ELIGIBILITY - AGE AND EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS: According to Civil Service Law, section 54 which became effective September 4, 2024, applicants who are within 12 months of meeting the minimum age or attaining the minimum educational requirements following the date of examination, may take the civil service exam, but will be restricted from certification until such a time that the minimum age or educational requirements are met. Candidates will be required to provide proof of qualifying age and/or education within 12 months of exam date in order to be eligible for appointment from a certified list.

ALL OUTSTANDING APPLICATION DOCUMENTATION: Must be submitted to the Rockland County Department of Personnel no later than two (2) weeks prior to the exam date. Failure to comply with the deadlines set herein may result in the disapproval of your application; disqualification from sitting for the examination; and/or disqualification from a resulting list of eligible candidates. These deadlines are subject to change by the Rockland County Department of Personnel upon notice to a candidate.

SUBJECT OF WRITTEN EXAMINATION: 1. Advising and Interacting with Others – These questions test for the ability to interact with other people in order to gather and present information and to provide assistance and advice in a courteous and professional manner. 2. Preparing Written Material – These questions test for the ability to write the kinds of reports and correspondence required in criminal justice settings such as probation and parole. Some questions test for the ability to present information clearly and accurately. Others test for the ability to organize paragraphs logically and comprehensibly. 3. Evaluating Conclusions in Light of Known Facts – These questions will consist of a set of facts and a conclusion. You must decide if the conclusion is proved by the facts, disproved by the facts or if the facts are not sufficient to prove or disprove the conclusion. The questions will not be specific to a particular field. 4. Applying Written Information – These questions evaluate a candidate's ability to read, interpret and apply rules, regulations, directives, written narratives and other related material. You will be required to read a set of information and to appropriately apply the information to situations in various settings. All information needed to answer the questions is contained in the rules, regulations, etc. which are cited.

USE OF CALCULATORS IS RECOMMENDED FOR THIS EXAMINATION TEST GUIDE: A Guide for the Written Test for Probation is available at the New York State website: https://www.cs.ny.gov/testing/testguides.cfm or the Rockland County Department of Personnel website: https://rocklandcountyny.gov/departments/personnel/applicant-candidate-resources-forms

If you do not have access to the internet, you may contact the Rockland County Department of Personnel to request a copy at (845) 364-3737 or RCEXAMS@co.rockland.ny.us.

Civil Service is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer