"Alerted.org

NY HELP Yes

Agency Mental Health, Office of

Title Legal Assistant 1/Legal Assistant Trainee (NY HELPS), Central Office;

Occupational Category Legal

Salary Grade 14

Bargaining Unit ASU - Administrative Services Unit (CSEA)

Salary Range From $47695 to $56506 Annually

Employment Type Full-Time

Appointment Type Permanent

Jurisdictional Class Competitive Class

Travel Percentage 0%

Workweek Mon-Fri

Hours Per Week 37.5

Workday

From 9 AM

To 5 PM

Flextime allowed? No

Mandatory overtime? No

Compressed workweek allowed? No

Telecommuting allowed? Yes

County Albany

Street Address NYS Office of Mental Health

44 Holland Avenue

City Albany

State NY

Zip Code 12229

Duties Description The Office of Mental Health (OMH) is recruiting to fill the position of Legal Assistant 1, Grade 14/Legal Assistant Trainee, NS, in the Office of Counsel, which administers legal advice and support for OMH’s Central Office, 23 facilities, and 2 research facilities located statewide. The Legal Assistant 1/Trainee will provide paralegal assistance to the General Counsel and other legal staff within the Office. Specific duties to be performed include, but are not limited to, the following: For the General Counsel: open files, file email and documents, assist with matters requiring General Counsel approval, respond to calls and email, and perform legal research. Institute legal holds in eDiscovery. Assist with responses to discovery requests. Search files and email for responsive matters.Assist with responding to Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests by performing duties which include, but are not limited to the following: • Update and maintain database and excel spreadsheet of agency's FOIL requests. • Create correspondence-based forms that comply with FOIL. • Send out initial 5 day letters in response to FOIL requests. • Learn appropriate legal requirements and laws in order to respond to FOIL requests.Assist with National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) and SAFE Act matters which include, but are not limited to, the following: • Processing “Certificate of Relief from Disabilities Relating to Firearms” applications in accordance with applicable regulations, including updating electronic log and paper files, and reviewing and scanning applications. • Sending letters pertaining to application requirements and responding to inquiries in writing. • Screening telephone inquiries and responding or referring to office attorney as appropriate. • Handling all email correspondence pertaining to the application for the certificate of relief and forwarding other emails to the appropriate individual. • Learning appropriate legal requirements and laws in order to respond to questions.Assist with promulgation of policies and regulations. Evaluate, analyze, review, and revise drafts of regulations in compliance with requirements of relevant Executive Orders and the State Administrative Procedures Act. Once new or amended regulations are published, act as a resource for regulated entities with questions or concerns. Evaluate, analyze, review and revise drafts of policies, procedures and standards. Administer a system of internal and external reviews to facilitate effective development and revision of such policies. Coordinate the maintenance of the OMH Official Policy Manual.Conduct legal research from a variety of traditional and electronic sources for attorney review. Review legal cases relating to mental health issues.Assist in drafting legal documents, including orders, affidavits, pleadings, and correspondence for both administrative and judicial matters.Maintain, oversee, track, and organize litigation and hearing files.Assist in the finalization and distribution of real property disposition documents.

Minimum Qualifications Non-Competitive Minimum Qualifications Under the NY HELPS Program: This position includes an opportunity to serve in a traineeship and applicants will be appointed to the appropriate level based on their education and/or experience. Legal Assistant Trainee 1 (starting salary $47,695): - high school or high school equivalency diploma AND one year of clerical, administrative, or paraprofessional experience OR - an associate degree (or higher) in any field, where the degree was granted from a regionally accredited college or university, or one approved by the American Bar Association (ABA).Legal Assistant 1 (starting salary $56,506): - two years of full-time experience as a Paralegal/Legal Assistant* OR - an associate degree (or higher) in paralegal/legal assistant/legal studies program or a certificate in a paralegal/legal assistant/legal studies program where the degree was granted from a regionally accredited college or university, or one approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) OR - an associate degree in any field where the degree was granted from a regionally accredited college or university, or one approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) AND one year of experience as a Paralegal/Legal Assistant* OR - graduation from an accredited (ABA approved) law school with a degree required for NYS Bar will be accepted as meeting the educational and experience requirements for this title.*A Paralegal/Legal Assistant is defined as someone who applies knowledge of the law and legal procedures in rendering direct assistance to lawyers, clients, and courts; prepares and interprets legal documents and forms; researches, compiles, and uses information from legal materials to provide both written and verbal comments on their findings; and analyzes and handles routine procedural problems independently with minimal attorney oversight.Examples of non-qualifying experience: receptionist, records clerk, bookkeeper, office manager.Transfer Opportunity:Candidates must have one year of permanent competitive or 55b/c service as a Legal Assistant 1, G-14, and be eligible for lateral transfer; OR be eligible to transfer via Section 70.1 of the Civil Service Law to the Legal Assistant 1 title; OR be eligible to transfer via Section 70.1 of the Civil Service Law into the trainee levels (Legal Assistant Trainee 1 or 2). 55b/c Opportunity: Individuals certified eligible for the 55b/c program under the Governor’s Program to Hire Persons/Veterans with Disabilities pursuant to Section 55b/c of the Civil Service Law who meet any of the minimum qualifications listed above may apply. Please provide a copy of your eligibility letter with your response.

Additional Comments The starting salary for this position will vary based on the selected candidate’s education and/or experience. Candidates appointed at a trainee level will be required to successfully complete the traineeship to advance to the full performance level title and salary:$47,695 (Legal Assistant Trainee 1)$53,413 (Legal Assistant Trainee 2)$56,506 (Legal Assistant 1, full performance level)For current New York State employees, the starting salary is based on the candidate’s salary at the time of hire.Specific scheduled hours and telecommuting availability for this position will be discussed during the interview process. Please note, employees are required to apply and obtain approval through management to telecommute according to operational needs and Agency Telecommuting Program Guidelines.This position may be designated 55 b/c and is subject to verification of applicant eligibility.The Mission of the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) is to promote the mental health of all New Yorkers, with a focus on providing hope and supporting recovery for adults with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbances. Applicants with lived mental health experience are encouraged to apply. OMH is deeply committed to supporting underserved individuals, organizations and communities. To this end, OMH is focused on implementing activities and initiatives to reduce disparities in access, quality, and treatment outcomes for underserved populations. A critical component of these efforts is ensuring OMH is a diverse and inclusive workplace where the unique attributes and skills of all employees are valued and utilized to support the mission of the Agency. OMH is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS). For the duration of NY HELPS, this title maybe 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, it is expected that 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.

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

Name Nicole Landry

Telephone

Fax (518) 486-3897

Email Address [email protected]

Address

Street NYS Office of Mental Health

44 Holland Avenue

City Albany

State NY

Zip Code 12229

Notes on Applying To be considered, interested candidates should email a cover letter and resume as an attachment in Microsoft Word or PDF format to [email protected]. Please include the title of the position and Vacancy ID #201364 in the subject line of your email when applying. You are advised that, should you accept a job offer with the Office of Mental Health, you may be required to be fingerprinted and pay a fingerprint fee.