Exam Bulletin - Community Program Specialist III

Department of Developmental Services - Headquarters

Exam Code: EX-2520

Examination Plans Included:

  • COMMUNITY PROGRAM SPECIALIST III - Open

Final Filing Date: Applications are accepted on a continuous basis.

Classification Details

COMMUNITY PROGRAM SPECIALIST III: $6,760.00 - $8,398.00 per Month

View the COMMUNITY PROGRAM SPECIALIST III classification specification.

Application Instructions

Applications are accepted on a continuous basis.

Who Should Apply:

The information below will help you determine which classification(s) is(are) appropriate for you. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications as stated on this bulletin to compete in this examination.

Open and Open, Non-Promotional Examination(s):

  • COMMUNITY PROGRAM SPECIALIST III - Open

For all Classifications, once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 6 months:

Exam Code(s):

    2520

For COMMUNITY PROGRAM SPECIALIST III, once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 6 months:

Exam Code(s):

  • EX-02520

How To Apply:

Submit an Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) to apply for this examination.

Electronic applications can be submitted through your account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov.

You may apply by mail to:

  • Department of Developmental Services - Headquarters
    Department of Developmental Services
    Examination Unit-DR
    1215 O Street, MS 10-40
    Sacramento, CA 95814

Indicate the Examination Code and Classification(s) on your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678).

You may drop off your application and any applicable or required documents at:

  • Department of Developmental Services
    Examination Unit-DR
    1215 O Street, MS 10-40
    Sacramento, CA 95814
    8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Indicate the Examination Code and Classification(s) on your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678). All applicants must provide proof of identification. Accepted forms of identification are: 1) a photo identification card or 2) two forms of signed identification.

The following items must be submitted with your Examination/Employment Application form. Failure to submit these items may result in rejection of your application.

  • Transcript (Official or Unofficial)

Special Testing Arrangements:

If you require assistance or alternative testing arrangements due to a disability, indicate on your application that you need reasonable accommodation. You will be contacted by a representative of the testing department to make the necessary arrangements. If you have not been contacted by the time you receive notification of testing, please contact the testing department listed in the Contact section of this bulletin.

If you are unable to submit your application or complete the test due to a disability, please contact the testing department listed in the Contact section of this bulletin.

Minimum Qualifications

All applicants must meet the education and/or experience requirements as stated on this exam bulletin to be accepted to the examination.

Unless otherwise stated in the Minimum Qualifications, qualifying experience may be combined on a proportionate basis if the requirements stated below include more than one pattern and are distinguished as "Either" 1, "or" 2, "or" 3, etc. For example, applicants possessing qualifying experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern 1 and additional experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern 2 may be accepted to an examination as meeting 100% of the overall experience requirement.

00108362 - COMMUNITY PROGRAM SPECIALIST III

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

The following education requirement applies only to the non-California state service experience patterns of all four levels.

Education: Equivalent to graduation from college. (Supervisory or administrative experience in the field of developmental disabilities may be substituted for the required education on a year for-year basis.)

Either I One year of experience in the California state service performing the duties of the class of Community Program Specialist II.

Or II Two years of experience in the California state service performing the duties of the class of Community Program Specialist I.

Or III One year of experience in the California state service performing budget, personnel, or administrative analysis duties in a class with a level of responsibility equivalent to that of Associate Budget Analyst.

Or IV Three years of experience performing analytical staff work in the field of developmental/mental disabilities including such areas as direct client care programming, program planning, budget analysis, personnel management, or administrative analysis. All of this experience must have included responsibility for defining problems, analyzing facts, and preparing recommendations for action with supporting material.

(Possession of a Master's Degree in Public Administration, or a closely related field, may be substituted for one year of the required experience under Pattern IV.)

Applicants must submit a copy of their unofficial college transcripts along with the application when using education to meet the minimum qualifications for this examination. All foreign transcripts MUST be accompanied by a third-party academic credential evaluation.

OUT-OF-CLASS EXPERIENCE: Applicant must submit copies of Out-Of-Class documentation approved by HR Office. Experience must be dated within one year of assignment completion, to use as out-of-class experience to meet the minimum qualifications for examination purposes. Employees may obtain this documentation from his/her management. Out-of-class experience without required documentation will not be considered for examination purposes

Position Description

00108362 - COMMUNITY PROGRAM SPECIALIST III

This is the working supervisory level in the series. Incumbents are typically working supervisors over a small group of Specialists I/II, and are responsible for a major element of the work. They (1) develop policy and procedures for resolving program and administrative problems; (2) develop and implement procedures for data gathering and interpretation; (3) monitor and evaluate administrative and program activities and liaison with all regional centers and service providers within an assigned geographical area; (4) consult with service providers and community groups regarding program development issues; and (5) facilitate movement of persons from the State developmental centers to the community.

Incumbents may personally perform the most complex and difficult duties within the program.

Department of Developmental Services which includes, Headquarters (Sacramento), Sacramento County, Solano County, Orange County, Riverside County, Tulare County, and Porterville Developmental Center.

Examination Information

This examination consists of the following component(s):

Component OrderComponent TypeComponent DuePercentage of Final Score
1Supplemental ReportWith Application100%

Components that are due with your application will be scored and will count toward your final examination result. Failure to submit these items may result in disqualification or elimination from the examination.

A final score of 70% must be attained to be placed on the eligible list.

Complete and submit the following items with your application. These will be scored and count toward your final examination result. Failure to submit these items will result in disqualification from the examination.

In addition to evaluating the applicant's relative knowledge, skill and ability as demonstrated by quality and breadth of education/experience, emphasis in each test component will be on measuring competitively, relative to job demands, each applicant's:

KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES

A. Knowledge of:

1. The principles and practices of public administration, budgetary preparation and control.
2. Processes of community and group interaction in developmental disabilities planning procedures.
3. Trends in developmental disabilities, public health, and public welfare
4. Governmental accounting procedures.
5. Techniques, trends, and problems in the operation of public and private agencies providing services for the developmentally disabled.
6. Programs and trends in service delivery for persons with special developmental needs in California.
7. Laws and regulations governing developmental disabilities programs partially or totally funded by the State or Federal Government.
8. Laws and regulations relating to the Medi-Cal and Medicare Programs and developmental center treatment program organization.
9. Principles of public personnel administration and supervision, departmental and State affirmative action and upward mobility goals and policies.
10.Department’s Equal Employment Opportunity Program objectives.
11.A manager’s role in the Equal Employment Opportunity Program and the processes available to meet equal employment opportunity objectives.

B. Ability to:

1.Supervise and train subordinate staff.
2.Effectively contribute to the Department’s Equal Employment Opportunity objectives.

Eligible List Information

A Departmental Open eligible list for the COMMUNITY PROGRAM SPECIALIST III Classification will be established for:

  • Department of Developmental Services - Headquarters

The names of successful competitors will be merged onto the eligible list(s) in order of final score regardless of test date. Eligibility expires 12 months after it is established. Applicants must then retake the examination to reestablish eligibility.

Resulting Eligibility List(s) will be used to fill vacancies in

  • Orange County
  • Riverside County
  • Sacramento County
  • Solano County
  • Tulare County

Veterans' Preference will be granted for this examination. Veterans' Preference is an assistance program for veterans, veteran widows and widowers, and spouses of 100% disabled veterans who seek employment with the state. Veterans' Preference is also extended to currently serving military members nearing their retirement or separation date.

You are not eligible for Veteran's Preference if you are:

  • A veteran who has been dishonorably discharged or released.
  • A veteran, widow or widower of a veteran, or spouse of a 100 percent disabled veteran who currently has permanent civil service status. (Permanent civil service status is the status of an employee who is lawfully retained in his/her position after completion of the applicable probationary period. This does not include limited term).

Veterans' Preference is codified in Government Code Sections 18973 – 18979.

Veteran status is verified by the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR). Directions to apply for Veterans' Preference are on the Veterans' Preference Application (Std. Form 1093), which is available at www.CalCareers.ca.gov, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Career Credits are not granted for examination(s) administered on an Open basis or a Promotional basis.

Testing Departments

  • Department of Developmental Services - Headquarters

Contact Information

Questions regarding this examination should be directed to:

Department of Developmental Services - Headquarters
Examination Unit-DR
Department of Developmental Services
1215 O Street, MS 10-40
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 651-8333
examhelpdesk@dds.ca.gov

California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice). TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

Drug Free Statement

It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free State work place. Any applicant for State employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective, because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing civil service, and the special trust placed in public servants.

General Information

Examination and/or Employment Application (STD 678) forms are available at the California Department of Human Resources, local offices of the Employment Development Department, and through your CalCareer Account (www.CalCareers.ca.gov).

If you meet the requirements stated on this examination bulletin, you may take this examination, which is competitive. Possession of the entrance requirements does not assure a place on the eligible list. Your performance in the examination described in this bulletin will be rated against a predetermined job-related rating, and all applicants who pass will be ranked according to their scores.

Department of Developmental Services - Headquarters reserves the right to revise the examination plan to better meet the needs of the service, if the circumstances under which this examination was planned change. Such revision will be in accordance with civil service laws and rules and all applicants will be notified.

General Qualifications: Applicants must possess essential personal qualifications including integrity, initiative, dependability, good judgment, the ability to work cooperatively with others, and a state of health consistent with the ability to perform the assigned duties of the class. A medical examination may be required. In open examinations, investigation may be made of employment records and personal history and fingerprinting may be required.

Eligible Lists: Eligible lists established by competitive examination, regardless of date, must be used in the following order: 1) sub-divisional promotional, 2) departmental promotional, 3) multi-departmental promotional, 4) service-wide promotional, 5) departmental open, 6) open. When there are two lists of the same kind, the older must be used first. Eligible lists will expire in one to four years unless otherwise stated on the bulletin.

High School Equivalence: Equivalence to completion of the 12th grade may be demonstrated in any one of the following ways: 1) passing the General Education Development (GED) Test; 2) completion of 12 semester units of college-level work; 3) certification from the State Department of Education, a local school board, or high school authorities that the competitor is considered to have education equivalent to graduation from high school; or 4) for clerical and accounting classes, substitution of business college work in place of high school on a year-for-year basis.

Accepted applicants must provide proof of identification at each in-person test session. Acceptable identification consists of a photo identification card or two forms of signed identification.

Application Methods:
Electronic (Your CalCareer Account)
By Mail
In Person (see bulletin for details)
Alternate Application Process

While we recommend that you utilize your CalCareer Account to take advantage of all the tools available, you may choose to apply for this examination without using your account. In this case, print and complete the Exam Application Package Checklist and include it if you submit a hard copy application.

Exam Application Package Checklist

Blank Application Form (STD678)

Accommodation Request (STD679)