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The differences between adoption specialists and mental health specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an adoption specialist and a mental health specialist. Additionally, a mental health specialist has an average salary of $47,321, which is higher than the $41,070 average annual salary of an adoption specialist.
The top three skills for an adoption specialist include foster care, social work and adoption process. The most important skills for a mental health specialist are patients, social work, and rehabilitation.
| Adoption Specialist | Mental Health Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $41,070 | $47,321 |
| Hourly rate | $19.75 | $22.75 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 84,209 | 131,449 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Adoption Specialists are responsible for evaluating and arranging both adoptive parents' and child's needs to ensure a good family fit. Their duties include undertaking adoption research on families, completing paperwork requirements, carrying out adoption education for families before and following children's placements at their house, and assisting in post-placement services. They are also responsible for developing adoption plans, act as main family advisors, and organize community resources needed by both adoptive parents and children, such as education, health care, and counseling.
A mental health specialist is responsible for evaluating a patient's mental health condition and develop appropriate treatment plans to help the patients cope up with their mental difficulties. Mental health specialists provide counseling to the patients, listening to their situation, and responding with the utmost consideration. They also create regular progress reports and medical charts to monitor ongoing medication, updating treatment plans as needed. A mental health specialist must have excellent communication and organization skills, helping the patients deal with their mental stress and return to a healthy lifestyle.
Adoption specialists and mental health specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Adoption Specialist | Mental Health Specialist | |
| Average salary | $41,070 | $47,321 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $57,000 | Between $31,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Research Foundation For Mental Hygiene Inc |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between an adoption specialist and a mental health specialist in terms of educational background:
| Adoption Specialist | Mental Health Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Psychology |
| Most common college | SUNY at Albany | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between adoption specialists' and mental health specialists' demographics:
| Adoption Specialist | Mental Health Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 10.6% Female, 89.4% | Male, 32.9% Female, 67.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 3.1% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 15% |