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Behavior support specialist vs human service specialist

The differences between behavior support specialists and human service specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a behavior support specialist and a human service specialist. Additionally, a human service specialist has an average salary of $49,025, which is higher than the $36,769 average annual salary of a behavior support specialist.

The top three skills for a behavior support specialist include social work, crisis intervention and applied behavior analysis. The most important skills for a human service specialist are mental health, social work, and program eligibility.

Behavior support specialist vs human service specialist overview

Behavior Support SpecialistHuman Service Specialist
Yearly salary$36,769$49,025
Hourly rate$17.68$23.57
Growth rate12%12%
Number of jobs140,749124,752
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 62%Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age4343
Years of experience1212

What does a behavior support specialist do?

Behavior support specialists are social work professionals who provide support to other therapists in treating individuals with behavioral issues. These specialists must provide behavior analysis and health consultations to individuals who are diagnosed with development delay issues, disabilities, and autism spectrum disorders. They must develop and monitor crisis intervention plans for patients with mental health and behavioral needs. Behavior support specialists must also work with special education and regular teachers to implement behavior intervention strategies for students with special education needs.

What does a human service specialist do?

Human services specialists provide a range of social services with the purpose of improving the quality of life of people they serve. They can work for organizations, including housing associations, mental health facilities, rehabilitation centers, residential care homes, and food banks. Most of their duties involve interacting with people and conduct counseling. This job also requires active listening skills to comprehend your clients easily and understand their needs to provide care for people in difficult circumstances.

Behavior support specialist vs human service specialist salary

Behavior support specialists and human service specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Behavior Support SpecialistHuman Service Specialist
Average salary$36,769$49,025
Salary rangeBetween $28,000 And $46,000Between $33,000 And $71,000
Highest paying CitySeattle, WAOakland, CA
Highest paying stateNorth DakotaHawaii
Best paying companyTexasRegeneron
Best paying industryHealth CareGovernment

Differences between behavior support specialist and human service specialist education

There are a few differences between a behavior support specialist and a human service specialist in terms of educational background:

Behavior Support SpecialistHuman Service Specialist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 62%Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common majorPsychologyPsychology
Most common collegeCalifornia State University - Long BeachSUNY at Binghamton

Behavior support specialist vs human service specialist demographics

Here are the differences between behavior support specialists' and human service specialists' demographics:

Behavior Support SpecialistHuman Service Specialist
Average age4343
Gender ratioMale, 35.2% Female, 64.8%Male, 22.5% Female, 77.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 5.9% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1%Black or African American, 15.1% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 6.9% White, 52.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between behavior support specialist and human service specialist duties and responsibilities

Behavior support specialist example responsibilities.

  • Observe patients and strategically prepare and manage clinical analysis of individuals and their progress in conjunction with formulate behavior goals.
  • Establish a positive relationship with parents through IEP meetings and teacher web page.
  • Provide task assessments, implement ABA techniques and record and graph client s progression on a weekly basis.
  • Comply with HIPPA confidentiality regulations.
  • Maintain client confidentiality and follow HIPPA regulations.
  • Collaborate with administration to build PBIS systems handbook for faculty and paraprofessionals.
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Human service specialist example responsibilities.

  • Manage the MSW staff and coordinate all social service and select patient service activities.
  • Establish effective liaisons with community agencies to ensure coordination of services to patients.
  • Developed/Implement a health education/risk reduction program for HIV/AIDS patients engaging in high-risk behaviors.
  • Help clients reach self-sufficiency by referring clients to employment and vocational rehabilitation agencies.
  • Work with employees of local drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers to determine eligibility for inpatients.
  • Assign as a provider enrollment specialist responsible for credentialing and enrolling new medical providers into the Medicaid provider network.
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Behavior support specialist vs human service specialist skills

Common behavior support specialist skills
  • Social Work, 18%
  • Crisis Intervention, 8%
  • Applied Behavior Analysis, 8%
  • Developmental Disabilities, 7%
  • Autism, 6%
  • ABA, 5%
Common human service specialist skills
  • Mental Health, 13%
  • Social Work, 11%
  • Program Eligibility, 6%
  • Medicaid, 5%
  • Social Services, 5%
  • Community Resources, 5%

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