Case planner vs service counselor

The differences between case planners and service counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a case planner and a service counselor. Additionally, a case planner has an average salary of $43,496, which is higher than the $35,402 average annual salary of a service counselor.

The top three skills for a case planner include social work, foster care and NYC. The most important skills for a service counselor are social work, crisis intervention, and patients.

Case planner vs service counselor overview

	Case Planner	Service Counselor
Yearly salary	$43,496	$35,402
Hourly rate	$20.91	$17.02
Growth rate	12%	12%
Number of jobs	36,065	44,284
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	12	12

What does a case planner do?

Case planners are social workers who provide assistance to children and their families to improve their social and psychological functioning as well as maximize the well-being of families. These planners are required to design service plans that address the safety, behavioral, education, and permanency needs of families and adolescents. They must identify potential child abuse and report any suspected abuses to the appropriate authorities. Case planners must also facilitate counseling to domestic violence victims and assist families in obtaining protection orders from victim service nonprofit organizations.

What does a service counselor do?

Service counselors provide guidance to couples, individuals, groups, and families who are going through issues that influence their well-being and mental health. They comprehensively approach their clients by utilizing a "wellness" model that focuses on and motivate the client's potentials. Their duties include inspiring clients to talk about their emotions and experiences, helping them determine their action plans and goals, as well as designing therapeutic methods. Also, they may refer their clients to other services or psychologists.

Case planner vs service counselor salary

Case planners and service counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Case Planner	Service Counselor
Average salary	$43,496	$35,402
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $57,000	Between $24,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	Islandia, NY	Urban Honolulu, HI
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Hawaii
Best paying company	The New York Foundling	Google
Best paying industry	Professional	Education

Differences between case planner and service counselor education

There are a few differences between a case planner and a service counselor in terms of educational background:

	Case Planner	Service Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	SUNY at Binghamton

Case planner vs service counselor demographics

Here are the differences between case planners' and service counselors' demographics:

	Case Planner	Service Counselor
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 19.2% Female, 80.8%	Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 25.9% Asian, 6.1% White, 48.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%	Black or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 7.1% White, 54.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between case planner and service counselor duties and responsibilities

Case planner example responsibilities.

Manage a caseload of families with children in DSS custody awaiting return home to family of origin base upon progress make.
Keep current on Medicaid rates/services they will reimburse for Medicaid recipients.
Sign patients up for all Medicare and Medicaid benefits that are offer to them.
Perform concurrent review to assure appropriateness of admission, inpatient/acute care, rehabilitation/SNF status, and discharge using establish InterQual guidelines.
Make referrals to home care and/or DME vendors using Medicare/Medicaid criteria/eligibility.

Service counselor example responsibilities.

Develop contracting strategy to build capacity and achieve ongoing compliance with Medicare and Medicaid provider network adequacy requirements.
Implement patient financial services department to assist patients and family members to ensure successful patient representation and expeditious benefit recovery.
Examine injured persons and administer first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, if necessary, using training and medical supplies and equipment.

Case planner vs service counselor skills

Common case planner skills

Social Work, 18%
Foster Care, 16%
NYC, 5%
Substance Abuse, 5%
Crisis Intervention, 5%
NYS, 4%

Common service counselor skills

Social Work, 16%
Crisis Intervention, 9%
Patients, 7%
Support Services, 6%
Social Services, 6%
Rehabilitation, 6%

Case Planner vs. similar jobs

Case Planner related careers

Case Planner related jobs

What similar roles do

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse community and social services jobs

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z