Clinical externship vs behavioral health specialist

The differences between clinical externships and behavioral 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 a clinical externship and a behavioral health specialist. Additionally, a behavioral health specialist has an average salary of $44,808, which is higher than the $35,831 average annual salary of a clinical externship.

The top three skills for a clinical externship include patients, mental health and patient care. The most important skills for a behavioral health specialist are patients, social work, and substance abuse.

Clinical externship vs behavioral health specialist overview

	Clinical Externship	Behavioral Health Specialist
Yearly salary	$35,831	$44,808
Hourly rate	$17.23	$21.54
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	63,061	130,222
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	4	4

What does a clinical externship do?

A clinical externship is a short medical student program directly mentored by professionals within their chosen career path in healthcare. Clinical externs work in various settings such as hospitals, a doctor's office, or clinics and work directly with patients to apply the knowledge and skills they acquired in the classroom. They will be graded and must pass the program to be able to graduate from medical school. Externs must request a letter of recommendation from their site supervisor when applying for jobs.

What does a behavioral health specialist do?

Typically working for clinics and learning institutions, a behavioral health specialist is in charge of counseling and treating patients with behavioral issues. Their responsibilities revolve around conducting initial assessment through interview and observation, maintaining records and data, developing treatment plans, and referring patients to other support services when necessary. Moreover, a behavioral health specialist must communicate with the patient's families or guardians, discuss conditions, and provide advice on taking care of them. Aside from treating patients, it is also essential to continuously monitor their behavior while building positive relationships with them.

Clinical externship vs behavioral health specialist salary

Clinical externships and behavioral health specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Clinical Externship	Behavioral Health Specialist
Average salary	$35,831	$44,808
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $51,000	Between $29,000 And $66,000
Highest paying City	Alameda, CA	Anchorage, AK
Highest paying state	California	Alaska
Best paying company	Genentech	Maxim Healthcare Group
Best paying industry	Education	Insurance

Differences between clinical externship and behavioral health specialist education

There are a few differences between a clinical externship and a behavioral health specialist in terms of educational background:

	Clinical Externship	Behavioral Health Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Clinical externship vs behavioral health specialist demographics

Here are the differences between clinical externships' and behavioral health specialists' demographics:

	Clinical Externship	Behavioral Health Specialist
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 25.8% Female, 74.2%	Male, 29.2% Female, 70.8%
Race ratio	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%	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	15%	15%

Differences between clinical externship and behavioral health specialist duties and responsibilities

Clinical externship example responsibilities.

Set up and manage new medical transcription department.
Manage large scale TMF inventory/file cleanup projects in preparation for FDA and EMA inspections.
Manage difficult or emotional patient situations, with compassion and professionalism.
Participate in multiple studies managing CTM activities for various therapeutic areas simultaneously including oncology, urology, transplant, and immunology.
Monitor EKG's, assess blood pressure, palpate heart rates, safely progress patients in exercise.
Perform manual data entry in CTMS, TMF, CRF imaging and various departmental databases.

Behavioral health specialist example responsibilities.

Provide individualize intervention for problematic behaviors using TCI techniques such as de-escalation, to prevent and/or manage crisis.
Complete training in CPR, self-defense, and mental health.
Monitor meals for residents suffering from eating disorders and provide compassion and encouragement when an individual are struggling with eating.
Work with kids who have special needs.
Ensure departments are in compliance with MSHA and OSHA regulations.
Provide daily and weekly detail reports on client and BHP interaction.

Clinical externship vs behavioral health specialist skills

Common clinical externship skills

Patients, 32%
Mental Health, 7%
Patient Care, 5%
Crisis Intervention, 4%
Vital Signs, 4%
Substance Abuse, 4%

Common behavioral health specialist skills

Patients, 16%
Social Work, 16%
Substance Abuse, 8%
Rehabilitation, 6%
Patient Care, 6%
Mental Illness, 5%

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Clinical Externship
Clinical Externship vs Behavioral Health Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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