Community advocate vs crisis counselor

The differences between community advocates and crisis counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a community advocate, becoming a crisis counselor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a crisis counselor has an average salary of $51,142, which is higher than the $35,900 average annual salary of a community advocate.

The top three skills for a community advocate include community resources, community outreach and crisis intervention. The most important skills for a crisis counselor are social work, patients, and mental health crisis.

Community advocate vs crisis counselor overview

	Community Advocate	Crisis Counselor
Yearly salary	$35,900	$51,142
Hourly rate	$17.26	$24.59
Growth rate	12%	12%
Number of jobs	36,520	76,255
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	43	41
Years of experience	12	4

What does a community advocate do?

The task of a community advocate is to provide advocacy and lobby for change or development within neighborhoods. Community advocates collaborate with a certain population like battered women or the deaf affected by environmental contamination. The advocates guide and assist on the hotline to make sure that every individual gets necessary guidance, safety plans, and resources. They provide crisis intervention or management with shelter residents. Also, they ensure confidentiality and legal compliance integrity based on corporate policy.

What does a crisis counselor do?

A crisis counselor is responsible for providing assistance and emotional support to clients under crises or mental health emergencies caused by stress, trauma, grief, and other factors. Most crisis counselors work at clinics or counseling centers, and there are instances where they can be at schools and organizations. Aside from diagnosing and providing specific treatments, a crisis counselor must also build rapport with clients, helping them feel comfortable every step of the way, and serving as a positive influence in their journey to recovery.

Community advocate vs crisis counselor salary

Community advocates and crisis counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Community Advocate	Crisis Counselor
Average salary	$35,900	$51,142
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $43,000	Between $37,000 And $69,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	-
Highest paying state	New York	-
Best paying company	Boston Medical Center	-
Best paying industry	Professional	-

Differences between community advocate and crisis counselor education

There are a few differences between a community advocate and a crisis counselor in terms of educational background:

	Community Advocate	Crisis Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	SUNY at Binghamton	California State University - Long Beach

Community advocate vs crisis counselor demographics

Here are the differences between community advocates' and crisis counselors' demographics:

	Community Advocate	Crisis Counselor
Average age	43	41
Gender ratio	Male, 25.8% Female, 74.2%	Male, 22.9% Female, 77.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.4% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 24.6% Asian, 5.9% White, 49.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%	Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	11%	15%

Differences between community advocate and crisis counselor duties and responsibilities

Community advocate example responsibilities.

Manage social media communication including Facebook, Pinterest, and blog.
Provide ongoing case management and resource coordinator for individuals with special needs or developmental delays receiving DDA funding.
Provide services to WIC clients to promote establish goals and to reinforce positive results.
Assist the families with applying for Medicaid, food assistance, FIP, WIC, low income housing etc.
Authorize and monitor CCAD services to ensure that the consumer receives the services as authorized and their needs are being meet.

Crisis counselor example responsibilities.

Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Conduct mental health evaluations and behavioral health crisis assessments for determination of functioning and mental status of patients.
Provide education to patients about relevant aspects of mental illness and/or chemical dependency to support maximum utilization of treatment.
Train to use CPI, MOAB, and CPR as needed.
Aid callers/chatters suffering from various life crises by use of strong listening skills, empathy, and compassion.
Make patient referrals to outpatient medical clinics, community services, or rehabilitation facilities.

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Community advocate vs crisis counselor skills

Common community advocate skills

Community Resources, 12%
Community Outreach, 9%
Crisis Intervention, 9%
Safety Planning, 7%
Social Work, 6%
Data Entry, 6%

Common crisis counselor skills

Social Work, 21%
Patients, 8%
Mental Health Crisis, 6%
Social Services, 5%
Crisis Management, 4%
Suicide Prevention, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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