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What is a community support specialist and how to become one
A community support specialist is responsible for supporting the citizens of a community by creating and providing programs for members that need public assistance. You may be involved with people with mental illnesses. Therefore, you are expected to maintain proper client and program participant records and ensure they are well-organized and contain current information. You are also responsible for evaluating all new member registration on the community site and accompanying clients to medical appointments and community activities when required to ensure their needs are properly met. Apart from this, you'll need to follow up on appointments, community activities, and forms to ensure they are completed correctly.
You need a bachelor's degree in psychology, social work, or criminal justice and at least one year of experience in a public assistance program to be considered for this job. You should have efficient organizational and time-management skills and excellent communication skills. Your average annual salary will be $29,746.
What general advice would you give to a community support specialist?
Aubrey Daniels Ph.D.
Acting Assistant Professor, Rider University
Other ways to gain more experience is by partaking in a variety of training, online webinars, and conferences. There are many free online instructions you can partake in to gain more knowledge about topics of interest, whether it is a specific type of therapeutic approach or more information about a mental health disorder.
Also, be open! You never know which population you enjoy serving most, until you get the most experience possible. Lastly, a more diverse caseload will provide you with a better idea about how to help a wide range of individuals. It will also assist you in learning more about the different ways people view the world, which will widen your view of the world.
Avg. Salary $39,320
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 12%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 1.62%
Asian 7.01%
Black or African American 12.56%
Hispanic or Latino 14.43%
Unknown 4.67%
White 59.71%
Genderfemale 71.21%
male 28.79%
Age - 43American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 43Stress level is very high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is challenging
7 - challenging
Work life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
Community support specialist career paths
Key steps to become a community support specialist
Explore community support specialist education requirements
Start to develop specific community support specialist skills
Skills Percentages Social Work 11.49% Mental Health 9.87% Rehabilitation 9.78% Community Resources 6.23% Independent Living 5.33% Complete relevant community support specialist training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New community support specialists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a community support specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real community support specialist resumes.Research community support specialist duties and responsibilities
- Provide PSR services to clients with mental illness in order to help them achieve the highest standard of living possible.
- Review notes complete by other community support workers to assess progression towards individualize goals for patients on caseload.
- Complete CPR and first aid training.
- Participate in IEP meetings and academic action plans.
Prepare your community support specialist resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your community support specialist resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a community support specialist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable community support specialist resume templates
Build a professional community support specialist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your community support specialist resume.
Apply for community support specialist jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a community support specialist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first community support specialist job
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Average community support specialist salary
The average community support specialist salary in the United States is $39,320 per year or $19 per hour. Community support specialist salaries range between $27,000 and $56,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do community support specialists rate their job?
Community support specialist reviews
To help most people out of their respective concern.
I don't like people perishing, especially the teenagers.
The individual's are entertaining and loving. They do have their moments like any other person but when the individuals are having a good day it shows. They always look for validation from the staff when they are doing a good job. There is always something different to expect everyday. You really have to love what you do because it can be stressful but also rewarding.
The staffing is the least of my favorite. The staff can be lazy and do not can not accept change
Change agent when people are stuck and need support in the process of restoration. One on one and group processing is powerful.
Updated January 8, 2025
