Crisis worker vs case worker

The differences between crisis workers and case workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a crisis worker and a case worker. Additionally, a case worker has an average salary of $41,459, which is higher than the $33,805 average annual salary of a crisis worker.

The top three skills for a crisis worker include patients, social work and mental health crisis. The most important skills for a case worker are social work, crisis intervention, and patients.

Crisis worker vs case worker overview

	Crisis Worker	Case Worker
Yearly salary	$33,805	$41,459
Hourly rate	$16.25	$19.93
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	99,201	107,329
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	45	42
Years of experience	4	4

What does a crisis worker do?

A crisis worker is a mental health professional specializing in providing counseling and support services to individuals under emotional distress often caused by mental and behavioral issues, conducting interventions as needed. They are usually assigned in institutions or medical facilities, sometimes working for crisis hotlines where they must answer phone calls from clients, remain calm and rational during conversations, offer advice, and refer them to other support agencies to prevent them from taking drastic measures. A crisis worker engages with clients of all ages, requiring them to be proactive at all times.

What does a case worker do?

Caseworkers are social workers who watch over the welfare of underprivileged individuals and at-risk families by counseling and providing them with assistance. Usually employed under the government or a local non-profit organization, a caseworker must conduct a thorough interview and house visits to determine the needs of the family. They then refer them to any programs or agencies that can give them the specific care and help needed. Furthermore, it is crucial to identify neglect and abuse signs, reporting them to the authorities right away.

Crisis worker vs case worker salary

Crisis workers and case workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Crisis Worker	Case Worker
Average salary	$33,805	$41,459
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $49,000	Between $30,000 And $55,000
Highest paying City	Portland, ME	New York, NY
Highest paying state	New York	New Jersey
Best paying company	Northwestern Medicine	Appalachian Regional Healthcare
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Education

Differences between crisis worker and case worker education

There are a few differences between a crisis worker and a case worker in terms of educational background:

	Crisis Worker	Case Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	University of Pennsylvania

Crisis worker vs case worker demographics

Here are the differences between crisis workers' and case workers' demographics:

	Crisis Worker	Case Worker
Average age	45	42
Gender ratio	Male, 25.4% Female, 74.6%	Male, 26.8% Female, 73.2%
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, 13.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage	15%	10%

Differences between crisis worker and case worker duties and responsibilities

Crisis worker example responsibilities.

Find placements for patients needing inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations, and provide community referrals to those requiring lower levels of care.
Conduct psychiatric screenings in hospital settings to determine if patients meet the criteria for involuntary/voluntary commitment as mandated by state laws.
Coordinate care with community providers for follow up if patient are discharged, prepare documentation for admission to inpatient psychiatry unit.
Complete MDS assessments to determine mood and cognitive functioning, relaying information to interdisciplinary team and families.

Case worker example responsibilities.

Establish collaborative relationships with patients within a supportive atmosphere to assist in confronting drug relate behavior and achieving sobriety.
Review and research leads regarding personal injury cases by obtaining information from the Medicaid recipient's attorney and insurance adjuster
File, close and maintain records in either physical case file or on ETO.
Train new employees and assign tasks in driving and all responsibilities in DCS documentations.
Provide weekly face to face updates to youth and telephonic updates to family members/sponsor with documentation find in ETO.
Facilitate DCS court order supervised visitation during the reunification process.

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Crisis worker vs case worker skills

Common crisis worker skills

Patients, 21%
Social Work, 18%
Mental Health Crisis, 5%
Compassion, 5%
CPR, 3%
Rehabilitation, 3%

Common case worker skills

Social Work, 20%
Crisis Intervention, 8%
Patients, 7%
Substance Abuse, 6%
Community Resources, 6%
Child Abuse, 5%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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