Crisis worker vs mental health specialist

The differences between crisis workers and mental 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 crisis worker and a mental health specialist. Additionally, a mental health specialist has an average salary of $47,321, 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 mental health specialist are patients, social work, and rehabilitation.

Crisis worker vs mental health specialist overview

	Crisis Worker	Mental Health Specialist
Yearly salary	$33,805	$47,321
Hourly rate	$16.25	$22.75
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	99,201	131,449
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	45	45
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 mental health specialist do?

A mental health specialist is responsible for evaluating a patient's mental health condition and develop appropriate treatment plans to help the patients cope up with their mental difficulties. Mental health specialists provide counseling to the patients, listening to their situation, and responding with the utmost consideration. They also create regular progress reports and medical charts to monitor ongoing medication, updating treatment plans as needed. A mental health specialist must have excellent communication and organization skills, helping the patients deal with their mental stress and return to a healthy lifestyle.

Crisis worker vs mental health specialist salary

Crisis workers and mental health specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Crisis Worker	Mental Health Specialist
Average salary	$33,805	$47,321
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $49,000	Between $31,000 And $71,000
Highest paying City	Portland, ME	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New York	California
Best paying company	Northwestern Medicine	Research Foundation For Mental Hygiene Inc
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Government

Differences between crisis worker and mental health specialist education

There are a few differences between a crisis worker and a mental health specialist in terms of educational background:

	Crisis Worker	Mental Health Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Crisis worker vs mental health specialist demographics

Here are the differences between crisis workers' and mental health specialists' demographics:

	Crisis Worker	Mental Health Specialist
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 25.4% Female, 74.6%	Male, 32.9% Female, 67.1%
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 crisis worker and mental health specialist 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.

Mental health specialist example responsibilities.

Provide individualize intervention for problematic behaviors using TCI techniques such as de-escalation, to prevent and/or manage crisis.
Assist and encourage patients with ADL's including feeding, ambulating, and hygiene to promote patient care.
Utilize rehabilitation principles to support individuals, families and communities in developing effective strategies to improve client mental health functioning.
Provide psychological care to patients in an in-patient psych unit, including facilitating group activities, crisis intervention, implementing therapeutic approaches
Meet physical requirements to complete SAMA and CPR training.
Provide kindness and compassion to the deceased and their families.

Crisis worker vs mental health specialist skills

Common crisis worker skills

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

Common mental health specialist skills

Patients, 19%
Social Work, 11%
Rehabilitation, 6%
Mental Health, 5%
CPR, 5%
Vital Signs, 4%

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Community and Social Services Industry
Crisis Worker
Crisis Worker vs Mental Health Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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