Direct care counselor vs direct care provider

The differences between direct care counselors and direct care providers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a direct care counselor has an average salary of $33,422, which is higher than the $29,470 average annual salary of a direct care provider.

The top three skills for a direct care counselor include crisis intervention, autism and CPR. The most important skills for a direct care provider are CPR, developmental disabilities, and mental health.

Direct care counselor vs direct care provider overview

	Direct Care Counselor	Direct Care Provider
Yearly salary	$33,422	$29,470
Hourly rate	$16.07	$14.17
Growth rate	36%	36%
Number of jobs	123,519	117,168
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	-	-

What does a direct care counselor do?

A direct care counselor provides direct counseling and assistance to the elderly or individuals with disabilities and mental issues. They usually work at rehabilitation centers or care facilities and work together with nurses or caregivers to administer different treatment plans, monitor and support the patients' progress, and help the patients carry out daily activities such as performing hygienic or routine living tasks. Moreover, a direct care counselor may also develop and implement various healthcare programs and recreational activities while adhering to the facility's policies and regulations.

What does a direct care provider do?

A Direct Care Worker specializes in providing care and assistance to patients, typically to the elderly. Their responsibilities include preparing and feeding meals, administering medication and other treatments, and monitoring their conditions, updating the physician or the patients' families regularly. They must also assist patients in various hygienic tasks such as bathing, dressing, brushing teeth, or going to the toilet. There are instances when Direct Care Workers must perform various household tasks such as laundry, washing the dishes, shopping for groceries, and running errands as needed.

Direct care counselor vs direct care provider salary

Direct care counselors and direct care providers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Direct Care Counselor	Direct Care Provider
Average salary	$33,422	$29,470
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $49,000	Between $20,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City	-	Olympia, WA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Washington State University
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between direct care counselor and direct care provider education

There are a few differences between a direct care counselor and a direct care provider in terms of educational background:

	Direct Care Counselor	Direct Care Provider
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	-	-

Direct care counselor vs direct care provider demographics

Here are the differences between direct care counselors' and direct care providers' demographics:

	Direct Care Counselor	Direct Care Provider
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 31.5% Female, 68.5%	Male, 23.6% Female, 76.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 8.3% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 7.8% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between direct care counselor and direct care provider duties and responsibilities

Direct care counselor example responsibilities.

Obtain SCIP-R, CPR, and AMAP certifications.
Provide training to residents in improving ADL and independent living skills per the IHP and any/all relate behavior or medical requirements.
Obtain AMAP certification and administer medications under the supervision of assign nursing staff.
Provide direct care assistance for campers with autism, intellectual disabilities, and/or developmental delays.
Perform one-on-one supervision of children with disabilities including autism, complex mental health problems, and complex behavioral problems.
Help develop and carry-out treatment goals for individual clients as outlined in treatment plans and/or ISP goals and objectives.

Direct care provider example responsibilities.

Require certification in MANDT and CPR.
Coach and train clients to improve their daily living (ADL), social interaction and job skills.
Provide instruction and assist the consumers with active daily living (ADL) skills such as cooking, bathing, dressing.
Provide caring and companionship to elderly and developmentally disable consumers and provide primary resident care and assistance with daily living activities.
Facilitate exercise, vocational, arts-n-crafts, and daily living skills groups for consumers with DD.

Direct care counselor vs direct care provider skills

Common direct care counselor skills

Crisis Intervention, 12%
Autism, 11%
CPR, 10%
Developmental Disabilities, 10%
Incident Reports, 9%
Data Collection, 8%

Common direct care provider skills

CPR, 24%
Developmental Disabilities, 23%
Mental Health, 5%
Direct Care, 4%
Intellectual Disabilities, 4%
Home Health, 4%

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Direct Care Counselor
Direct Care Counselor vs Direct Care Provider

Updated January 8, 2025

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