Direct care staffer vs direct care counselor

The differences between direct care staffers and direct care counselors 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 $30,480 average annual salary of a direct care staffer.

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

Direct care staffer vs direct care counselor overview

	Direct Care Staffer	Direct Care Counselor
Yearly salary	$30,480	$33,422
Hourly rate	$14.65	$16.07
Growth rate	36%	36%
Number of jobs	117,658	123,519
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	-	-

What does a direct care staffer do?

A Direct Care Staffer specializes in providing personal care and supervision to the disabled or elderly. Among the responsibilities include administering medication, managing schedules, assisting in hygienic tasks, preparing meals, and doing light to moderate household chores. Furthermore, A Direct Care Staffer also helps in transportation and preparation of daily meals, running various errands, purchasing groceries and daily necessities, and as well as monitoring health conditions. It is also essential for a Daily Care Staffer to update supervisors and guardians regularly.

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.

Direct care staffer vs direct care counselor salary

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

	Direct Care Staffer	Direct Care Counselor
Average salary	$30,480	$33,422
Salary range	Between $19,000 And $47,000	Between $22,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	Salem, OR	-
Highest paying state	Oregon	-
Best paying company	New York University	-
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	-

Differences between direct care staffer and direct care counselor education

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

	Direct Care Staffer	Direct Care Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	-	-

Direct care staffer vs direct care counselor demographics

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

	Direct Care Staffer	Direct Care Counselor
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 27.5% Female, 72.5%	Male, 31.5% Female, 68.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	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%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

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

Direct care staffer example responsibilities.

Provide and care for highly volatile patients, administering CPI when require.
Train and supervise individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities.
Assist consumers in development and maintenance of adaptive daily living skills.
Maintain client and community safety through appropriate application of CPI NVCI training.
Assist residence with disabilities, by bathing them, feeding and showing compassion.
Work with Kronos (timekeeping system) and making schedules for the DSP.

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 staffer vs direct care counselor skills

Common direct care staffer skills

Mental Health, 14%
Developmental Disabilities, 8%
CPR, 8%
Patients, 6%
Autism, 6%
Crisis Intervention, 5%

Common direct care counselor skills

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

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Personal Care and Attendants Industry
Direct Care Staffer
Direct Care Staffer vs Direct Care Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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