Domestic violence advocate vs behavioral health specialist

The differences between domestic violence advocates and behavioral health specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a domestic violence advocate, becoming a behavioral health specialist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a domestic violence advocate has an average salary of $47,440, which is higher than the $44,808 average annual salary of a behavioral health specialist.

The top three skills for a domestic violence advocate include safety planning, domestic violence victims and legal advocacy. The most important skills for a behavioral health specialist are patients, social work, and substance abuse.

Domestic violence advocate vs behavioral health specialist overview

	Domestic Violence Advocate	Behavioral Health Specialist
Yearly salary	$47,440	$44,808
Hourly rate	$22.81	$21.54
Growth rate	12%	9%
Number of jobs	68,579	130,222
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	43	45
Years of experience	12	4

Domestic violence advocate vs behavioral health specialist salary

Domestic violence advocates and behavioral health specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Domestic Violence Advocate	Behavioral Health Specialist
Average salary	$47,440	$44,808
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $77,000	Between $29,000 And $66,000
Highest paying City	Jersey City, NJ	Anchorage, AK
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Alaska
Best paying company	Sinai Chicago	Maxim Healthcare Group
Best paying industry	Government	Insurance

Differences between domestic violence advocate and behavioral health specialist education

There are a few differences between a domestic violence advocate and a behavioral health specialist in terms of educational background:

	Domestic Violence Advocate	Behavioral Health Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Domestic violence advocate vs behavioral health specialist demographics

Here are the differences between domestic violence advocates' and behavioral health specialists' demographics:

	Domestic Violence Advocate	Behavioral Health Specialist
Average age	43	45
Gender ratio	Male, 8.6% Female, 91.4%	Male, 29.2% Female, 70.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 5.9% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1%	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	11%	15%

Differences between domestic violence advocate and behavioral health specialist duties and responsibilities

Domestic violence advocate example responsibilities.

Assist patients in securing medical coverage by screening refer patients and coordinating the application process through successful approval.
Perform other duties as assigned by supervisor and work as a team member with the YWCA staff and administration.

Behavioral health specialist example responsibilities.

Provide individualize intervention for problematic behaviors using TCI techniques such as de-escalation, to prevent and/or manage crisis.
Complete training in CPR, self-defense, and mental health.
Monitor meals for residents suffering from eating disorders and provide compassion and encouragement when an individual are struggling with eating.
Work with kids who have special needs.
Ensure departments are in compliance with MSHA and OSHA regulations.
Provide daily and weekly detail reports on client and BHP interaction.

Domestic violence advocate vs behavioral health specialist skills

Common domestic violence advocate skills

Safety Planning, 18%
Domestic Violence Victims, 8%
Legal Advocacy, 7%
Social Work, 5%
Community Resources, 5%
Crisis Intervention, 5%

Common behavioral health specialist skills

Patients, 16%
Social Work, 16%
Substance Abuse, 8%
Rehabilitation, 6%
Patient Care, 6%
Mental Illness, 5%

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Domestic Violence Advocate
Domestic Violence Advocate vs Behavioral Health Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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