Drug abuse worker vs mental health associate

The differences between drug abuse workers and mental health associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a drug abuse worker and a mental health associate. Additionally, a drug abuse worker has an average salary of $36,741, which is higher than the $36,510 average annual salary of a mental health associate.

The top three skills for a drug abuse worker include substance abuse treatment, crisis intervention and abuse program. The most important skills for a mental health associate are patients, customer service, and vital signs.

Drug abuse worker vs mental health associate overview

	Drug Abuse Worker	Mental Health Associate
Yearly salary	$36,741	$36,510
Hourly rate	$17.66	$17.55
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	22,487	122,947
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	4	4

Drug abuse worker vs mental health associate salary

Drug abuse workers and mental health associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Drug Abuse Worker	Mental Health Associate
Average salary	$36,741	$36,510
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $46,000	Between $25,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	-	New York, NY
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	Columbia University in the City of New York
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between drug abuse worker and mental health associate education

There are a few differences between a drug abuse worker and a mental health associate in terms of educational background:

	Drug Abuse Worker	Mental Health Associate
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Most common major	Social Work	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Drug abuse worker vs mental health associate demographics

Here are the differences between drug abuse workers' and mental health associates' demographics:

	Drug Abuse Worker	Mental Health Associate
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 31.8% Female, 68.2%	Male, 33.0% Female, 67.0%
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 drug abuse worker and mental health associate duties and responsibilities

Drug abuse worker example responsibilities.

Lead support groups with an emphasis on recovery and strength base techniques, DBT, CBT, self-care and coping skills.
Require to successfully complete yearly training for medication management, behavioral management and periodic CPR and first aid certifications.
Facilitate institutional AA meetings as necessary.

Mental health associate example responsibilities.

Lead a number of psychotherapy groups including DBT.
Manage other MHA's in their duties and help them problem solving in tense and stressful situations.
Respond to and assist in behavioral codes working as a team member to successfully manage patient using methods obtain in CPI training
Require to participate as an interdisciplinary treatment team member and assist patients in managing activities of daily living.
Treat the patients with compassion, care and respect.
Communicate with doctors, nurses, MHA's, PCA's, and patients both verbally and in writing.

Drug abuse worker vs mental health associate skills

Common drug abuse worker skills

Substance Abuse Treatment, 39%
Crisis Intervention, 14%
Abuse Program, 13%
Transport Clients, 12%
Clinical Supervision, 6%
Group Therapy, 4%

Common mental health associate skills

Patients, 24%
Customer Service, 9%
Vital Signs, 7%
CPR, 6%
Safety Checks, 4%
Social Work, 4%

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Community and Social Services Industry
Drug Abuse Worker
Drug Abuse Worker vs Mental Health Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

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