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Family protection specialist vs family service worker

The differences between family protection specialists and family service workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a family protection specialist and a family service worker. Additionally, a family protection specialist has an average salary of $39,627, which is higher than the $37,674 average annual salary of a family service worker.

The top three skills for a family protection specialist include social work, child abuse and foster children. The most important skills for a family service worker are social work, foster care, and child abuse.

Family protection specialist vs family service worker overview

Family Protection SpecialistFamily Service Worker
Yearly salary$39,627$37,674
Hourly rate$19.05$18.11
Growth rate9%9%
Number of jobs22,358111,599
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age4242
Years of experience44

Family protection specialist vs family service worker salary

Family protection specialists and family service workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Family Protection SpecialistFamily Service Worker
Average salary$39,627$37,674
Salary rangeBetween $23,000 And $67,000Between $28,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City-Chicago, IL
Highest paying state-New Jersey
Best paying company-Washington County
Best paying industry-Government

Differences between family protection specialist and family service worker education

There are a few differences between a family protection specialist and a family service worker in terms of educational background:

Family Protection SpecialistFamily Service Worker
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common majorSocial WorkSocial Work
Most common collegeBoston CollegeHunter College of the City University of New York

Family protection specialist vs family service worker demographics

Here are the differences between family protection specialists' and family service workers' demographics:

Family Protection SpecialistFamily Service Worker
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 11.4% Female, 88.6%Male, 14.8% Female, 85.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%Black or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between family protection specialist and family service worker duties and responsibilities

Family protection specialist example responsibilities.

  • Help children/youth in state custody achieve permanency whether through reintegration, adoption or custodianship.
  • Mediate conflicts between patients, handle medical emergencies, assist patients in developing and implementing positive and cooperative living skills.
  • Testify in youth and chancery court when warrant.
  • Determine participants' eligibility for program by gathering data and maintaining information to ensure clients are compliant for TANF program regulations.

Family service worker example responsibilities.

  • Help children/youth in state custody achieve permanency whether through reintegration, adoption or custodianship.
  • Practice motivational interviewing techniques to assist individuals in identifying personal hurdles in order to set goals and work towards rehabilitation.
  • Establish and maintain relationships with stakeholder (DSS staff, schools and community partners).
  • Integrate the individual support plan (ISP) objective into the individuals' daily schedule.
  • Provide courtesy interviews or conflict investigations for other county DSS.
  • Determine participants' eligibility for program by gathering data and maintaining information to ensure clients are compliant for TANF program regulations.

Family protection specialist vs family service worker skills

Common family protection specialist skills
  • Social Work, 28%
  • Child Abuse, 15%
  • Foster Children, 7%
  • Vulnerable Adults, 6%
  • Risk Assessments, 5%
  • Foster Care, 5%
Common family service worker skills
  • Social Work, 18%
  • Foster Care, 10%
  • Child Abuse, 9%
  • Protective Services, 5%
  • Mental Health, 5%
  • Court Reports, 4%

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