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Family specialist vs case worker

The differences between family specialists and case 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 specialist and a case worker. Additionally, a case worker has an average salary of $41,459, which is higher than the $40,115 average annual salary of a family specialist.

The top three skills for a family specialist include social work, foster care and substance abuse. The most important skills for a case worker are social work, crisis intervention, and patients.

Family specialist vs case worker overview

Family SpecialistCase Worker
Yearly salary$40,115$41,459
Hourly rate$19.29$19.93
Growth rate9%9%
Number of jobs81,148107,329
Job satisfaction2-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 65%Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age4242
Years of experience44

What does a family specialist do?

A Family Specialist performs social work for families in need. They are focused on helping individuals and families to improve their lives.

What does a case worker do?

Caseworkers are social workers who watch over the welfare of underprivileged individuals and at-risk families by counseling and providing them with assistance. Usually employed under the government or a local non-profit organization, a caseworker must conduct a thorough interview and house visits to determine the needs of the family. They then refer them to any programs or agencies that can give them the specific care and help needed. Furthermore, it is crucial to identify neglect and abuse signs, reporting them to the authorities right away.

Family specialist vs case worker salary

Family specialists and case workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Family SpecialistCase Worker
Average salary$40,115$41,459
Salary rangeBetween $31,000 And $51,000Between $30,000 And $55,000
Highest paying CitySeattle, WANew York, NY
Highest paying stateWashingtonNew Jersey
Best paying companyBrigham and Women's HospitalAppalachian Regional Healthcare
Best paying industryTechnologyEducation

Differences between family specialist and case worker education

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

Family SpecialistCase Worker
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 65%Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common majorPsychologyPsychology
Most common collegeSUNY at AlbanyUniversity of Pennsylvania

Family specialist vs case worker demographics

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

Family SpecialistCase Worker
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 32.4% Female, 67.6%Male, 26.8% Female, 73.2%
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 specialist and case worker duties and responsibilities

Family specialist example responsibilities.

  • Help children/youth in state custody achieve permanency whether through reintegration, adoption or custodianship.
  • Complete family assessments and supervise visit documentation for family DHS worker and also for court hearing purposes.
  • Co-Facilitate state require GPS: MAPP training for prospective adoptive parents.
  • Do MAPP trainings with potential foster and adoptive parents to assist them to make an inform decision.
  • Assess the families' capacity to protect their children, and ensure compliance with the DHS safety plan.
  • Develop deep trust and credibility through empathy, integrity, compassion and consistently providing sound advice and helpful support.
  • Show more

Case worker example responsibilities.

  • Establish collaborative relationships with patients within a supportive atmosphere to assist in confronting drug relate behavior and achieving sobriety.
  • Review and research leads regarding personal injury cases by obtaining information from the Medicaid recipient's attorney and insurance adjuster
  • File, close and maintain records in either physical case file or on ETO.
  • Train new employees and assign tasks in driving and all responsibilities in DCS documentations.
  • Provide weekly face to face updates to youth and telephonic updates to family members/sponsor with documentation find in ETO.
  • Facilitate DCS court order supervised visitation during the reunification process.
  • Show more

Family specialist vs case worker skills

Common family specialist skills
  • Social Work, 22%
  • Foster Care, 11%
  • Substance Abuse, 7%
  • Crisis Intervention, 7%
  • Child Abuse, 6%
  • Community Resources, 5%
Common case worker skills
  • Social Work, 20%
  • Crisis Intervention, 8%
  • Patients, 7%
  • Substance Abuse, 6%
  • Community Resources, 6%
  • Child Abuse, 5%

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