Health care social worker vs mental health associate

The differences between health care social workers and mental health associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a health care social worker, becoming a mental health associate takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a health care social worker has an average salary of $42,237, which is higher than the $36,510 average annual salary of a mental health associate.

The top three skills for a health care social worker include social work, patients and meal preparation. The most important skills for a mental health associate are patients, customer service, and vital signs.

Health care social worker vs mental health associate overview

	Health Care Social Worker	Mental Health Associate
Yearly salary	$42,237	$36,510
Hourly rate	$20.31	$17.55
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	210,979	122,947
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	2	4

Health care social worker vs mental health associate salary

Health care social workers and mental health associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Health Care Social Worker	Mental Health Associate
Average salary	$42,237	$36,510
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $56,000	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 health care social worker and mental health associate education

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

	Health Care Social Worker	Mental Health Associate
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Most common major	Social Work	Psychology
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	California State University - Long Beach

Health care social worker vs mental health associate demographics

Here are the differences between health care social workers' and mental health associates' demographics:

	Health Care Social Worker	Mental Health Associate
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 21.2% Female, 78.8%	Male, 33.0% Female, 67.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 19.9% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 3.3% White, 58.5% 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	13%	15%

Differences between health care social worker and mental health associate duties and responsibilities

Health care social worker example responsibilities.

Respond to and assist in behavioral codes working as a team member to successfully manage patient using methods obtain in CPI training
Assist in coordinating health care benefits with Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers.
Work with clients for fill basic home cleaning, cooking, and healthcare needs.
Aid in completion of any forms such as Medicaid, food stamps, etc.
Comply with HIPAA regulations regarding patient privacy and confidentiality.
Discharge planning for those resident under going short-term physical rehabilitation.

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.

Health care social worker vs mental health associate skills

Common health care social worker skills

Social Work, 26%
Patients, 24%
Meal Preparation, 5%
Community Resources, 4%
Patient Care, 4%
Home Health, 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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Health Care Social Worker
Health Care Social Worker vs Mental Health Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

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