Health therapist vs behavioral health specialist

The differences between health therapists and behavioral health specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a health therapist and a behavioral health specialist. Additionally, a health therapist has an average salary of $55,274, which is higher than the $44,808 average annual salary of a behavioral health specialist.

The top three skills for a health therapist include social work, patients and patient care. The most important skills for a behavioral health specialist are patients, social work, and substance abuse.

Health therapist vs behavioral health specialist overview

	Health Therapist	Behavioral Health Specialist
Yearly salary	$55,274	$44,808
Hourly rate	$26.57	$21.54
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	104,056	130,222
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	4	4

What does a health therapist do?

Health Therapists are healthcare workers who help patients overcome their physical, mental, or emotional challenges. They create treatment plans for patients depending on their specialization. They consider the patient's medical history as well as the risk factors. Health Therapists are actively involved in the patient's recovery. They monitor the progress of the treatment plan, schedule therapy sessions, provide activities during each session, and encourage them along the way. Health Therapists help improve the lives of their patients and ease them into their new realities.

What does a behavioral health specialist do?

Typically working for clinics and learning institutions, a behavioral health specialist is in charge of counseling and treating patients with behavioral issues. Their responsibilities revolve around conducting initial assessment through interview and observation, maintaining records and data, developing treatment plans, and referring patients to other support services when necessary. Moreover, a behavioral health specialist must communicate with the patient's families or guardians, discuss conditions, and provide advice on taking care of them. Aside from treating patients, it is also essential to continuously monitor their behavior while building positive relationships with them.

Health therapist vs behavioral health specialist salary

Health therapists and behavioral health specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Health Therapist	Behavioral Health Specialist
Average salary	$55,274	$44,808
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $75,000	Between $29,000 And $66,000
Highest paying City	Los Angeles, CA	Anchorage, AK
Highest paying state	California	Alaska
Best paying company	Baptist Health Care	Maxim Healthcare Group
Best paying industry	Health Care	Insurance

Differences between health therapist and behavioral health specialist education

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

	Health Therapist	Behavioral Health Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Social Work	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Health therapist vs behavioral health specialist demographics

Here are the differences between health therapists' and behavioral health specialists' demographics:

	Health Therapist	Behavioral Health Specialist
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 28.8% Female, 71.2%	Male, 29.2% Female, 70.8%
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 health therapist and behavioral health specialist duties and responsibilities

Health therapist example responsibilities.

Demonstrate working knowledge of community mental health services identify in the Medicaid guidelines and attain contractual outcomes within designate time frames.
Work with children who have autism by providing direct services.
Provide acute therapeutic intervention to adult and geriatric patients presenting with varying mental health diagnoses, seeking support and stabilization.
Record and maintain daily activities and rehabilitation progress for medical evaluation.
Facilitate therapy groups with adults and adolescents on acute psychiatric units and chemical dependency rehabilitation programs.
Facilitate transfer of patients to appropriate levels of care as determined by interdisciplinary team during or after completing treatment.

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.

Health therapist vs behavioral health specialist skills

Common health therapist skills

Social Work, 33%
Patients, 20%
Patient Care, 7%
Substance Abuse, 4%
Discharge Planning, 4%
Clinical Documentation, 3%

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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Health Therapist
Health Therapist vs Behavioral Health Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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