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The differences between lay health advocates and mental health consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a lay health advocate and a mental health consultant. Additionally, a mental health consultant has an average salary of $51,006, which is higher than the $35,126 average annual salary of a lay health advocate.
The top three skills for a lay health advocate include patients, social work and substance abuse. The most important skills for a mental health consultant are healthcare, substance abuse, and patients.
| Lay Health Advocate | Mental Health Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $35,126 | $51,006 |
| Hourly rate | $16.89 | $24.52 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 62,717 | 127,233 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 43 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A lay health advocate helps the patients prepare for medical appointments, update and organize physicians' information. After the medical appointments, a lay health advocate offers follow-up care services by monitoring patient conditions and ensuring they follow all treatment recommendations. They assist patients in scheduling additional appointments and arrange their medications. These professionals advise patients on the best ways to maintain control over medical care and prevent more medical issues like fall injuries.
A mental health consultant is responsible for providing counseling and emotional support to manage a client's issue and control behaviors. Mental health consultants must have excellent communication and listening skills to understand and assess the client's situation and evaluate the level of their emotional and psychological distress. They also need to monitor progress on the client's state and use different psychotherapy methods and treatment plans. A mental health consultant should also reach out to other health professionals to ask assistance for any recovery options as needed.
Lay health advocates and mental health consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lay Health Advocate | Mental Health Consultant | |
| Average salary | $35,126 | $51,006 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $44,000 | Between $34,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | Johnston, RI | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | California |
| Best paying company | NRDC | Guidehouse |
| Best paying industry | Education | Government |
There are a few differences between a lay health advocate and a mental health consultant in terms of educational background:
| Lay Health Advocate | Mental Health Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between lay health advocates' and mental health consultants' demographics:
| Lay Health Advocate | Mental Health Consultant | |
| Average age | 43 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 25.9% Female, 74.1% | Male, 29.3% Female, 70.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 6.0% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% | 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 | 21% | 15% |