Mental health case manager vs foster care case manager

The differences between mental health case managers and foster care case managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a mental health case manager, becoming a foster care case manager takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a mental health case manager has an average salary of $42,574, which is higher than the $39,279 average annual salary of a foster care case manager.

The top three skills for a mental health case manager include mental health, social work and patients. The most important skills for a foster care case manager are foster care, social work, and foster children.

Mental health case manager vs foster care case manager overview

	Mental Health Case Manager	Foster Care Case Manager
Yearly salary	$42,574	$39,279
Hourly rate	$20.47	$18.88
Growth rate	9%	12%
Number of jobs	128,509	134,853
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Average age	45	43
Years of experience	4	12

What does a mental health case manager do?

A Mental Health Care Manager supervises the development and implementation of care plans for clients. They regularly check on their clients and make recommendations for improving clients health care needs.

What does a foster care case manager do?

A Foster Care Case Manager provides social work counseling to foster children, families, and foster parents. They plan and coordinate treatments for the required children in accordance with specified requirements.

Mental health case manager vs foster care case manager salary

Mental health case managers and foster care case managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Mental Health Case Manager	Foster Care Case Manager
Average salary	$42,574	$39,279
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $54,000	Between $30,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	Oakland, CA	Chicago, IL
Highest paying state	California	New York
Best paying company	Washington State University	Scripps Health
Best paying industry	Government	Professional

Differences between mental health case manager and foster care case manager education

There are a few differences between a mental health case manager and a foster care case manager in terms of educational background:

	Mental Health Case Manager	Foster Care Case Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Most common major	Psychology	Social Work
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Mental health case manager vs foster care case manager demographics

Here are the differences between mental health case managers' and foster care case managers' demographics:

	Mental Health Case Manager	Foster Care Case Manager
Average age	45	43
Gender ratio	Male, 24.3% Female, 75.7%	Male, 20.1% Female, 79.9%
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, 12.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% Asian, 5.3% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8%
LGBT Percentage	15%	11%

Differences between mental health case manager and foster care case manager duties and responsibilities

Mental health case manager example responsibilities.

Manage the care of patients with tuberculosis (TB) during their hospitalization and their discharge follow-up care.
Coordinate, collaborate, and refer to various community agencies to assist in meeting consumer's needs and maximizing their rehabilitation.
Perform intensive early intervention behavior therapy for children diagnose on the autism spectrum disorder using the principles of apply behavior analysis.
Organize and participate in the development, review and evaluation of IFSP meeting.
Assist the individual to access activities, supports and services identify in the ISP.
Coordinate cases with supervisor, team members, providers, DCF and attorneys as needed.

Foster care case manager example responsibilities.

Manage caseloads for Medicaid; interviewing and instructing clients in proper preparation of documentation.
Prepare court reports, petitions and provide testimony to support case management as required by DHS contract and court mandates.
Assure that DCFS policies and procedures, and all applicable laws, rules, and policies are follow.
Supervise visitation between DCFS wards and their parents and siblings in order to observe parent-child interaction and ensure safety.
Provide services to and on behalf of the consumers, natural families and foster families refer to the agency from DHS.
Perform concurrent review to assure appropriateness of admission, inpatient/acute care, rehabilitation/SNF status, and discharge using establish InterQual guidelines.

Mental health case manager vs foster care case manager skills

Common mental health case manager skills

Mental Health, 15%
Social Work, 14%
Patients, 8%
Management Services, 5%
Rehabilitation, 4%
Crisis Intervention, 4%

Common foster care case manager skills

Foster Care, 23%
Social Work, 20%
Foster Children, 6%
Community Resources, 6%
Child Abuse, 5%
Management Services, 5%

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Mental Health Case Manager
Mental Health Case Manager vs Foster Care Case Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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