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The differences between mental health consultants and mental health practitioners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a mental health consultant and a mental health practitioner. Additionally, a mental health consultant has an average salary of $51,006, which is higher than the $50,628 average annual salary of a mental health practitioner.
The top three skills for a mental health consultant include healthcare, substance abuse and patients. The most important skills for a mental health practitioner are social work, patients, and mental health.
| Mental Health Consultant | Mental Health Practitioner | |
| Yearly salary | $51,006 | $50,628 |
| Hourly rate | $24.52 | $24.34 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 127,233 | 140,365 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
Mental health practitioners are medical professionals who work with patients who have mental health issues such as schizophrenia, split personality disorder, and depression. These practitioners are required to develop and implement patient care plans for adults with severe mental disabilities while providing mental health services to attain improved mental health. They must make sure that patients did not spit out their medicines by observing post medication administration with the nurse. Mental health practitioners must also manage therapeutic activities that will teach patients about functional living skills.
Mental health consultants and mental health practitioners have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mental Health Consultant | Mental Health Practitioner | |
| Average salary | $51,006 | $50,628 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $75,000 | Between $35,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Guidehouse | Dignity Health |
| Best paying industry | Government | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a mental health consultant and a mental health practitioner in terms of educational background:
| Mental Health Consultant | Mental Health Practitioner | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between mental health consultants' and mental health practitioners' demographics:
| Mental Health Consultant | Mental Health Practitioner | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.3% Female, 70.7% | Male, 24.1% Female, 75.9% |
| 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, 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% |