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Mental health coordinator vs mental health technician

The differences between mental health coordinators and mental health technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a mental health coordinator has an average salary of $52,428, which is higher than the $32,118 average annual salary of a mental health technician.

The top three skills for a mental health coordinator include social work, mental health and mental health assessments. The most important skills for a mental health technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Mental health coordinator vs mental health technician overview

Mental Health CoordinatorMental Health Technician
Yearly salary$52,428$32,118
Hourly rate$25.21$15.44
Growth rate9%9%
Number of jobs137,025103,710
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 55%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average age4534
Years of experience4-

What does a mental health coordinator do?

A mental health coordinator is responsible for implementing and monitoring the psychological health programs at a hospital, school, or other types of care facilities. Your duties typically include overseeing the implementation of programs and treatments, consulting with other health care professionals about therapeutic care and patient cases, and working to increase awareness of community mental health. Additionally, you are responsible for coordinating residential and aftercare therapy for people with mental health issues. You are also responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of patient information.

What does a mental health technician do?

A mental health technician's primary responsibility is to provide care and assistance to patients with mental health issues. Their tasks mainly revolve around administering scheduled and prescribed medication, monitoring vital signs, assisting during therapy sessions, and assessing patients' progress and behavior. They may also have administrative support tasks such as processing necessary documentation, preparing reports, managing schedules, and even reaching out to patients' guardians and families. A mental health technician may also build a healthy rapport with patients, giving them guidance and positive influence.

Mental health coordinator vs mental health technician salary

Mental health coordinators and mental health technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Mental Health CoordinatorMental Health Technician
Average salary$52,428$32,118
Salary rangeBetween $34,000 And $80,000Between $25,000 And $39,000
Highest paying CityStockton, CASacramento, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaVermont
Best paying companyWellpathCARE
Best paying industryGovernmentHealth Care

Differences between mental health coordinator and mental health technician education

There are a few differences between a mental health coordinator and a mental health technician in terms of educational background:

Mental Health CoordinatorMental Health Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 55%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common majorPsychologyPsychology
Most common collegeCalifornia State University - Long BeachCalifornia State University - Long Beach

Mental health coordinator vs mental health technician demographics

Here are the differences between mental health coordinators' and mental health technicians' demographics:

Mental Health CoordinatorMental Health Technician
Average age4534
Gender ratioMale, 21.4% Female, 78.6%Male, 36.0% Female, 64.0%
Race ratioBlack 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, 14.3% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 6.4% White, 51.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage15%15%

Differences between mental health coordinator and mental health technician duties and responsibilities

Mental health coordinator example responsibilities.

  • Manage apartment project for SPMI adults and provide case management support to those tenants.
  • Assist in the development of partnerships with universities, mental health agencies and rehabilitation resources in program design and implementation.
  • Refer patients and family members to community resources or to specialists for mentally abuse children or women rights advocacy as necessary.
  • Provide intake assessments for at-risk youth and families to determine eligibility for intensive in-home and therapeutic day treatment services and Medicaid assistance
  • Exhibit genuine compassion and caring for individuals facing a variety of life challenges.
  • Complete emergency evaluations of patients and refer for inpatient treatment if necessary.
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Mental health technician example responsibilities.

  • Prevent and manage aggressive behavior among patients and administer CPR in emergency intervention.
  • Assist and organize workshops consisting of education, personal self-defense, CPR, and other techniques relating to mental health patients.
  • Assist in taking care of mental health patients, doing rounds on the ward, helping patients with compassion and care.
  • Apply immeasurable levels of compassion to preserve and safeguard the dignity of patients at all times.
  • Observe patient behaviors, if patients become physically violent, CPI training restraint techniques may become necessary.
  • Conduct patient rounds, assist with ADL care, offer therapeutic support, and provide written reports on assign patients
  • Show more

Mental health coordinator vs mental health technician skills

Common mental health coordinator skills
  • Social Work, 31%
  • Mental Health, 14%
  • Mental Health Assessments, 10%
  • Patients, 7%
  • Crisis Intervention, 6%
  • Clinical Supervision, 3%
Common mental health technician skills
  • Patients, 26%
  • Vital Signs, 7%
  • CPR, 6%
  • Social Work, 5%
  • Crisis Intervention, 5%
  • Patient Safety, 4%

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