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The differences between mental health program managers and practice managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a mental health program manager and a practice manager. Additionally, a practice manager has an average salary of $107,374, which is higher than the $74,778 average annual salary of a mental health program manager.
The top three skills for a mental health program manager include social work, behavioral health and mental health. The most important skills for a practice manager are patients, patient care, and customer service.
| Mental Health Program Manager | Practice Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $74,778 | $107,374 |
| Hourly rate | $35.95 | $51.62 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 136,598 | 38,196 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A mental health program manager is in charge of creating and overseeing mental health programs in their organization. They are tasked with following up with patients, designing programs, monitoring program progress, working with other health professionals to ensure patient concerns are addressed, and meeting with patients' families to offer emotional and logistical support. They need to develop strict guidelines to help with mental health, develop policies with other company leaders to ensure patient needs are met, and manage the databases and patient charts.
A practice manager is responsible for supervising daily operations, especially on the side of the medical industry. Practice managers monitor staffing needs, train new employees, and evaluate the employees' productivity and performance. They also enforce strict guidelines and procedures, ensuring that the processes adhere to the legal standards and regulatory requirements. Practice managers also maintain budget goals, creating cost estimates and expense reports. A practice manager must have strong communication, analytical, and critical-thinking skills, as well as comprehensive knowledge of the medical industry practices.
Mental health program managers and practice managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mental Health Program Manager | Practice Manager | |
| Average salary | $74,778 | $107,374 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $111,000 | Between $65,000 And $175,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | Providence, RI |
| Highest paying state | California | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Fraser Ltd | Davis Wright Tremaine |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Technology |
There are a few differences between a mental health program manager and a practice manager in terms of educational background:
| Mental Health Program Manager | Practice Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Business |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between mental health program managers' and practice managers' demographics:
| Mental Health Program Manager | Practice Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 28.6% Female, 71.4% | Male, 25.3% Female, 74.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.8% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 7.6% White, 60.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.9% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |