Mental health worker vs community health counselor

The differences between mental health workers and community health counselors 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 worker and a community health counselor. Additionally, a community health counselor has an average salary of $43,304, which is higher than the $41,081 average annual salary of a mental health worker.

The top three skills for a mental health worker include patients, crisis intervention and social work. The most important skills for a community health counselor are social work, behavioral health, and patients.

Mental health worker vs community health counselor overview

	Mental Health Worker	Community Health Counselor
Yearly salary	$41,081	$43,304
Hourly rate	$19.75	$20.82
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	144,879	131,804
Job satisfaction	1	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age	45	41
Years of experience	4	4

What does a mental health worker do?

A mental health worker is an individual who provides basic care and therapy to patients who are inflicted with mental disabilities or developmental disabilities. Mental health workers assist patients with their daily activities, monitor their conditions, and administer therapeutic care. They may be directly supervised by a registered nurse and can work in facilities such as psychiatric hospitals and residential mental health facilities. They may also help develop treatment plans and strategies with other staff members to best meet patient needs.

What does a community health counselor do?

A community health counselor typically provides health and welfare support to the disadvantaged members of a community. Their responsibilities revolve around devising strategies to reach out to community members, coordinating with schools and other institutions, and building positive relationships with the communities that they serve. They may also provide counseling sessions to individuals of all ages, conduct observations and assessments, perform interventions, and identify any signs of abuse or neglect, reporting to the authorities right away. Furthermore, they may refer families or individuals to other social services unit if necessary.

Mental health worker vs community health counselor salary

Mental health workers and community health counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Mental Health Worker	Community Health Counselor
Average salary	$41,081	$43,304
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $59,000	Between $29,000 And $63,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Pacific Northwest National Laboratory	Apple
Best paying industry	Professional	Health Care

Differences between mental health worker and community health counselor education

There are a few differences between a mental health worker and a community health counselor in terms of educational background:

	Mental Health Worker	Community Health Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Mental health worker vs community health counselor demographics

Here are the differences between mental health workers' and community health counselors' demographics:

	Mental Health Worker	Community Health Counselor
Average age	45	41
Gender ratio	Male, 34.9% Female, 65.1%	Male, 31.4% Female, 68.6%
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, 11.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	15%	15%

Differences between mental health worker and community health counselor duties and responsibilities

Mental health worker example responsibilities.

Respond to and assist in behavioral codes working as a team member to successfully manage patient using methods obtain in CPI training
Train in provision of CPI, CPR, food handling, infection control and basic nursing care.
Provide direct care to patients under direction and guidance of professional nursing personnel within a mental illness psychiatric outpatient hospital.
Assist patients in becoming accustom to hospital routine and encourage them to participate in social and recreational activities to promote rehabilitation.
Provide referrals to appropriate multidisciplinary services, including mental health, drug/alcohol rehabilitation services, and medical and physical/occupational therapy services.
Conduct crisis stabilization via sanction CPI techniques with staff assistance.

Community health counselor example responsibilities.

Provide group and individual therapy along with social service coordination for patients in short term stabilization psychiatric unit.
Train in medication administration, therapeutic holds and CPR.
Maintain cleanliness of home provide assistance with cleaning rooms and common areas.
Train in MNT, TCI, first aide and CPR with several other essential trainings.
Complete insurance verification information for Medicaid participants.
Maintain caseload paperwork in accordance with Georgia Medicaid requirements.

Mental health worker vs community health counselor skills

Common mental health worker skills

Patients, 20%
Crisis Intervention, 6%
Social Work, 6%
CPR, 5%
Vital Signs, 5%
Rehabilitation, 4%

Common community health counselor skills

Social Work, 19%
Behavioral Health, 17%
Patients, 17%
Crisis Intervention, 7%
Rehabilitation, 4%
Discharge Planning, 3%

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Community and Social Services Industry
Mental Health Worker
Mental Health Worker vs Community Health Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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