Perinatal social worker vs mental health counselor

The differences between perinatal social workers and mental health counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a perinatal social worker, becoming a mental health counselor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a perinatal social worker has an average salary of $58,744, which is higher than the $49,471 average annual salary of a mental health counselor.

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

Perinatal social worker vs mental health counselor overview

	Perinatal Social Worker	Mental Health Counselor
Yearly salary	$58,744	$49,471
Hourly rate	$28.24	$23.78
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	43,245	110,752
Job satisfaction	-	2
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	45	41
Years of experience	2	4

Perinatal social worker vs mental health counselor salary

Perinatal social workers and mental health counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Perinatal Social Worker	Mental Health Counselor
Average salary	$58,744	$49,471
Salary range	Between $44,000 And $77,000	Between $34,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City	-	Longview, WA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Family Life Counseling & Psychiatric Services
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between perinatal social worker and mental health counselor education

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

	Perinatal Social Worker	Mental Health Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Social Work	Psychology
Most common college	Emory University	California State University - Long Beach

Perinatal social worker vs mental health counselor demographics

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

	Perinatal Social Worker	Mental Health Counselor
Average age	45	41
Gender ratio	Male, 5.7% Female, 94.3%	Male, 31.4% Female, 68.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 19.9% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 3.3% White, 58.5% 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	13%	15%

Differences between perinatal social worker and mental health counselor duties and responsibilities

Perinatal social worker example responsibilities.

Screen, identify, diagnose using DSM nomenclature, treat and manage mental health and/or substance abuse problems.
Work closely with the medical team and attend weekly multi-disciplinary rounds.
Work with a complex interdisciplinary team facilitating treatment for patients on medical floors including oncology, dialysis, cardiac and maternity.
Integrate a therapeutic/clinical model base on of DBT that support student academic, behavioral and social success.

Mental health counselor example responsibilities.

Provide clinical consultation to consumers and clients regarding manage care services and other benefits available to them through their EAP programs.
Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Certify in CPI (crisis intervention technique).
Assist with crisis intervention, (CPI) maintains treatment activities.
Provide mental health assessment and evaluation of detainees refer by facility staff or identify by pre-screening (booking or nursing).
Assess for special needs during booking process.

Perinatal social worker vs mental health counselor skills

Common perinatal social worker skills

Social Work, 20%
OB, 14%
Health Education, 13%
Community Agencies, 12%
Mental Health, 8%
Birth Control, 6%

Common mental health counselor skills

Social Work, 17%
Patients, 16%
Crisis Intervention, 9%
Patient Care, 6%
Mental Health Issues, 5%
Rehabilitation, 4%

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Perinatal Social Worker
Perinatal Social Worker vs Mental Health Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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