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Personal advocate vs program coordinator

The differences between personal advocates and program coordinators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a personal advocate and a program coordinator. Additionally, a program coordinator has an average salary of $45,068, which is higher than the $36,577 average annual salary of a personal advocate.

The top three skills for a personal advocate include mental health, inbound calls and social work. The most important skills for a program coordinator are customer service, patients, and social work.

Personal advocate vs program coordinator overview

Personal AdvocateProgram Coordinator
Yearly salary$36,577$45,068
Hourly rate$17.59$21.67
Growth rate12%12%
Number of jobs70,768102,464
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 62%Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Average age4343
Years of experience1212

What does a personal advocate do?

Personal advocates must have skills in communication, collaboration, and presentation. They also need a bachelor's or associate's degree in a health-related discipline, and their salary may range from $55K to over $100K per year depending on their degree. Personal advocates encourage and facilitate customer choices and support these choices in order to promote independence and personal growth.

What does a program coordinator do?

Program coordinators are mid-level employees who are assigned to work on a program of a specific department. They handle the communications between their department and any other department that they may need to collaborate with. They coordinate action plans and activities to ensure that the departments are aligned. They are present during the planning stage for the program so that they will be familiar with action items. They are directly involved in the implementation by liaising with the involved departments. Program coordinators should have good communication skills, interpersonal skills, and organization skills.

Personal advocate vs program coordinator salary

Personal advocates and program coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.

Personal AdvocateProgram Coordinator
Average salary$36,577$45,068
Salary rangeBetween $29,000 And $45,000Between $31,000 And $63,000
Highest paying CitySeattle, WASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNew YorkHawaii
Best paying companyCignaMeta
Best paying industryInsuranceGovernment

Differences between personal advocate and program coordinator education

There are a few differences between a personal advocate and a program coordinator in terms of educational background:

Personal AdvocateProgram Coordinator
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 62%Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Most common majorPsychologyBusiness
Most common collegeCalifornia State University - Long BeachNorthwestern University

Personal advocate vs program coordinator demographics

Here are the differences between personal advocates' and program coordinators' demographics:

Personal AdvocateProgram Coordinator
Average age4343
Gender ratioMale, 14.0% Female, 86.0%Male, 28.8% Female, 71.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 6.1% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7%Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 7.1% White, 54.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between personal advocate and program coordinator duties and responsibilities

Personal advocate example responsibilities.

  • Use EMR software to manage patient records and files; reinforce and uphold patient confidentiality as required by HIPAA and clinic.
  • Change bed linens, run errands, direct visitors and answer telephones.
  • Maintain the safety and security of shelter, and the cleanliness of facility.
  • Instruct, or advise clients on issues such as household cleanliness, utilities, hygiene or nutrition.
  • Assist patients in securing medical coverage by screening refer patients and coordinating the application process through successful approval.
  • Make contact with family or significant others to promote implementation of ISP and community stability.

Program coordinator example responsibilities.

  • Manage all medical records and client information without HIPAA violation.
  • Develop a syllabus, maintain an assignment schedule, and manage course records.
  • Manage operations and administer an outpatient diabetes management program for adults by MD referral.
  • Perform community outreach to Medi-Cal recipients, via public speaking, flyers, wellness fairs, and practice manager meetings.
  • Submit monthly claims for reimbursement to USDA.
  • Review and process CME applications for ACCME approval.
  • Show more

Personal advocate vs program coordinator skills

Common personal advocate skills
  • Mental Health, 17%
  • Inbound Calls, 13%
  • Social Work, 13%
  • Crisis Intervention, 12%
  • Substance Abuse, 12%
  • Safety Planning, 4%
Common program coordinator skills
  • Customer Service, 10%
  • Patients, 9%
  • Social Work, 6%
  • PowerPoint, 5%
  • Mental Health, 4%
  • Excellent Organizational, 4%

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