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Protective services social worker vs family service worker

The differences between protective services social workers and family service workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a protective services social worker and a family service worker. Additionally, a protective services social worker has an average salary of $51,488, which is higher than the $37,674 average annual salary of a family service worker.

The top three skills for a protective services social worker include social work, protective services and crisis intervention. The most important skills for a family service worker are social work, foster care, and child abuse.

Protective services social worker vs family service worker overview

Protective Services Social WorkerFamily Service Worker
Yearly salary$51,488$37,674
Hourly rate$24.75$18.11
Growth rate9%9%
Number of jobs94,975111,599
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 72%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age4242
Years of experience44

What does a protective services social worker do?

A Protective Services Social Worker provides counseling, rehabilitation, or placement services for children and adults who are disabled. They also help individuals or families deal with domestic violence, traumatic events, or terminal illnesses.

What does a family service worker do?

A family service worker is in charge of providing support services to families in a community, referring them to other agencies or programs as needed. They serve as the primary point of contact of family members, ensuring they maintain an active line of communication. Their responsibilities typically revolve around enrolling family members into social services programs, gathering and verifying information, maintaining databases, and assisting in all procedures, all while updating families for any progress. Furthermore, a family service worker needs to coordinate with other social workers to provide the most effective service.

Protective services social worker vs family service worker salary

Protective services social workers and family service workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Protective Services Social WorkerFamily Service Worker
Average salary$51,488$37,674
Salary rangeBetween $41,000 And $63,000Between $28,000 And $49,000
Highest paying CityNew Brunswick, NJChicago, IL
Highest paying stateNew JerseyNew Jersey
Best paying companyWashington State UniversityWashington County
Best paying industryHospitalityGovernment

Differences between protective services social worker and family service worker education

There are a few differences between a protective services social worker and a family service worker in terms of educational background:

Protective Services Social WorkerFamily Service Worker
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 72%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common majorSocial WorkSocial Work
Most common collegeBoston CollegeHunter College of the City University of New York

Protective services social worker vs family service worker demographics

Here are the differences between protective services social workers' and family service workers' demographics:

Protective Services Social WorkerFamily Service Worker
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 18.6% Female, 81.4%Male, 14.8% Female, 85.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%Black or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between protective services social worker and family service worker duties and responsibilities

Protective services social worker example responsibilities.

  • Manage a caseload TANF clients, assess clients eligibility to receive benefits, assist with placement of clients in various programs.
  • Coordinate admissions of active duty service members and veterans to the inpatient rehabilitation/medical unit after suffering a new spinal cord injury.
  • Perform related adoptions and supervisory visits for state adoptions.

Family service worker example responsibilities.

  • Help children/youth in state custody achieve permanency whether through reintegration, adoption or custodianship.
  • Practice motivational interviewing techniques to assist individuals in identifying personal hurdles in order to set goals and work towards rehabilitation.
  • Establish and maintain relationships with stakeholder (DSS staff, schools and community partners).
  • Integrate the individual support plan (ISP) objective into the individuals' daily schedule.
  • Provide courtesy interviews or conflict investigations for other county DSS.
  • Determine participants' eligibility for program by gathering data and maintaining information to ensure clients are compliant for TANF program regulations.

Protective services social worker vs family service worker skills

Common protective services social worker skills
  • Social Work, 15%
  • Protective Services, 7%
  • Crisis Intervention, 7%
  • Community Resources, 6%
  • Social Services, 6%
  • Foster Care, 5%
Common family service worker skills
  • Social Work, 18%
  • Foster Care, 10%
  • Child Abuse, 9%
  • Protective Services, 5%
  • Mental Health, 5%
  • Court Reports, 4%

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