Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between psychiatric social workers and behavioral health specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a psychiatric social worker, becoming a behavioral health specialist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a psychiatric social worker has an average salary of $59,144, which is higher than the $44,808 average annual salary of a behavioral health specialist.
The top three skills for a psychiatric social worker include social work, patients and crisis intervention. The most important skills for a behavioral health specialist are patients, social work, and substance abuse.
| Psychiatric Social Worker | Behavioral Health Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $59,144 | $44,808 |
| Hourly rate | $28.43 | $21.54 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 57,284 | 130,222 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
A psychiatric social worker specializes in providing mental health treatments and other services to patients and their families, referring them to other agencies and programs as needed. They conduct assessments and interviews to determine the condition of patients, devise specific treatment and care plans, update and maintain patient records, conduct regular counseling sessions, and monitor the progress of every patient to ensure their health and welfare. They may also provide interventions, train junior psychiatric social workers, and conduct reviews and evaluations on existing care plans.
Typically working for clinics and learning institutions, a behavioral health specialist is in charge of counseling and treating patients with behavioral issues. Their responsibilities revolve around conducting initial assessment through interview and observation, maintaining records and data, developing treatment plans, and referring patients to other support services when necessary. Moreover, a behavioral health specialist must communicate with the patient's families or guardians, discuss conditions, and provide advice on taking care of them. Aside from treating patients, it is also essential to continuously monitor their behavior while building positive relationships with them.
Psychiatric social workers and behavioral health specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Psychiatric Social Worker | Behavioral Health Specialist | |
| Average salary | $59,144 | $44,808 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $79,000 | Between $29,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Mateo, CA | Anchorage, AK |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Highmark | Maxim Healthcare Group |
| Best paying industry | Government | Insurance |
There are a few differences between a psychiatric social worker and a behavioral health specialist in terms of educational background:
| Psychiatric Social Worker | Behavioral Health Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between psychiatric social workers' and behavioral health specialists' demographics:
| Psychiatric Social Worker | Behavioral Health Specialist | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.8% Female, 75.2% | Male, 29.2% Female, 70.8% |
| 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, 7.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 3.1% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 15% |