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Social services assistant vs behavioral assistant

The differences between social services assistants and behavioral assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a social services assistant and a behavioral assistant. Additionally, a behavioral assistant has an average salary of $39,681, which is higher than the $37,445 average annual salary of a social services assistant.

The top three skills for a social services assistant include social work, patients and rehabilitation. The most important skills for a behavioral assistant are behavioral interventions, mental health, and patients.

Social services assistant vs behavioral assistant overview

Social Services AssistantBehavioral Assistant
Yearly salary$37,445$39,681
Hourly rate$18.00$19.08
Growth rate12%12%
Number of jobs152,76080,685
Job satisfaction-3
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 57%Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age4343
Years of experience1212

What does a social services assistant do?

A social services assistant is responsible for supporting the social needs of citizens within society. Social services assistants work within the community office or health institutions to assist patients and their families in processing their needs and obtaining medical information. They also coordinate with other organizations to gather additional resources and financial assistance to plan community programs that will be beneficial for society. A social services assistant provides counseling to the families to identify the services and referrals they needed.

What does a behavioral assistant do?

Behavioral Assistants are responsible for providing support and capacity in behavioral and clinical services for students with disabilities. Their duties include addressing behavior management safety needs, supporting emotional and social needs, giving academic support, and implementing behavioral improvement plans. They also deal with physical management, behavior de-escalations, and undertake student reviews with the teacher regularly. Behavioral Assistants will also collect data, write student reports, and ensure health and hygiene protocols are adhered to.

Social services assistant vs behavioral assistant salary

Social services assistants and behavioral assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Social Services AssistantBehavioral Assistant
Average salary$37,445$39,681
Salary rangeBetween $29,000 And $47,000Between $29,000 And $53,000
Highest paying CityTacoma, WASanta Maria, CA
Highest paying stateWashingtonWashington
Best paying companyResearch Foundation of The City University of New YorkPhysician Affiliate Group of New York
Best paying industryGovernmentHealth Care

Differences between social services assistant and behavioral assistant education

There are a few differences between a social services assistant and a behavioral assistant in terms of educational background:

Social Services AssistantBehavioral Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 57%Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common majorSocial WorkPsychology
Most common collegeSUNY at BinghamtonCalifornia State University - Long Beach

Social services assistant vs behavioral assistant demographics

Here are the differences between social services assistants' and behavioral assistants' demographics:

Social Services AssistantBehavioral Assistant
Average age4343
Gender ratioMale, 17.0% Female, 83.0%Male, 28.7% Female, 71.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 6.7% White, 56.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8%Black or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.6% Asian, 6.3% White, 53.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between social services assistant and behavioral assistant duties and responsibilities

Social services assistant example responsibilities.

  • Initial triage of members, administrative intake of members and managing the admission/discharge information post-notification.
  • Assist individuals and families in need with applications for food stamps, Medicaid, Medicare, cash assistance and housing.
  • Develop, organize and conduct programs to prevent and resolve problems relevant to substance abuse, human relationships and rehabilitation.
  • Verify Medicare coverage/ benefits/ obtain prior authorization.
  • Process specialize Medicaid applications receive from government agencies and social service organizations which require urgent processing.
  • Establish, maintain and generate military and community contacts structure to address various services available to respective patients.
  • Show more

Behavioral assistant example responsibilities.

  • Work one-on-one with students as well as small groups as instructed by teacher to help achieve goals outline by the IEP.
  • Modele self-help and independent skills to assist autistic and developmentally delay children achieving their establish goals.
  • Develop rapport and trust of physicians and patients to assure confidence and execution of therapy plans resulting in successful patient rehabilitation.
  • Apply behavioral analysis (ABA) and other evidence-base methods are used to decrease challenging behaviors and teach skills.
  • Assist BCBA consultants providing comprehensive educational, social, behavioral, and community services to young children on the autism spectrum.
  • Implement modifications outline in IEP.
  • Show more

Social services assistant vs behavioral assistant skills

Common social services assistant skills
  • Social Work, 17%
  • Patients, 15%
  • Rehabilitation, 9%
  • Discharge Planning, 6%
  • Term Care, 6%
  • Community Resources, 3%
Common behavioral assistant skills
  • Behavioral Interventions, 12%
  • Mental Health, 10%
  • Patients, 7%
  • Vital Signs, 7%
  • Behavior Management, 7%
  • Autism, 7%

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