Social services counselor vs mental health counselor

The differences between social services counselors and mental health counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a social services counselor and a mental health counselor. Additionally, a mental health counselor has an average salary of $49,471, which is higher than the $45,514 average annual salary of a social services counselor.

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

Social services counselor vs mental health counselor overview

	Social Services Counselor	Mental Health Counselor
Yearly salary	$45,514	$49,471
Hourly rate	$21.88	$23.78
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	151,229	110,752
Job satisfaction	-	2
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	42	41
Years of experience	4	4

What does a social services counselor do?

Social service counselors provide a wide range of counselling such as psychological assessment, diagnosis, and therapy. They must evaluate patient data, do psychological tests, and apply their observations. They may also review clinical issues and programs. Typically, they work in institutions or private practices.

What does a mental health counselor do?

A mental health counselor is responsible for helping patients deal with their emotional and mental disorders by developing treatment plans and conducting regular counseling to track the patient's progress and condition. Mental health counselors encourage active communication from their patients, provide coping strategies for triggering situations, seek advice from other health care professionals, and guide patients on doing other activities that would help them relax. A mental health counselor must have excellent knowledge of the mental health disciplines to assist patients in their healthy lifestyle development.

Social services counselor vs mental health counselor salary

Social services counselors and mental health counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Social Services Counselor	Mental Health Counselor
Average salary	$45,514	$49,471
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $65,000	Between $34,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City	Trenton, NJ	Longview, WA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Washington
Best paying company	Mission Regional Medical Center	Family Life Counseling & Psychiatric Services
Best paying industry	Education	Health Care

Differences between social services counselor and mental health counselor education

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

	Social Services Counselor	Mental Health Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	Boston University	California State University - Long Beach

Social services counselor vs mental health counselor demographics

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

	Social Services Counselor	Mental Health Counselor
Average age	42	41
Gender ratio	Male, 26.6% Female, 73.4%	Male, 31.4% Female, 68.6%
Race ratio	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%	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	10%	15%

Differences between social services counselor and mental health counselor duties and responsibilities

Social services counselor example responsibilities.

Case manage in-district and out-of-district students with emotional disabilities, autism, other health impair and physical disabilities.
Serve as liaison/advocate between patients and/or families/caregivers and community agencies, other companies as deemed need.
Develop and write the IRP with the client and Treatment/rehabilitation team.
Administer first aid/ CPR as well as handled emergency situations when necessary in the aquatics area and the workout facility.
Escort residents to appointments to train in community integration and other relate rehabilitation services.
Provide individual, group and family therapy to patients and their families in an acute-care crisis stabilization psychiatric hospital.

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.

Social services counselor vs mental health counselor skills

Common social services counselor skills

Social Work, 38%
Patients, 12%
Social Services, 6%
Financial Assistance, 6%
Scheduling Appointments, 4%
Direct Services, 3%

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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Social Services Counselor
Social Services Counselor vs Mental Health Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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