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The differences between social work interns and behavioral health specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a social work internship, becoming a behavioral health specialist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a behavioral health specialist has an average salary of $44,808, which is higher than the $37,178 average annual salary of a social work internship.
The top three skills for a social work internship include patients, social work and intake assessments. The most important skills for a behavioral health specialist are patients, social work, and substance abuse.
| Social Work Internship | Behavioral Health Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $37,178 | $44,808 |
| Hourly rate | $17.87 | $21.54 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 142,426 | 130,222 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 43 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
Social work interns are students who chose to do their on-the-job training in the field of social work. They apply for an internship at social services facilities. They are usually assigned to do administrative or clerical activities such as sorting through files, updating records, organizing documents, and filing reports. Aside from clerical tasks, they also get exposed to program or project management by working on program-specific initiatives. They get exposed to planning, resource managing, implementing, and evaluating. They may also join their supervisors during field activities.
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.
Social work interns and behavioral health specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Social Work Internship | Behavioral Health Specialist | |
| Average salary | $37,178 | $44,808 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $51,000 | Between $29,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fargo, ND | Anchorage, AK |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | DTCC | Maxim Healthcare Group |
| Best paying industry | Government | Insurance |
There are a few differences between a social work internship and a behavioral health specialist in terms of educational background:
| Social Work Internship | Behavioral Health Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Fullerton | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between social work interns' and behavioral health specialists' demographics:
| Social Work Internship | Behavioral Health Specialist | |
| Average age | 43 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 18.3% Female, 81.7% | Male, 29.2% Female, 70.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.4% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 7.3% White, 54.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2% | 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 | 11% | 15% |