Social work supervisor vs psychiatric social worker

The differences between social work supervisors and psychiatric social workers 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 supervisor, becoming a psychiatric social worker takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a social work supervisor has an average salary of $62,939, which is higher than the $59,144 average annual salary of a psychiatric social worker.

The top three skills for a social work supervisor include social work, patients and MSW. The most important skills for a psychiatric social worker are social work, patients, and crisis intervention.

Social work supervisor vs psychiatric social worker overview

	Social Work Supervisor	Psychiatric Social Worker
Yearly salary	$62,939	$59,144
Hourly rate	$30.26	$28.43
Growth rate	12%	9%
Number of jobs	93,867	57,284
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 48%	Master's Degree, 51%
Average age	43	45
Years of experience	12	2

What does a social work supervisor do?

Social work supervisors are licensed professionals who are responsible for providing administrative, clinical, and supportive supervision to inexperienced social workers. These supervisors are required to organize training to help their subordinates to develop their skills and promote career growth. They must respond to the conflicts occurring within the team and promote ethical behaviors among them as well as manage their schedules and expectations. Social work supervisors must also participate in research and studies which required opinion from social work organizations.

What does a psychiatric social worker do?

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.

Social work supervisor vs psychiatric social worker salary

Social work supervisors and psychiatric social workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Social Work Supervisor	Psychiatric Social Worker
Average salary	$62,939	$59,144
Salary range	Between $47,000 And $83,000	Between $43,000 And $79,000
Highest paying City	San Mateo, CA	San Mateo, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Chaplaincy Health Care	Highmark
Best paying industry	Government	Government

Differences between social work supervisor and psychiatric social worker education

There are a few differences between a social work supervisor and a psychiatric social worker in terms of educational background:

	Social Work Supervisor	Psychiatric Social Worker
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 48%	Master's Degree, 51%
Most common major	Social Work	Social Work
Most common college	California State University - Fullerton	University of Pennsylvania

Social work supervisor vs psychiatric social worker demographics

Here are the differences between social work supervisors' and psychiatric social workers' demographics:

	Social Work Supervisor	Psychiatric Social Worker
Average age	43	45
Gender ratio	Male, 23.4% Female, 76.6%	Male, 24.8% Female, 75.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.9% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 6.3% White, 54.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%	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%
LGBT Percentage	11%	13%

Differences between social work supervisor and psychiatric social worker duties and responsibilities

Social work supervisor example responsibilities.

Collaborate with partners including public and private agencies to achieve permanency for children.
Provide training and weekly supervision to MSW and BSW level staff in the traditional and therapeutic foster care programs.
Provide ongoing adjustment to illness support to patients and families through hospitalization, bereavement counseling, and crisis intervention.
Input data from assessments into the MDS system for submission to Medicare.
Spearhead hospital-wide projects, including roll out of new CMS regulations and forms.
Provide ongoing and current education regarding CMS issues like ABN process and implementation.

Psychiatric social worker example responsibilities.

Screen, identify, diagnose using DSM nomenclature, treat and manage mental health and/or substance abuse problems.
Provide clinical supervision and oversight to MSW intern who provide assessments and treatment.
Participate in weekly hospital social services meetings, weekly individual supervision, and facilitate change strategies for patients.
Guide, mentore, and tutor both BSW and MSW students in internship programs.
Assist individual in developing and practicing the skills define on their psychiatric rehabilitation plans.
Follow patients throughout hospitalization, working closely with attending psychiatrist; involve in family, individual and group treatment.

Social work supervisor vs psychiatric social worker skills

Common social work supervisor skills

Social Work, 31%
Patients, 6%
MSW, 5%
Child Welfare, 5%
Social Services, 5%
Crisis Intervention, 4%

Common psychiatric social worker skills

Social Work, 23%
Patients, 16%
Crisis Intervention, 7%
Rehabilitation, 5%
Discharge Planning, 5%
Mental Health, 4%

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Social Work Supervisor vs Psychiatric Social Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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