Substance abuse services director vs mental health therapist

The differences between substance abuse services directors and mental health therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a substance abuse services director and a mental health therapist. Additionally, a substance abuse services director has an average salary of $83,088, which is higher than the $50,259 average annual salary of a mental health therapist.

The top three skills for a substance abuse services director include substance abuse, social work and substance abuse treatment. The most important skills for a mental health therapist are social work, patients, and mental health.

Substance abuse services director vs mental health therapist overview

	Substance Abuse Services Director	Mental Health Therapist
Yearly salary	$83,088	$50,259
Hourly rate	$39.95	$24.16
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	57,827	114,386
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Master's Degree, 49%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	4	4

Substance abuse services director vs mental health therapist salary

Substance abuse services directors and mental health therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Substance Abuse Services Director	Mental Health Therapist
Average salary	$83,088	$50,259
Salary range	Between $54,000 And $125,000	Between $35,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	Connecticut
Best paying company	-	Tykes And Teens
Best paying industry	-	Non Profits

Differences between substance abuse services director and mental health therapist education

There are a few differences between a substance abuse services director and a mental health therapist in terms of educational background:

	Substance Abuse Services Director	Mental Health Therapist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Master's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Psychology	Social Work
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	California State University - Long Beach

Substance abuse services director vs mental health therapist demographics

Here are the differences between substance abuse services directors' and mental health therapists' demographics:

	Substance Abuse Services Director	Mental Health Therapist
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 48.1% Female, 51.9%	Male, 23.3% Female, 76.7%
Race ratio	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%	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	15%	15%

Differences between substance abuse services director and mental health therapist duties and responsibilities

Substance abuse services director example responsibilities.

Manage the departmental budget by adjusting therapist schedules to more efficiently schedule patients.
Re-Accredite program with CARF and new accreditation (CARF) of adolescent outpatient and intensive outpatient program.
Refocuse strategic mission of psychiatry toward integration and support of hospital services.
Perform patient chart audits ensuring proper documentation and patient care are provided per Medicare and Medicaid guidelines.
Negotiate contracts for inpatient detoxification and rehabilitation for HMO patients.
Create and implement psycho-educational groups pertaining to methadone and substance abuse and behavioral health.

Mental health therapist example responsibilities.

Create and lead PTSD group for women, depression and stress management groups for men and women.
Collaborate with patients to develop individualize treatment plans and evaluate plans periodically to monitor progress towards achieving identify goals and objectives.
Provide clinical supervision for MFT intern and participate in peer to peer reviews.
Receive training in diagnoses, physical restraints and CPR.
Care for children with autism and document daily data collection.
Utilize therapy techniques from various modalities including EMDR, TF-CBT, and DBT

Substance abuse services director vs mental health therapist skills

Common substance abuse services director skills

Substance Abuse, 24%
Social Work, 14%
Substance Abuse Treatment, 10%
Treatment Programs, 6%
Treatment Services, 5%
Clinical Supervision, 5%

Common mental health therapist skills

Social Work, 35%
Patients, 10%
Mental Health, 6%
Group Therapy Sessions, 5%
Mental Health Issues, 3%
Community Resources, 3%

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Substance Abuse Services Director
Substance Abuse Services Director vs Mental Health Therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

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