Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between therapeutic mentors 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 therapeutic mentor, 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 $41,272 average annual salary of a therapeutic mentor.
The top three skills for a therapeutic mentor include skill building, behavior management and interpersonal communication. The most important skills for a behavioral health specialist are patients, social work, and substance abuse.
| Therapeutic Mentor | Behavioral Health Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $41,272 | $44,808 |
| Hourly rate | $19.84 | $21.54 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 66,070 | 130,222 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 43 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
Therapeutic mentoring sessions typically take place between youths and a professional, usually a Therapeutic Mentor. He/She works with social services to provide therapeutic support services to youths that are under age 21 dealing with various issues. As a mentor, you'll be conducting one-on-one strength-based sessions with youths and, sometimes, their families. Your duties will include providing conflict resolution and crisis intervention in a family setting, developing healthy family relationships, and supervising development programs designed to help the youth succeed.
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.
Therapeutic mentors and behavioral health specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Therapeutic Mentor | Behavioral Health Specialist | |
| Average salary | $41,272 | $44,808 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $59,000 | Between $29,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Anchorage, AK |
| Highest paying state | - | Alaska |
| Best paying company | - | Maxim Healthcare Group |
| Best paying industry | - | Insurance |
There are a few differences between a therapeutic mentor and a behavioral health specialist in terms of educational background:
| Therapeutic Mentor | Behavioral Health Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between therapeutic mentors' and behavioral health specialists' demographics:
| Therapeutic Mentor | Behavioral Health Specialist | |
| Average age | 43 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.9% Female, 61.1% | Male, 29.2% Female, 70.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 20.0% Asian, 5.4% White, 58.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9% | 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% |