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The differences between therapeutic support staff and crisis intervention 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 support staff, becoming a crisis intervention specialist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a crisis intervention specialist has an average salary of $54,678, which is higher than the $34,086 average annual salary of a therapeutic support staff.
The top three skills for a therapeutic support staff include autism, social work and rehabilitation. The most important skills for a crisis intervention specialist are social work, patients, and substance abuse.
| Therapeutic Support Staff | Crisis Intervention Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $34,086 | $54,678 |
| Hourly rate | $16.39 | $26.29 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 192,172 | 80,817 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 43 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
A therapeutic support staff member specializes in providing guidance and counseling to individuals with emotional support needs, mainly children. They are primarily responsible for building rapport with clients while assessing their different conditions and needs. Through this assessment, therapeutic support staff can develop specific treatments in collaboration with mental health practitioners. One may directly work with schools, clinics, and other medical health facilities. Furthermore, it is essential to maintain all clients' records and monitor their progress, regularly updating the assigned physician or caseworker.
A crisis intervention specialist provides counseling services and intervention to patients in high-stress situations. Their responsibilities include conducting assessments to understand the clients' conditions, studying their medical histories and personal background, developing treatment plans, and regularly monitoring their behavior and progress. They may also coordinate with the patients' families or guardians, provide care advice, or refer patients to other specialists when necessary. Moreover, a crisis intervention specialist gives emotional support and guidance to patients, helping them deal with stress.
Therapeutic support staff and crisis intervention specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Therapeutic Support Staff | Crisis Intervention Specialist | |
| Average salary | $34,086 | $54,678 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $42,000 | Between $40,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Hoboken, NJ |
| Highest paying state | - | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | - | Legacy Health |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between a therapeutic support staff and a crisis intervention specialist in terms of educational background:
| Therapeutic Support Staff | Crisis Intervention Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between therapeutic support staff' and crisis intervention specialists' demographics:
| Therapeutic Support Staff | Crisis Intervention Specialist | |
| Average age | 43 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 25.4% Female, 74.6% | Male, 29.6% Female, 70.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 5.5% White, 65.8% 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% |