J-1 Visa Behavioral Health Technician Jobs
Behavioral Health Technician roles in the U.S. are most commonly pursued under the J-1 visa Trainee or Intern program category, with a designated sponsor organization issuing your DS-2019 and overseeing your training plan. Finding a host employer willing to structure the placement is the critical first step to securing sponsorship.
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Title
Postdoctoral Appointee in Adolescent Behavioral Health Research
Specific Title
Postdoctoral Fellow in Psychiatry
Appointment Type
Postdoctoral Fellow
Department
IUSM - Psychiatry
Campus
IU School of Medicine Indianapolis
Position Summary
Postdoctoral Fellowship in Adolescent Behavioral Health Research at Indiana University School of Medicine. The Adolescent Behavioral Health Research Program at the Indiana University School of Medicine is currently seeking applications from highly motivated, team-oriented candidates for a research postdoctoral fellowship. The full-time position will focus on honing expertise and research acumen in the areas of adolescent substance use, mental health, traumatic stress, and behavioral interventions for youth and families. Candidates with interests in developing and implementing applied research projects aimed at improving reach and effectiveness of behavioral health services for young people, as well as understanding more about neural and behavioral mechanisms underlying response to such treatments, are encouraged to apply. The fellow will actively participate in implementation, data analysis, and dissemination of findings (manuscripts, presentations) from multiple funded clinical trials and laboratory studies. Additional opportunities exist to contribute to studies on developmental neuroscience and projects aimed at increasing workforce capacity to deliver evidence-supported behavioral health services. The fellow will receive mentorship from faculty investigators toward the development of an independent program of research. Training will be provided in project design, grant writing, and research ethics. Fellows may have the opportunity to gain clinical hours toward licensure through the delivery of clinic- and telehealth-based assessment and treatment services. Salary and benefits are commensurate with NIH rates based on training and years of experience. The Adolescent Behavioral Health Research Program is a joint effort of the IUSOM Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry. Core faculty include Matthew Aalsma, Ph.D., Zachary Adams, Ph.D., Kathleen Crum, Ph.D., Ally Dir, Ph.D., Leslie Hulvershorn, MD., Casey Pederson, Ph.D., and Tamika Zapolski, Ph.D. The Department of Psychiatry has a broad research, clinical, and teaching mission and maintains a clinical psychology internship, a psychiatry residency program, and fellowships in addition to training rotations for medical and graduate students. Indiana University School of Medicine is the largest medical school in the United States, with a large academic health center in downtown Indianapolis, the 17th largest city in the United States. In addition to having active sports, cultural, arts, and educational events and programs, Indianapolis is located centrally near several other major cities including Chicago, Louisville, Cincinnati, and Columbus. IU School of Medicine is committed to being a welcoming campus community and we seek candidates whose research, teaching, and community engagement efforts contribute to robust learning and working environments for all students, staff, and faculty. We invite individuals who will join us in our mission to improve health equity and well-being for all throughout the state of Indiana. IU School of Medicine is closely aligned with our health system partner, IU Health, which has twice earned a place on the US News and World Report Honor Roll. The shared vision of both institutions is to lead the transformation of healthcare through quality innovation and education to make Indiana one of the nation’s healthiest states. IU Health is among the top ten largest single-state nonprofit health systems in the United States operating 16 hospitals statewide (a mix of urban, suburban and rural facilities). This partnership enables the seamless integration of research findings into patient care.
Basic Qualifications
- Ph.D. in clinical, developmental, counseling, or school psychology; social work; public health; neuroscience, or a closely related field; or M.D. child and adolescent psychiatrist. Doctorate or terminal degree required.
- Successful completion of accredited internship, if applicable
- Strong background in quantitative analysis
- Prior experience conducting behavioral health or health services research, as demonstrated by published manuscripts and presentations at scientific meetings
- Team player with strong work ethic and excellent organizational skills
- Commitment to becoming an independent scientist
- Exceptional analytical, interpersonal, and communication skills
Additional Qualifications
Special Instructions
Interested candidates should submit a CV, including contact information for 3 references, as well as a cover letter stating interests, experience, and goals.
Priority Application Review Deadline
Expected Start Date
Posting Number
IUSM-02332-2026
Department Contact for Questions
Tracy Colvill, tcolvill@iu.edu
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding J-1 Visa Sponsorship as a Behavioral Health Technician
Document your clinical training background thoroughly
Designated sponsors require a structured training plan tied to your existing education or work history. Gather transcripts, clinical practicum records, and supervisor evaluations that demonstrate direct behavioral health experience before approaching any host employer.
Distinguish Intern from Trainee category eligibility
If you're currently enrolled in a behavioral health degree program, the J-1 Intern category applies. If you've graduated within the past 12 months or hold one year of relevant work experience, you qualify under the Trainee category instead.
Target host employers with existing DS-2019 experience
Search for Behavioral Health Technician roles on Migrate Mate, which surfaces U.S. employers already familiar with J-1 host obligations, so you're not educating an HR team on program requirements from scratch.
Confirm the host employer meets FLSA wage requirements
Your J-1 training allowance must comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act. Ask the host employer to show how your compensation aligns with what the OFLC Wage Search shows for your role and geographic area before signing any training agreement.
Verify the 2-year home residency requirement applies to you
Behavioral health fields funded by government programs can trigger the 2-year home residency requirement under INA Section 212(e). Confirm your status with your designated sponsor before accepting a host offer, since this affects any future U.S. visa plans.
Align your training plan sections with actual BHT duties
Designated sponsors scrutinize training plans that list vague objectives. Map each training phase to specific behavioral health technician tasks, such as implementing behavior intervention plans or conducting discrete trial training, using O*NET task descriptions as a reference framework.
Behavioral Health Technician J-1 Visa: Frequently Asked Questions
Which J-1 program category fits a Behavioral Health Technician role?
Most Behavioral Health Technician placements fall under the J-1 Trainee category, which is designed for foreign nationals who have a degree or professional certificate and at least one year of relevant work experience outside the U.S. If you're still enrolled in a behavioral health or psychology degree program, the Intern category applies instead. Either way, a State Department-designated sponsor organization issues your DS-2019, not your host employer.
Who actually sponsors the J-1 visa for this role?
The visa sponsor is a U.S. Department of State-designated organization, such as Cultural Vistas or CIEE, not the clinic or healthcare facility where you'll work. The employer is your host site and must agree to structured training obligations, but the designated sponsor issues the DS-2019, signs the training plan, and maintains regulatory responsibility for your exchange program throughout your stay.
How do I find host employers open to J-1 Behavioral Health Technician placements?
Migrate Mate lets you filter for U.S. employers posting Behavioral Health Technician roles in contexts that align with J-1 sponsorship, helping you avoid spending time on employers unfamiliar with the host site obligations. Because behavioral health settings range from ABA clinics to residential facilities to school districts, filtering by setting type helps you match your training background to the right host.
Does working as a Behavioral Health Technician trigger the 2-year home residency requirement?
It can. The 2-year home residency requirement under INA Section 212(e) applies when your exchange program is financed by your home government or the U.S. government, or when your field appears on the Exchange Visitor Skills List for your home country. Behavioral health is listed for many countries. Confirm your status directly with your designated sponsor organization before accepting a host site offer, since a waiver process exists but takes time.
What does the J-1 training plan need to include for this occupation?
The training plan must describe specific skills you'll develop that aren't available in your home country, broken into measurable phases with supervisory check-ins. For a Behavioral Health Technician, this typically means phases covering behavior data collection, implementing treatment protocols under a BCBA's supervision, and crisis de-escalation techniques. Vague objectives like 'gain clinical experience' are routinely flagged by designated sponsors and slow down DS-2019 issuance.