OPT Licensed Mental Health Professional Jobs
Licensed Mental Health Professional jobs on OPT require active state licensure, which can be a challenge on a tight OPT timeline. Most roles are STEM-ineligible, so your standard 12-month OPT window applies. Clinical supervision hours, licensure portability across states, and employer willingness to sponsor H-1B visa after OPT are all factors worth evaluating early.
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Get Access To All JobsJoin a team that shares your calling
At MultiCare, you’re more than just a job title — you’re part of a team built on trust that cares for each other, our patients and our communities. Belonging here means living our mission and values every day. If your purpose and passions align with ours, you’ll find a place to grow, do meaningful work and build a career you love in a community that feels like home.
At MultiCare Behavioral Health – Kitsap, we have an amazing and dynamic team that is passionate about serving our community. We provide outpatient mental health and counseling services to youth and adults, and we're looking for someone who shares our commitment to delivering compassionate, patient-centered care.
This role offers the opportunity to work with a diverse patient population ages 6+ while collaborating with a supportive and experienced team. If you're passionate about helping others, enjoy working with a variety of age groups, and are looking for a team-oriented environment where you can make a meaningful impact, we'd love for you to join us!
FTE: 1.0 (40 hrs/wk), Shift: 8:30AM - 5:00PM, Schedule: Monday - Friday
Potentially up to $5,000 sign on bonus!
Potentially up to $10,000 relocation bonus!
Position Summary
The Licensed Mental Health Professional is a key role within the behavioral health department of MultiCare, responsible for providing individual, family, and group therapy for patients. Treating a broad array of behavioral health disorders, mental illness and co-occurring illnesses, within this role you will be able to apply evidenced-based and evidence-informed outpatient therapy and clinical service skill sets in your daily work functions.
Responsibilities
- You will complete psychiatric or psychosocial assessments, including mental status exams
- You will develop with the individual in service, an assessment and comprehensive treatment plan that identifies the unique needs of each individual and may provide individual, couples, family, psychoeducation, and group therapy
- You will provide psychotherapy, supportive therapy, i.e. problem solving, role-playing, modeling and support, social skill development, and assertiveness training to increase patient social and interpersonal activities in community settings
- You will document all encounters inpatient electronic health record according to organization policies and procedures; monitor outcome measurements
- You will collaborate with referral sources and other members of the patient's clinical team
- You will provide ongoing measurement of the individual in service outcomes and evaluation of intervention effectiveness
Requirements
- Master’s degree in social work, psychology, counseling, or related field
- A Mental Health Professional as defined within HB 1724 one of these higher credentials are held: Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT), Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), SW Independent Clinical Lic (LICSW)
- Drivers License/Abstract
Why MultiCare?
Rooted in the local community
Partnering with patients, families and neighbors across the Pacific Northwest for more than 140 years.
Growth and education
Competitive tuition assistance, award-winning residencies, fellowships and career development to invest in you.
Well-being and support
Generous PTO, Code Lavender and Employee Assistance Programs to help you maintain balance and feel cared in your work and life.
Living our values
Respect, integrity, kindness and collaboration guide how we care for patients, communities and each other.
Belonging for all
Resource Groups and outreach programs help ensure every team member feels safe, seen, heard and valued.
Pacific Northwest lifestyle
Work and live where natural beauty, adventure and strong community connections are part of everyday life.
Pay and Benefit Expectations
We provide a comprehensive benefits package, including competitive salary, medical, dental and retirement benefits and paid time off. As required by various pay transparency laws, we share a competitive range of compensation for candidates hired into each position. The pay scale is $39.85 - $57.35 USD. However, pay is influenced by factors specific to applicants, including but not limited to: skill set, level of experience, and certification(s) and/or education. If this position is associated with a union contract, pay will be reflective of the appropriate step on the pay scale to which the applicant’s years of experience align.
Associated benefit information can be viewed here.
Join a team that shares your calling
At MultiCare, you’re more than just a job title — you’re part of a team built on trust that cares for each other, our patients and our communities. Belonging here means living our mission and values every day. If your purpose and passions align with ours, you’ll find a place to grow, do meaningful work and build a career you love in a community that feels like home.
At MultiCare Behavioral Health – Kitsap, we have an amazing and dynamic team that is passionate about serving our community. We provide outpatient mental health and counseling services to youth and adults, and we're looking for someone who shares our commitment to delivering compassionate, patient-centered care.
This role offers the opportunity to work with a diverse patient population ages 6+ while collaborating with a supportive and experienced team. If you're passionate about helping others, enjoy working with a variety of age groups, and are looking for a team-oriented environment where you can make a meaningful impact, we'd love for you to join us!
FTE: 1.0 (40 hrs/wk), Shift: 8:30AM - 5:00PM, Schedule: Monday - Friday
Potentially up to $5,000 sign on bonus!
Potentially up to $10,000 relocation bonus!
Position Summary
The Licensed Mental Health Professional is a key role within the behavioral health department of MultiCare, responsible for providing individual, family, and group therapy for patients. Treating a broad array of behavioral health disorders, mental illness and co-occurring illnesses, within this role you will be able to apply evidenced-based and evidence-informed outpatient therapy and clinical service skill sets in your daily work functions.
Responsibilities
- You will complete psychiatric or psychosocial assessments, including mental status exams
- You will develop with the individual in service, an assessment and comprehensive treatment plan that identifies the unique needs of each individual and may provide individual, couples, family, psychoeducation, and group therapy
- You will provide psychotherapy, supportive therapy, i.e. problem solving, role-playing, modeling and support, social skill development, and assertiveness training to increase patient social and interpersonal activities in community settings
- You will document all encounters inpatient electronic health record according to organization policies and procedures; monitor outcome measurements
- You will collaborate with referral sources and other members of the patient's clinical team
- You will provide ongoing measurement of the individual in service outcomes and evaluation of intervention effectiveness
Requirements
- Master’s degree in social work, psychology, counseling, or related field
- A Mental Health Professional as defined within HB 1724 one of these higher credentials are held: Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT), Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), SW Independent Clinical Lic (LICSW)
- Drivers License/Abstract
Why MultiCare?
Rooted in the local community
Partnering with patients, families and neighbors across the Pacific Northwest for more than 140 years.
Growth and education
Competitive tuition assistance, award-winning residencies, fellowships and career development to invest in you.
Well-being and support
Generous PTO, Code Lavender and Employee Assistance Programs to help you maintain balance and feel cared in your work and life.
Living our values
Respect, integrity, kindness and collaboration guide how we care for patients, communities and each other.
Belonging for all
Resource Groups and outreach programs help ensure every team member feels safe, seen, heard and valued.
Pacific Northwest lifestyle
Work and live where natural beauty, adventure and strong community connections are part of everyday life.
Pay and Benefit Expectations
We provide a comprehensive benefits package, including competitive salary, medical, dental and retirement benefits and paid time off. As required by various pay transparency laws, we share a competitive range of compensation for candidates hired into each position. The pay scale is $39.85 - $57.35 USD. However, pay is influenced by factors specific to applicants, including but not limited to: skill set, level of experience, and certification(s) and/or education. If this position is associated with a union contract, pay will be reflective of the appropriate step on the pay scale to which the applicant’s years of experience align.
Associated benefit information can be viewed here.
See all 215+ OPT Licensed Mental Health Professional Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Licensed Mental Health Professional Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship in Licensed Mental Health Professional
Confirm licensure requirements before applying
State licensure requirements vary significantly. Verify that your degree meets the supervised hours and exam requirements for the state where you plan to work before accepting any offer, since unlicensed practice is not permitted in most clinical roles.
Target employers with H-1B sponsorship history
Hospitals, federally qualified health centers, and large behavioral health networks have stronger H-1B visa sponsorship track records than private practices. Prioritize employers with infrastructure for immigration paperwork, since solo practitioners rarely have experience sponsoring foreign national clinicians.
Understand your OPT timeline relative to licensure
Obtaining full licensure often takes 12 to 24 months of post-graduation supervised hours. If your OPT window expires before you complete those hours, your work authorization gap could disrupt the licensure process, so plan timelines carefully with your employer.
Ask about cap-exempt H-1B sponsorship
Universities, nonprofit research institutions, and government-affiliated mental health agencies may qualify as cap-exempt H-1B employers. These roles bypass the H-1B lottery entirely, which is a meaningful advantage for clinicians whose OPT is expiring before the next cap season.
Clarify supervision hours count toward licensure during OPT
Confirm with your state licensing board that hours accrued under OPT will count toward your licensure requirements. Some boards scrutinize the employment authorization type, and getting clarity in writing before you start protects your hours from being invalidated later.
Address H-1B sponsorship in your interview strategically
Raise the sponsorship conversation after you have demonstrated clinical fit, not as an opener. Frame it as a long-term retention question. Employers invest significantly in hiring and training clinicians, and sponsorship is often easier to justify once they see your value to the team.
Licensed Mental Health Professional OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work as a Licensed Mental Health Professional on OPT?
Yes, but you must hold valid state licensure for the role you are performing. OPT authorizes employment in your field of study, and most licensed mental health roles require a state-issued license as a baseline condition of employment. If you are still accumulating supervised hours toward full licensure, your job title and scope of practice must reflect your current unlicensed or provisionally licensed status.
Are Licensed Mental Health Professional jobs STEM OPT eligible?
Most licensed mental health roles are not STEM OPT eligible because the underlying degree programs, such as counseling, social work, and marriage and family therapy, are not on the USCIS STEM designated degree list. Clinical psychology doctorates may qualify in some cases depending on the CIP code assigned by your institution. Check with your DSO to confirm your specific degree classification before assuming STEM extension eligibility.
How do I find Licensed Mental Health Professional jobs that sponsor OPT workers?
Migrate Mate is the recommended starting point. It focuses specifically on employers open to sponsoring international candidates, which filters out the significant portion of mental health employers, particularly small private practices, that will not consider OPT workers. Larger health systems, federally qualified health centers, and university counseling centers are the employer types most likely to appear in that pool.
What happens to my supervised clinical hours if my OPT expires before I complete licensure?
If your OPT expires and you do not have a bridge visa such as an H-1B or a cap-exempt alternative, you lose work authorization and cannot legally continue accruing supervised hours. Depending on your state, an extended gap in supervised practice may require you to restart your supervision clock. It is important to begin the H-1B or alternative sponsorship conversation with your employer well before your OPT end date.
Can a private practice or solo practitioner sponsor my H-1B after OPT?
Technically yes, but it is uncommon. H-1B sponsorship requires the employer to file a Labor Condition Application with the Department of Labor, pay USCIS filing fees, and work with an immigration attorney. Most solo practitioners and small group practices lack the administrative capacity or budget for this process. Your strongest sponsorship prospects are with health systems, nonprofits, and institutions that have existing HR and legal infrastructure.