OPT Wellness Director Jobs
Wellness Director jobs on OPT require employers to sponsor your work authorization, which most hospital systems, corporate wellness programs, and university health centers are equipped to do. Your 12-month OPT window (or 24-month STEM extension if your degree qualifies) gives you a real runway to build leadership experience in this field.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Expect Success at Bridgeway! We make a difference in people’s lives by supporting their life goals - our employees and the people we serve alike. We invest in our employees through competitive compensation and benefits, best practice training, and fostering a team-oriented culture that promotes career development. We nurture an environment that values diversity, where inclusivity, equity, and belonging thrive.
EXCELLENT BENEFITS:
Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, 403b, basic life and AD&D, flexible spending accounts, EAP
Eligible for medical benefits after 30 days of employment
Flexible work schedules, clinical training series, leadership development program
10 paid holidays (an 11th after 2 years of employment), generous vacation and sick time
At Bridgeway, Everyone Learns and Grows together.
We give you our best, so you can unleash your full potential.
Make a Future at Bridgeway!
Who we are: Bridgeway values and promotes quality clinical and administrative practices to foster the best outcomes for persons who come to us for behavioral healthcare. We offer a work environment that supports teamwork, creativity, innovation, professional growth and dedication to the work. At Bridgeway, we never stop growing and innovating our vision of behavioral healthcare for the future.
Why you should apply: As a Wellness Clinician-Not Licensed, you will join an evidence-based program and a dynamic team for the opportunity to learn and refine your clinical and engagement skills and accomplish your dream of helping people to make progress on their unique recovery journeys. The work is sometimes challenging and always rewarding by engaging with persons we serve and co-workers as we all learn, grow, and thrive.
Department: PACT 11 / PACT 12 / PACT 13
Salary: $55000 - $60000 – depending on education / experience
$5000 Sign-On Bonus
JOB SUMMARY:
The master’s level Wellness Clinician-Not Licensed provides clinical supervision to the team in conjunction with the Team Leader and other licensed professionals such as the psychiatrist. Provides clinical support for the team, providing supervision, skill assessment, and teaching. Utilizes best practices and strategies. In collaboration with team leader, ensures that clinical interventions are effective, stage-based and tied directly to the recovery plans of persons receiving services. As part of a multi-disciplinary, core services team, provides assessment and direct service for people with seriously and persistently mentally illness enrolled in the PACT Program. [Per NJ PACT regulations, clinical supervision may be provided by a master's level mental health professional. Often, supervision is provided to the team by the PACT Team Leader (licensed or unlicensed) and wellness clinician (licensed or unlicensed) in conjunction with the Psychiatrist and Director.]
- Clinical supervision and direction in conjunction with the team leader and the teams’ licensed staff members to the PACT team, emphasizing a peer clinical supervision approach, and individual supervision on a monthly basis.
- Provides monthly supervision for direct reports and seeks out monthly supervision from own supervisor.
- Co-facilitation of clinical meetings
- Ensure clinical interventions are evidence-based, stage-based, and lead to recovery goal attainment
- Staff development activities, with help from the team, including orientation of new staff, in-service training, individual supervision and staff performance appraisal
- Within the team, development of clinical assessment, comprehensive assessment and a Recovery Plan, often focusing on clinical needs of the person receiving services. Ensures documentation is completed on time and with quality in adherence to DMHAS/Medicaid standards.
- Mental health education, community living skill training and supportive counseling in the home and other natural environments to persons served and significant others, often focusing on substance abuse education needs of the consumer
- Assessing service recipients stated concerns, mental illness symptoms, and behavior in response to medication and monitors for medication side-effects during the provision of observed self-administration and during ongoing face-to-face contacts
- Medication education to both individuals and family/significant others (with service recipient consent).
- Coordination of services with other community mental health and non-mental health providers, as well as other medical professionals
- Ensures the team develops WRAP and Psychiatric Advance Directives that includes stage wise treatment utilizing Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral Interventions and Teaching Strategies.
- Ensures the team utilizes evidenced based practices, including motivational interviewing, IDDT, CBT skills, IMR, Trauma Informed Care, Permanent Supportive Housing and Career Development when engaging individuals with their recovery
- Crisis intervention services for persons served with acute psychiatric needs whose circumstances and conditions require rapid intervention.
- 24 hour on-call coverage on a rotating schedule with the ability to respond immediately to individuals by phone or in person
- Rapid and flexible response to crisis, including but not limited to: accompanying the person to the local screening center or psychiatric emergency service and remaining with the person during the assessment process
- Assessment of individuals’ daily living skills, and teaching individuals needed skills in the areas of budgeting, cooking, laundry, cleaning, shopping, personal hygiene, transportation, self-advocacy and ways to maintain housing
- Support to assist persons served to find and maintain employment and/or education/training
- Outreach to newly enrolled individuals and encourages those reluctant to accept mental health services through interventions with them and/or family members and friends concerned with their welfare
- Implementation of staff development activities including orientation of new staff, in-service training, individual supervision, and staff performance appraisals
- Support to the service recipient’s family and other members of his/her social network to help them manage the symptoms and related consequences of the service recipient’s illness, reduce the level of family and social stress associated with the illness, and achieve wellness. Will provide education to assist the service recipient and family to relate in a positive and supportive manner
REQUIREMENTS
Master’s Degree in Counseling, Psychology, Social Work or related area required
2 years’ post-Bachelor’s experience working with individuals with serious and persistent mental illness
Driver’s License, Vehicle:
Valid driver’s license required
No more than one moving violation within the past 12 months
Vehicle required
ABOUT BRIDGEWAY:
Bridgeway Behavioral Health Services was founded on a strong desire to fight disparity and injustice alongside people living with behavioral health conditions. We are dedicated to providing a multicultural workplace where everyone feels a sense of purpose and belonging. We provide equal opportunity for employees and applicants in all aspects of the employment relationship, without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender, marital status, military or veteran status, disability, age, religion, or any other classification protected by law.
INTRODUCTION
Expect Success at Bridgeway! We make a difference in people’s lives by supporting their life goals - our employees and the people we serve alike. We invest in our employees through competitive compensation and benefits, best practice training, and fostering a team-oriented culture that promotes career development. We nurture an environment that values diversity, where inclusivity, equity, and belonging thrive.
EXCELLENT BENEFITS:
Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, 403b, basic life and AD&D, flexible spending accounts, EAP
Eligible for medical benefits after 30 days of employment
Flexible work schedules, clinical training series, leadership development program
10 paid holidays (an 11th after 2 years of employment), generous vacation and sick time
At Bridgeway, Everyone Learns and Grows together.
We give you our best, so you can unleash your full potential.
Make a Future at Bridgeway!
Who we are: Bridgeway values and promotes quality clinical and administrative practices to foster the best outcomes for persons who come to us for behavioral healthcare. We offer a work environment that supports teamwork, creativity, innovation, professional growth and dedication to the work. At Bridgeway, we never stop growing and innovating our vision of behavioral healthcare for the future.
Why you should apply: As a Wellness Clinician-Not Licensed, you will join an evidence-based program and a dynamic team for the opportunity to learn and refine your clinical and engagement skills and accomplish your dream of helping people to make progress on their unique recovery journeys. The work is sometimes challenging and always rewarding by engaging with persons we serve and co-workers as we all learn, grow, and thrive.
Department: PACT 11 / PACT 12 / PACT 13
Salary: $55000 - $60000 – depending on education / experience
$5000 Sign-On Bonus
JOB SUMMARY:
The master’s level Wellness Clinician-Not Licensed provides clinical supervision to the team in conjunction with the Team Leader and other licensed professionals such as the psychiatrist. Provides clinical support for the team, providing supervision, skill assessment, and teaching. Utilizes best practices and strategies. In collaboration with team leader, ensures that clinical interventions are effective, stage-based and tied directly to the recovery plans of persons receiving services. As part of a multi-disciplinary, core services team, provides assessment and direct service for people with seriously and persistently mentally illness enrolled in the PACT Program. [Per NJ PACT regulations, clinical supervision may be provided by a master's level mental health professional. Often, supervision is provided to the team by the PACT Team Leader (licensed or unlicensed) and wellness clinician (licensed or unlicensed) in conjunction with the Psychiatrist and Director.]
- Clinical supervision and direction in conjunction with the team leader and the teams’ licensed staff members to the PACT team, emphasizing a peer clinical supervision approach, and individual supervision on a monthly basis.
- Provides monthly supervision for direct reports and seeks out monthly supervision from own supervisor.
- Co-facilitation of clinical meetings
- Ensure clinical interventions are evidence-based, stage-based, and lead to recovery goal attainment
- Staff development activities, with help from the team, including orientation of new staff, in-service training, individual supervision and staff performance appraisal
- Within the team, development of clinical assessment, comprehensive assessment and a Recovery Plan, often focusing on clinical needs of the person receiving services. Ensures documentation is completed on time and with quality in adherence to DMHAS/Medicaid standards.
- Mental health education, community living skill training and supportive counseling in the home and other natural environments to persons served and significant others, often focusing on substance abuse education needs of the consumer
- Assessing service recipients stated concerns, mental illness symptoms, and behavior in response to medication and monitors for medication side-effects during the provision of observed self-administration and during ongoing face-to-face contacts
- Medication education to both individuals and family/significant others (with service recipient consent).
- Coordination of services with other community mental health and non-mental health providers, as well as other medical professionals
- Ensures the team develops WRAP and Psychiatric Advance Directives that includes stage wise treatment utilizing Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral Interventions and Teaching Strategies.
- Ensures the team utilizes evidenced based practices, including motivational interviewing, IDDT, CBT skills, IMR, Trauma Informed Care, Permanent Supportive Housing and Career Development when engaging individuals with their recovery
- Crisis intervention services for persons served with acute psychiatric needs whose circumstances and conditions require rapid intervention.
- 24 hour on-call coverage on a rotating schedule with the ability to respond immediately to individuals by phone or in person
- Rapid and flexible response to crisis, including but not limited to: accompanying the person to the local screening center or psychiatric emergency service and remaining with the person during the assessment process
- Assessment of individuals’ daily living skills, and teaching individuals needed skills in the areas of budgeting, cooking, laundry, cleaning, shopping, personal hygiene, transportation, self-advocacy and ways to maintain housing
- Support to assist persons served to find and maintain employment and/or education/training
- Outreach to newly enrolled individuals and encourages those reluctant to accept mental health services through interventions with them and/or family members and friends concerned with their welfare
- Implementation of staff development activities including orientation of new staff, in-service training, individual supervision, and staff performance appraisals
- Support to the service recipient’s family and other members of his/her social network to help them manage the symptoms and related consequences of the service recipient’s illness, reduce the level of family and social stress associated with the illness, and achieve wellness. Will provide education to assist the service recipient and family to relate in a positive and supportive manner
REQUIREMENTS
Master’s Degree in Counseling, Psychology, Social Work or related area required
2 years’ post-Bachelor’s experience working with individuals with serious and persistent mental illness
Driver’s License, Vehicle:
Valid driver’s license required
No more than one moving violation within the past 12 months
Vehicle required
ABOUT BRIDGEWAY:
Bridgeway Behavioral Health Services was founded on a strong desire to fight disparity and injustice alongside people living with behavioral health conditions. We are dedicated to providing a multicultural workplace where everyone feels a sense of purpose and belonging. We provide equal opportunity for employees and applicants in all aspects of the employment relationship, without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender, marital status, military or veteran status, disability, age, religion, or any other classification protected by law.
See all 79+ OPT Wellness Director Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Wellness Director Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship in Wellness Director
Target employers with existing OPT infrastructure
Large hospital networks, universities, and corporate wellness divisions regularly hire international staff and understand OPT authorization. Smaller independent wellness studios rarely do. Focus your search on organizations with dedicated HR departments that have processed work authorization before.
Clarify your STEM extension eligibility early
Health sciences and kinesiology degrees from STEM-designated programs qualify for the 24-month OPT extension. Confirm your program's CIP code with your DSO before applying. A 36-month total authorization window is a meaningful selling point when discussing your timeline with employers.
Lead with your credentials, not your visa status
Certifications like CWWS, NBC-HWC, or ACSM-EP establish your professional credibility before visa conversations begin. Employers who value your qualifications are far more willing to work through sponsorship logistics than those evaluating you primarily on availability.
Address authorization proactively in interviews
Wellness Director roles involve long-term program planning, so employers think in multi-year timelines. Explain that OPT covers immediate employment and that H-1B visa sponsorship is a straightforward next step. Framing it as a process, not a problem, reduces employer hesitation significantly.
Build your case around measurable program outcomes
Employers sponsoring OPT students want confidence the hire will deliver. Come prepared with specific outcomes from past wellness programs you managed: participation rates, health risk assessment improvements, or cost-per-participant metrics. Concrete results make the sponsorship conversation easier to justify internally.
Negotiate your start date around EAD card timing
OPT applications take 3 to 5 months to process, and you cannot start work without your EAD card in hand. Apply as early as 90 days before your program end date and communicate your earliest available start date clearly so employers can plan hiring timelines accordingly.
Wellness Director OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work as a Wellness Director on OPT without additional employer sponsorship?
Yes. During your OPT period, your EAD card authorizes you to work for any employer in a role directly related to your degree. The employer does not need to file any petition on your behalf for OPT employment. Sponsorship only becomes relevant if you need H-1B or another long-term visa after OPT ends.
What degree fields qualify for the Wellness Director role on OPT?
Most Wellness Director positions require a degree in public health, health promotion, kinesiology, exercise science, or a related health sciences field. Your OPT must be tied to your specific degree program, so the job description should clearly align with your field of study. A degree in an unrelated field, even with relevant certifications, may not satisfy USCIS employment requirements for OPT.
Does a Wellness Director job qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
It depends on whether your degree program holds a STEM-designated CIP code. Health informatics, biostatistics, and some kinesiology programs are STEM-designated; general health promotion degrees often are not. Check your degree's CIP code with your DSO. If you qualify, the 24-month extension gives you up to 36 months of total OPT authorization, which substantially extends your time to secure long-term sponsorship.
Will Wellness Director employers typically sponsor H-1B visas after OPT?
Many do, particularly hospital systems, large corporations with established wellness programs, and universities. These organizations already have legal counsel familiar with H-1B filings. Wellness Director roles generally qualify as specialty occupations requiring a relevant bachelor's degree, which meets the core H-1B eligibility requirement. Smaller employers or independent wellness operators are less likely to have sponsorship experience or resources.
Where can I find Wellness Director jobs that are open to OPT candidates?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for F-1 OPT students and filters roles by sponsorship openness, so you're not wasting time on postings that won't consider work authorization. Wellness Director roles appear across healthcare, corporate, and higher education categories on the platform. Searching by employer type helps you prioritize organizations with the HR infrastructure to actually follow through on sponsorship.