OPT Wellness Manager Jobs
Wellness Manager jobs on OPT require employers willing to sponsor an H-1B visa or extend your OPT period. Most roles fall under specialty occupation criteria through health promotion, kinesiology, or public health degrees. Your 12-month standard OPT window, extendable to 36 months with a STEM extension, gives you meaningful runway to land and grow 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 Manager Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Wellness Manager Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as a Wellness Manager
Confirm your degree qualifies the role
Wellness Manager positions must qualify as specialty occupations for H-1B visa sponsorship. A degree in public health, kinesiology, health promotion, or nutrition directly supports this. Roles requiring only a general business degree may face more scrutiny during sponsorship.
Target employers with established wellness programs
Large corporations, hospital systems, and universities with formal employee wellness departments are far more likely to sponsor than small businesses. These employers have HR infrastructure, legal counsel, and budget to navigate the OPT-to-H-1B pipeline without hesitation.
Apply before your OPT authorization expires
H-1B petitions must be filed by April 1 each year to take effect October 1. If your OPT expires before then, your employer may need to bridge the gap using cap-exempt status or other interim authorization. Plan your timeline accordingly.
Highlight measurable program outcomes on your resume
Wellness Manager hiring managers want evidence of impact, not just credentials. Quantify outcomes: participation rates, health risk reduction, cost savings. This also strengthens the specialty occupation argument by demonstrating the role requires specialized professional knowledge.
Ask about sponsorship early but frame it professionally
Raise sponsorship during the offer stage, not the first interview. Frame it as a straightforward process your employer initiates. Saying you have OPT work authorization now and will need H-1B sponsorship before a specific date is clear and professional.
Pursue STEM OPT extension if your degree qualifies
Degrees in health informatics, public health with a quantitative focus, or health sciences may qualify for the 24-month STEM extension. This gives you 36 months total on OPT, significantly widening your window for job searching and H-1B sponsorship timing.
Wellness Manager OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work as a Wellness Manager on OPT?
Yes, if your Wellness Manager role is directly related to your degree field. OPT authorizes F-1 students to work in jobs that are related to their major area of study. A wellness role supported by a degree in public health, kinesiology, nutrition, or health promotion meets this requirement. Working in an unrelated field risks violating your F-1 status.
Do Wellness Manager jobs typically qualify for H-1B sponsorship?
Many do, but it depends on how the role is defined. Wellness Manager positions tied to a specific degree field, such as public health or health promotion, generally meet the specialty occupation standard. Roles framed around general management without a defined field-specific degree requirement are harder to sponsor. Employers at hospital systems, universities, and large corporations tend to structure these roles in ways that support H-1B eligibility.
How do I find Wellness Manager jobs that sponsor OPT students?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for F-1 OPT students and filters for employers open to sponsorship. Searching there saves significant time compared to applying broadly and discovering late in the process that an employer won't sponsor. Focus your applications on employers in healthcare, higher education, and large enterprise sectors, where wellness program infrastructure and legal sponsorship experience already exist.
Does my wellness degree qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
It depends on your specific program and CIP code. Health informatics, biostatistics, and some public health programs with quantitative concentrations appear on the STEM designated degree list. General health promotion or exercise science degrees typically do not qualify. Check your degree's CIP code against the official DHS STEM list and confirm with your Designated School Official before counting on the extension in your job search timeline.
What happens to my OPT authorization if my Wellness Manager job ends?
You enter a 60-day grace period after your employment ends during which you can remain in the U.S. and search for a new position. You cannot work during this period. If you secure a new role related to your degree, you can resume OPT employment immediately. If you don't secure work before the grace period ends, you must depart the U.S. or change to another visa status. Track your authorization end dates carefully.