Behavioral Health Specialist Visa Sponsorship Jobs in California
California is one of the largest markets for behavioral health specialist roles in the U.S., with health systems like Kaiser Permanente, Sutter Health, and Dignity Health regularly hiring in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and Sacramento. The state's Medi-Cal expansion and ongoing investment in community mental health programs have sustained steady demand for qualified candidates.
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The Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior is seeking to hire a Behavioral Health Quality Analyst to join the Public Mental Health Partnership at UCLA (PMHP). PMHP serves as a Center of Excellence (COE) under California’s Behavioral Health COE Initiative supporting Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) and Forensic ACT (FACT) programs across the state through training, consultation, fidelity reviews, and quality improvement activities.
This position offers an opportunity to work with behavioral health teams throughout California to evaluate program effectiveness, support implementation of evidence-based practices, and help improve outcomes for individuals with serious mental illness. The role primarily supports programs within the San Francisco Bay Area region. This is not a traditional data analyst position.
Key Responsibilities:
- Conduct fidelity reviews of ACT and FACT programs through interviews, observations, record reviews, and data analysis
- Analyze qualitative and quantitative data to determine fidelity ratings and identify opportunities for quality improvement
- Prepare written reports outlining findings, recommendations, and implementation needs
- Provide consultation and guidance to behavioral health teams to strengthen service delivery and program effectiveness
- Collaborate with training, technical assistance, and quality improvement teams to support statewide initiatives
- Assist with the development and delivery of virtual and in-person training related to ACT/FACT practices and fidelity standards
Location & Travel Requirements:
This position primarily supports ACT and FACT programs throughout California's San Francisco Bay Area region, including San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, and Marin counties. Candidates residing within or near the service area are preferred.
Frequent travel throughout the territory and surrounding areas is required. Occasional travel to other regions of California may be necessary based on program and operational needs. Travel to the UCLA campus is expected to be rare (typically no more than one to two times per year).
Compensation:
The salary offered will be determined based on qualifications, experience, internal equity, and other business considerations.
Salary range: $74,445 - $152,460 annually
Pay range: $74445.00 - $152460.00 a year
Qualifications
Required:
- Bachelor’s degree in psychology, social work, public health, counseling or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience
- Experience working in community-based behavioral health, mental health, social services, or related healthcare settings
- Experience conducting program reviews, quality improvement activities, audits, evaluations, or similar analytical work
- Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and meet deadlines
- Ability and willingness to travel extensively throughout California
Preferred:
- Master’s degree in related field
- Experience with ACT, FACT, Full Service Partnership (FSP), or similar community-based behavioral health programs
- Experience conducting fidelity reviews, quality improvement activities, or program evaluations
- Experience providing consultation, coaching, technical assistance, or training
- Knowledge of California’s public behavioral health system and services for individuals with serious mental illness
- Reside within or near the San Francisco Bay Area region—including San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, and Marin County
Description
The Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior is seeking to hire a Behavioral Health Quality Analyst to join the Public Mental Health Partnership at UCLA (PMHP). PMHP serves as a Center of Excellence (COE) under California’s Behavioral Health COE Initiative supporting Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) and Forensic ACT (FACT) programs across the state through training, consultation, fidelity reviews, and quality improvement activities.
This position offers an opportunity to work with behavioral health teams throughout California to evaluate program effectiveness, support implementation of evidence-based practices, and help improve outcomes for individuals with serious mental illness. The role primarily supports programs within the San Francisco Bay Area region. This is not a traditional data analyst position.
Key Responsibilities:
- Conduct fidelity reviews of ACT and FACT programs through interviews, observations, record reviews, and data analysis
- Analyze qualitative and quantitative data to determine fidelity ratings and identify opportunities for quality improvement
- Prepare written reports outlining findings, recommendations, and implementation needs
- Provide consultation and guidance to behavioral health teams to strengthen service delivery and program effectiveness
- Collaborate with training, technical assistance, and quality improvement teams to support statewide initiatives
- Assist with the development and delivery of virtual and in-person training related to ACT/FACT practices and fidelity standards
Location & Travel Requirements:
This position primarily supports ACT and FACT programs throughout California's San Francisco Bay Area region, including San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, and Marin counties. Candidates residing within or near the service area are preferred.
Frequent travel throughout the territory and surrounding areas is required. Occasional travel to other regions of California may be necessary based on program and operational needs. Travel to the UCLA campus is expected to be rare (typically no more than one to two times per year).
Compensation:
The salary offered will be determined based on qualifications, experience, internal equity, and other business considerations.
Salary range: $74,445 - $152,460 annually
Pay range: $74445.00 - $152460.00 a year
Qualifications
Required:
- Bachelor’s degree in psychology, social work, public health, counseling or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience
- Experience working in community-based behavioral health, mental health, social services, or related healthcare settings
- Experience conducting program reviews, quality improvement activities, audits, evaluations, or similar analytical work
- Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and meet deadlines
- Ability and willingness to travel extensively throughout California
Preferred:
- Master’s degree in related field
- Experience with ACT, FACT, Full Service Partnership (FSP), or similar community-based behavioral health programs
- Experience conducting fidelity reviews, quality improvement activities, or program evaluations
- Experience providing consultation, coaching, technical assistance, or training
- Knowledge of California’s public behavioral health system and services for individuals with serious mental illness
- Reside within or near the San Francisco Bay Area region—including San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, and Marin County
Behavioral Health Specialist Job Roles in California
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Search Behavioral Health Specialist Jobs in CaliforniaBehavioral Health Specialist Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies sponsor visas for behavioral health specialists in California?
Large integrated health systems are the most active sponsors for behavioral health specialist roles in California. Kaiser Permanente, Sutter Health, Dignity Health, and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center have established HR infrastructure to support H-1B visa and other work visa petitions. County behavioral health departments, federally qualified health centers, and large nonprofit providers like Telecare Corporation also sponsor international candidates, particularly for roles tied to underserved community mental health programs.
Which visa types are most common for behavioral health specialist roles in California?
The H-1B is the most common visa category for behavioral health specialists in California, provided the role requires a relevant bachelor's degree or higher in psychology, social work, counseling, or a related field. Some positions may qualify under the TN visa for Canadian and Mexican nationals if the role fits an eligible USMCA occupation. For candidates with exceptional credentials, the O-1 visa is another pathway, though it requires demonstrating sustained recognition in the field.
Which cities in California have the most behavioral health specialist sponsorship jobs?
Los Angeles and the broader Southern California region consistently post the highest volume of behavioral health specialist openings due to county mental health system scale and a large concentration of hospital networks. San Francisco and the Bay Area have strong demand driven by healthcare technology companies and community health organizations. San Diego, Sacramento, and Fresno also show meaningful hiring activity, with Sacramento-area roles often tied to state government behavioral health initiatives.
How to find behavioral health specialist visa sponsorship jobs in California?
Migrate Mate filters job listings specifically to roles where employers have a documented history of visa sponsorship, making it a practical starting point for behavioral health specialists targeting California. You can search by role and state to surface openings at health systems, county programs, and nonprofit providers that are open to sponsoring international candidates. Filtering for California directly narrows results to the markets with the most active hiring activity for this specialty.
Are there state-specific considerations for behavioral health specialists seeking sponsorship in California?
California requires behavioral health specialists to meet state licensure or certification standards, which vary by specific role title. Employers sponsoring an H-1B must pay the prevailing wage for the position and location as determined by the Department of Labor, and California's high cost-of-living metro areas generally produce higher prevailing wage benchmarks than national averages. Candidates should also be aware that licensure reciprocity is not automatic, and some international degree credentials may require evaluation before California licensing boards will accept them.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored behavioral health specialist jobs in California?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.