School-Based Therapist Visa Sponsorship Jobs in Washington DC
School-based therapist jobs in Washington DC draw international candidates to public charter networks like KIPP DC and DC Public Schools, alongside private special education providers. DC's unique federal-district status creates a concentrated, high-need market for licensed mental health and occupational therapists. Employers here regularly work with immigration counsel to sponsor qualified candidates across multiple visa categories.
Find School-Based Therapist JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 52+ School-Based Therapist Jobs in Washington DC with Visa Sponsorship










See all 52+ School-Based Therapist Jobs in Washington DC with Visa Sponsorship
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new School-Based Therapist Jobs in Washington DC with Visa Sponsorship.
Get Access To All Jobs
Position Summary
The School Based Mental Health Therapist works full time in a partner school. This position involves implementation of a workplan that is co-created with school partners that includes three tiers of school based behavioral health services: prevention, early intervention, and treatment. Prevention and Early Intervention Services may include the organization of materials and content related to children’s mental health and the delivery of workshops and training to students, parents, teachers, and staff. Moreover, it may include the delivery of mental health awareness activities that serve to educate the community on destigmatizing the utilization of mental health services, reducing access barriers to care. The therapist is also responsible for providing the following core services in a school setting: receipt of referrals from wellness team (or from students and parents directly), intakes, diagnostic assessments, treatment planning, counseling and psychotherapy, and discharge planning. This position works in tandem with the school’s wellness teams to develop an annual workplan that outlines the activities the team will commit to and what parts the Mary’s Center School Based therapist will implement. These activities can vary by school, but all include all 3 tiers of service, should be aligned with the work plan, and should be part of the menu of services the program provides.
Reportability
The School Based Mental Health Therapist will report directly to a Senior Clinical Manager of School Based Mental Health.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.
- Be an active member of the school wellness team that coordinates mental health and wellness activities in the assigned school.
- Participate in the School Strengthening Tool Process and in the development of a Workplan that outlines the 3 tiers of service that the team is responsible for.
- Provide consultations for teachers to give guidance and feedback on classroom management for students with mental health disorders.
- Deliver Prevention Services in assigned school to include introductions to Mary’s Center program and other Mary’s Center services, classroom presentations, parent presentations, teacher wellness activities, sharing of monthly tip sheets, and other activities that support mental health and wellness.
- Deliver Early Intervention Services to involve groups for at risk students or caregivers, crisis intervention activities, and other activities that identify students to be at risk.
- Implement curriculums for students on stress management, suicide prevention, substance abuse or other concerns deemed pertinent to the need of assigned school site.
- Deliver treatment services to students in assigned school to include review of intake packet and all relevant consent forms, diagnostic assessment, individualized educational plan, annual revisions of DAs, discharge summaries, and aftercare planning.
- Deliver treatment services in a variety of ways: individual treatment of students, group therapy, family therapy, and parent coaching.
- Participate in rotating on call after hours on call system about once every 12-14 months. This comes with an added $200 per week compensation.
- Provide individual, group, and family therapy to assist clients in their insight development and individual service system plan goals achievement.
- Maintain a caseload to complete at least 18 face-to-face encounters weekly.
- Apply crisis management skills when necessary to stabilize the clients in the program and within the school setting.
- Participate in the school support team and other entities to promote the socio-emotional and academic wellness of students.
- Complete Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS) every three months per funder requirement as well as other pertinent screening tools and assessments deemed important for diagnosis and treatment.
- Document all contacts, referrals and other necessary information in electronic medical records system, eCW, and follow up on any claims or feedback on quality.
- Accept and integrate the family’s values and culture into initial conversations and ongoing care.
- Explain worker’s role, responsibilities and client’s rights, including confidentiality and mandated reporting.
- Maintain client records that are accurate, comprehensive and adhere to documentation policies.
- Complete billing and documentation requirements on a timely basis, within 48 hours of service provision.
- Meet billing expectations that are determined on a yearly basis.
- Understand and apply state and federal confidentiality regulations regarding clients’ records and correspondence.
- Maintain service delivery statistics for funder and provide reports on a weekly and monthly basis.
- Participate in and help facilitate case reviews on clients.
- Participate in organization-wide and division-wide meetings and committees, departmental meetings and other meetings/conferences as assigned.
- Participate in Community of Practice Meetings that support the building of evidence-based interventions in school mental health.
- Identify and participate in other training or committees that can further professional growth.
- Perform other duties as assigned by the Clinical Manager or Director of School-Based Mental Health.
Qualification
The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
- This position requires a master’s degree in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology or related field.
- A master’s degree in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology or related field and a license (LGPC, LGSW, LPC, LICSW) in the District of Columbia.
- Within 6 months of hire, candidates will need to be licensed in both the District of Columbia and Maryland.
- Working knowledge of Windows and Word; knowledge of patient confidentiality issues and HIPAA compliance/regulation are essential.
Language Requirement – Ability to communicate effectively in English is required. The ability to communicate in Spanish is preferred but not required.
Physical Demands – Regularly required to sit; frequently required to reach with hands and arms, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, talk or hear; must be able to lift objects up to twenty-five (25) pounds.
Work Environment – Mostly in a typical office setting within a school with quiet to moderate noise level. May be exposed to extreme cold, heat, and humidity due to outside weather conditions. This position is located full time at one of Mary’s Center partner school sites.
The Benefits:
- Health Insurance: medical, dental & vision – plus retirement options through 403(b) contribution and investment opportunities.
- 25 days of paid leave annually (in addition to paid holidays), plus 5 educational days.
- Tuition reimbursement of $2750/year towards education assistance and professional development. Reimbursement is pro-rated based on the employee's regularly scheduled hours worked per week.
- Transportation subsidy via metro & bus.
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.
School-Based Therapist Job Roles in Washington DC
See all 52+ School-Based Therapist Jobs in Washington DC
Sign up for free to filter by visa type, set job alerts, and find employers with verified sponsorship history.
Search School-Based Therapist Jobs in Washington DCSchool-Based Therapist Jobs in Washington DC: Frequently Asked Questions
Which visa types realistically fit school-based therapist roles in Washington DC?
School-based therapists typically qualify for H-1B visa sponsorship when the role requires a bachelor's degree or higher in a directly related field such as counseling, social work, or occupational therapy. The J-1 visa exchange visitor visa suits early-career therapists placed through a designated sponsor organization. Candidates already on F-1 OPT can work for a sponsoring school district before transitioning to H-1B visa. TN visa does not cover this role.
Which employers sponsor visas for school-based therapists in Washington DC?
DC Public Schools and the KIPP DC charter network are among the larger employers with documented H-1B filing history for therapy-related roles. Private special education contractors such as Therapeutic Pathways and national staffing firms that place therapists in DC schools have also sponsored candidates. Employer sponsorship patterns shift year to year, so checking current Labor Condition Application filings is the most reliable way to confirm active sponsors.
How to find school-based therapist visa sponsorship jobs in Washington DC?
Migrate Mate is the most direct way to find school-based therapist roles in Washington DC filtered by employers with verified visa sponsorship history. Rather than sorting through general job listings and guessing at sponsorship willingness, Migrate Mate surfaces only employers with documented LCA filing activity for therapy roles in the DC area, saving significant time during your job search.
Which areas of Washington DC have the most school-based therapist sponsorship opportunities?
Because Washington DC is a single federal district rather than a multi-city state, sponsoring employers are concentrated within the district itself. Wards 7 and 8 east of the Anacostia River have high concentrations of under-resourced schools with persistent therapy vacancies. Northwest DC hosts many private and parochial schools that also hire licensed therapists. Suburban Maryland and Northern Virginia employers occasionally post DC-area roles as well.
Are there state-specific licensing or hiring considerations for school-based therapists seeking sponsorship in Washington DC?
DC requires school-based therapists to hold a license issued by the DC Department of Health, separate from Maryland or Virginia credentials. Candidates on H-1B or J-1 visas must have their foreign credentials evaluated and may need to pass DC-specific licensure exams before an employer can finalize sponsorship. Many DC school employers partner with credential evaluation services and schedule licensing steps in parallel with the visa petition process to reduce delays.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored school-based therapist jobs in Washington DC?
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.