Emotional support animals
Emotional Support Animals
What is an Emotional Support Animal (ESA)?
An emotional support animal, or ESA, provides companionship that eases anxiety, depression, and certain phobias. ESAs help someone with a mental health issue feel more comfortable, less lonely, and supported. Emotional Support Animals do not have any specialized training, but instead are just their natural, comforting and supportive selves.
As a result of ESAs having no specific training, they are not protected for use under Title II or Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. However, with an Emotional Support Animal letter from a licensed mental health professional, someone with an ESA is guaranteed that animal can be with them in any housing situation or on a flight. These protections come from the Fair Housing Act and the Air Carrier Access Act.
How is an ESA different than a Service Animal?
A service animal is generally allowed anywhere in the public, but ESAs are not. ESAs work specifically for the individual. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines service animals as “dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.”
The main difference between a service dog and an ESA is that service animals have been trained to perform certain tasks to assist the person’s disability, such as assistance for someone with blindness, deafness, or epilepsy. A psychiatric service dogs work specifically with people whose disability is due to a mental illness. These dogs detect the beginning of psychiatric episodes.
How can I get an ESA?
Before writing an ESA letter for a client, Nashville Center for Trauma and Psychotherapy must conduct a disability evaluation or a functional limitations assessment. These ensure that someone seeking an ESA actually needs one, as there have been many cases of people abusing Emotional Service Animals rights in housing or on flights.
Once an evaluation has been conducted, we are able to write an ESA letter.
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