Getting a psychiatric service dog can be confusing, as there are several steps and qualifications to determine your eligibility for one of these helpful companions.
Our article explains how to get a psychiatric service dog and what it takes to add one of these highly-trained helpers to your treatment plan.
Article Contents
What Is a Psychiatric Service Dog?
A psychiatric service dog is a service dog that has been trained to perform specific tasks related to a psychiatric disability.
These tasks may include checking around corners for their owner, guiding their owners to safe and quiet spaces, or interrupting their owner’s self-harming behavior, among many other important tasks.
Unlike an ESA dog, a psychiatric service dog is trained to help with a specific type of disability, and common conditions that these dogs help with include anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, chronic stress, schizophrenia, PTSD, and OCD, among many other psychiatric conditions that may impact a person’s quality of life.
Who Qualifies for a Psychiatric Service Dog?
Anyone with a psychiatric health condition that prevents them from going about their daily lives with ease or impacts their ability to live happily and healthily can qualify for a psychiatric service dog.
Individuals who wish to add a psychiatric service dog to their treatment plan must be able to physically care for the dog and financially provide for it, and this does include routine veterinary care and care to help your dog live a good life while they are not working.
How to Get a Psychiatric Service Dog
The first step in adopting a psychiatric service dog is to speak with your doctor or a licensed mental health care provider.
Your provider will be able to better evaluate your condition and determine if a psychiatric service dog is a good addition to your treatment plan.
Once your provider approves a psychiatric service dog and deems you fit to take care of one, you can start looking into local or national organizations that provide psychiatric service dogs to those in need.
You may be able to take advantage of certain financial aid programs and grants if you do not have the money to pay for a psychiatric service dog up front.
After you have adopted your psychiatric service dog and participated in the last steps of their training, you are free to take your service animal wherever you need to go.
You may choose to register your dog online at this point or obtain an online certification, but this is not necessary, nor is it required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
That being said, registering your psychiatric service dog is a great way to obtain identification documents, and you can use these certification documents to provide details about your service dog when taking advantage of your public access rights.
What Rights Do I Have With My Psychiatric Service Dog?
Once you have a psychiatric service dog in your care, you will be able to take advantage of certain public access rights.
These rights are protected by the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and specific state laws, and you will be able to take your psychiatric service dog with you into any business, retail establishment, restaurant, or public and private space you wish.
The only exceptions to these public access rights include certain religious organizations and spaces where a dog would impact safety, such as sterile environments like operating rooms.
Can My Psychiatric Service Dog Be Denied Access in My Apartment?
Your psychiatric service dog may be denied access to live alongside you in your apartment, but this is not a likely scenario.
Psychiatric service dogs are permitted in any rental situation, as long as they are not destructive or harmful to the safety of others; this rule pertains to any breed and size of dog you may have as your psychiatric service dog.
If you are being denied apartment or rental housing access with your psychiatric service dog, the landlord may be violating your rights. Consult the ADA to understand more about your rights and what your next steps should be.
Seeking Psychiatric Service Dog Help
Psychiatric service dogs are wonderful companions to many, and these dogs help individuals deal with the symptoms of their psychiatric conditions.
If you are considering adding a psychiatric service dog to your treatment plan, speak with your doctor or licensed mental healthcare provider as soon as possible.
Your provider will help you start the process of obtaining the psychiatric service dog help you need.
