Emotional Support Animal (ESA) Evaluations
MAP is now accepting outside referrals for this service!
About Emotional Support Animal (ESA) Evaluations
Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) are domesticated animals who have been determined, by a medical or mental health professional, to alleviate specific symptoms of a person's mental health disorder. The mental health disorder must rise to a level of impairment that meets the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements for a disability. ESAs must be distinguished from service animals, which receive federal protections due to being trained to perform a specific and life-saving task. ESAs, on the other hand, are not trained to provide a particular health-related task. Their sole purpose is to relieve suffering related to a mental health disorder and promote the use of adaptive coping skills and independence.
Some common misconceptions of ESAs include:
My landlord will waive pet deposits if I have an ESA.
I can bring my ESA anywhere, including restaurants and stores.
Airlines have special treatment for ESAs and they are allowed on planes.
The only exception a person can receive in travel, housing, or public settings, is that landlords are required to accept an ESA so long as the tenant can provide documentation of the ESA's status. In 2020, airlines were no longer required to allow ESAs.
At MAP Behavioral Health Center, we follow best practices in psychology and counseling that advise against a clinician evaluating their own client for an ESA, as this can be disruptive to the therapeutic process. Therefore, you will establish a therapeutic relationship with another clinician to complete your ESA evaluation. The process of an ESA evaluation includes a minimum of three visits: one to gather information regarding your background and mental health functioning; one to observe you with the proposed ESA; and one to provide treatment recommendations. In addition, you will complete questionnaires on your health and wellbeing. If you are determined to have a disability that would improve with an ESA, your provider will create a treatment plan related to the ESA and issue a letter outlining your approval. The letter will be valid for one year, or less, depending on your circumstances. You will be required to return for follow-up, at a minimum annually, to determine whether the need for an ESA remains. Your insurance may or may not cover your visits and services related to the ESA evaluation.