The information about writing Emotional Support Animal (ESA) Letters and who can receive them can often be confusing.
There appears to be many resources of varying legitimacy available to clients and clinicians alike.
It is our hope that this information helps to clarify the process for writing and qualifying for ESA letters.
A client that has been determined to (1) have a mental health disability and (2) that their animal clinically helps with the symptoms of that mental health disability can receive a letter from a licensed mental health provider that supports an Emotional Support Animal.
ESA letters can be written by mental health providers that can assess an individual for disability.
These mental health providers must be both licensed AND qualified to determine the disability. If the person is disabled due to a condition that the mental health provider can both diagnose and treat, then that provider can do an assessment for an ESA letter.
If you are seeking a mental health provider to write an ESA letter, a good question to ask might be “can you assess for disability?”
A disability would be considered a condition that substantially limits one or more major life activity (e.g. walking, seeing, speaking, hearing, breathing, learning, etc.). An ESA would need to help alleviate the effects of one or more of the determined disabilities.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) lists several mental disorders that would qualify for disability:
We highly recommend reviewing the information from the Social Security Administration (SSA) for more information on the mental disorders listed here.
Writing an ESA letter for a current therapy client can present a conflict of interest. Therapists should consider referring clients to an external provider for disability evaluations. If you are an assessment provider without an ongoing therapeutic relationship, it is ethical to conduct the evaluation and provide an ESA letter.
Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) are only legally protected under the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) and the Fair Housing Act (FHA). These protections apply solely to housing and air travel. Unlike service animals, ESAs are not covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Service animals, defined by the ADA, are exclusively dogs trained to perform tasks directly related to a disability, such as a guide dog for blindness. A doctor’s note does not qualify a dog as a service animal, and state laws may vary in defining service animals.
At UCEBT, we provide comprehensive evaluations to determine if a psychiatric or neurodevelopmental condition meets SSA standards for a disability. However, a diagnosis does not guarantee legal disability status or the issuance of an ESA letter.
Assessments cost $2,200–$2,800, and we do not accept insurance. To learn more, complete our online form for a free consultation.
For other qualified providers, we recommend that you visit Psychology Today and search for “disability evaluations.”
Our compassionate team is here to provide the guidance and documentation you need for an Emotional Support Animal referral. Let us help you find the comfort and stability you deserve.
The unique mission of UCEBT is to improve the quality of mental health care by enhancing access to comprehensive evidence-based treatments, evaluations, and testing.
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