Supporting Rights to Emotional Support Animals as an Accommodation: A Scoping Review of Professional Guidelines for Eligibility

Hoy Gerlach, Janet and Volin, Abby and Rauktis, Mary Elizabeth and Vincent, Aviva and Landis, Kurt (2023) Supporting Rights to Emotional Support Animals as an Accommodation: A Scoping Review of Professional Guidelines for Eligibility. Anthrozoos. ISSN 1753-0377 (In Press)

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Abstract

When the emotional support provided by a person’s animal helps to mitigate an aspect of a disability, that person has a right to have their animal, typically referred to as an Emotional Support Animal (ESA), within their housing as a disability accommodation under the Fair Housing Act (FHA) in the United States. Health and mental health care professionals (henceforth referred to as “health care professionals”) are considered a reliable source for verification of eligibility for ESAs as a disability accommodation, and guidelines have emerged within and across professions to help guide assessment and documentation. ​These guidelines​ ​are​ published in the form of peer-reviewed journal articles and position statements from professional groups, such as primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, psychologists, counselors, social workers and psychiatrists. We used ​​​scoping​​ review​ methods to identify guidelines across psychiatry, medicine, nursing, counseling psychology and social work then analyzed the guidelines using a competency-focused ​framework and compared the guidelines to the legal requirements of ESA documentation​. Guidelines often reflected the​ values ​​underlying​ the discipline, but agreement was generally seen in most areas of knowledge, skills and attitudes. Recommendations for integrative best practices guidelines, across professions, are proposed along with specific recommendations for writing ESA letters.

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Details

Item Type:	Article
Status:	In Press
Creators/Authors:	Creators Email Pitt Username ORCID Hoy Gerlach, Janet 0000-0001-5578-9684 Volin, Abby Rauktis, Mary Elizabeth mar104@pitt.edu Vincent, Aviva 0000-0003-2527-940X Landis, Kurt
Date:	31 December 2023
Date Type:	Submission
Journal or Publication Title:	Anthrozoos
Publisher:	Taylor and Francis Group
Schools and Programs:	School of Social Work > Social Work
Refereed:	Yes
ISSN:	1753-0377
Article Type:	Research Article
Date Deposited:	13 Feb 2024 20:48
Last Modified:	13 Feb 2024 20:48
URI:	http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/45800

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