Service Animal Accommodations: Tips for Clinicians and Therapists N564

Course Summary

Healthcare professionals frequently receive requests to write letters supporting a patient’s need for a service animal in various settings, including housing, educational institutions, and workplaces. Despite the increasing presence of service animals and their legal protections, many clinicians lack a thorough understanding of what constitutes a service animal, the relevant legal frameworks, and the necessary documentation for these accommodations. This knowledge gap can lead to uncertainty, inadequate patient support, and potential legal issues. Consequently, there is a clear demand for educational materials that equip healthcare teams with the crucial knowledge and strategies needed to confidently and appropriately manage service animal accommodations and advocate for their patients’ rights.

Course Format

Homestudy

Course Syllabus

• Introduction
  • What Defines a Service Animal?
  • Rights of Service Animals in Airports and Public Places
  • Inquiries and Identification
  • Tips on Protecting a Service Animal in Public
  • Writing a Medical Needs Letter
  • Takeaway Points for Clinicians and Therapists

Authors

Susan Depasquale, MA, MSN, PMHNP-BC

Susan DePasquale is a board certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Her current practice is with families, youth and adults who have mental illnesses in both inpatient and outpatient settings, including telepsychiatry for Montana, Washington and Wisconsin communities. She completed her Masters of Art in Political Science at the University of Victoria, British Columbia, Masters of Science in Nursing at Seattle Pacific University in Seattle, Washington with a focus in neurogastroenterology and the Post-Masters of Science in Nursing at the Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana with a focus in psychiatry. She has worked with small and rural healthcare teams in British Columbia and the Northwest Territories, Canada, and in teaching and research hospitals such as Providence Health and Virginia Mason Medical Center Digestive and Liver Disease Departments in Seattle. Since 2012, she has been actively involved in online continuing education program development for nurses and health teams.

William Cook, PhD

William Cook, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist who worked for 15 years in private practice in Montana before leaving his practice to work full time as the Director of CE4Less. He earned his doctorate degree from Texas A&M University, and focused much of his psychology practice in the area of child and family counseling, as well as psychological testing. Dr. Cook likes new challenges, foreign traveling to Africa and areas of Europe and the near East, scuba diving, running, music, and spending time with his family.