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All over the U. S., emotional support animals are actively involved in the medical care of mental frustrations and the relief of their symptoms. Illinois residents also have the option of receiving ESAs for therapeutic purposes. In this article, we have compiled the information you need to know to become an ESA holder in this state.
What is an emotional support animal?
Emotional support animals are one of the methods of therapy for patients with mental disorders that exert influence on a person’s daily life and make it impossible for them to function normally. Therapists often recommend emotional support animals to people who feel lonely, don’t see meaning in their lives, or have a persistently depressed mood.
ESAs are able to provide their owner with ongoing care and the heartening they need to speed up their recovery. What’s more, an emotional support animal guarantees an additional level of security, thanks to which a person feels more confident in themselves and their abilities.
Do you qualify for an ESA letter in Illinois?
Only a licensed mental health professional can establish whether an emotional support animal is satisfactory as adjunctive therapy for your mental ailment. At the same time, your pet can be emotional support for you and does not have an official ESA status.
Those who want to have validated emotional support animals must have a diagnosed mental disorder and a doctor’s order certifying the positive impact of the animal on the patient’s treatment. Disorders that may involve ESA include post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, learning disorders, panic attacks, fears and phobias, schizophrenia, and others.
Certification of emotional support animals in Illinois
The main document for the ESA is an emotional support animal letter. You can get it from your doctor if they are sure that the animal will be able to bring therapeutic benefits to the treatment of your disorder.
Learn more about how to get an ESA doctor letter in Illinois.
How do I get an ESA letter from Illinois?
Getting an ESA letter in Illinois is easy enough. For this, you need to contact your psychotherapist or psychologist and discuss this possibility with them. Explain to the specialist why you think that an animal will have a positive effect on your psyche.
If you have not been diagnosed with a mental disorder yet, but notice symptoms that may indicate non-physical afflictions, it is important to find a specialist who can correctly assess your condition and determine the optimal methods of therapy. Choosing a suitable specialist is an extremely important step in the remedying of a psychical malady.
Find a mental health professional
The search for a licensed mental health professional must be approached responsibly. It is extremely important to find a specialist that you feel comfortable with and that meets your needs. You can ask your friends or colleagues for advice, or search for a therapist online.
Be sure to pay attention to the fact that the chosen specialist has an up-to-date license. In addition, the specialization of a professional is also important. If you are considering becoming an emotional support animal owner in Illinois, the therapist you choose must be qualified.
Provide information regarding your malady
When meeting with a psychotherapist, give only correct information about your disorder and its symptoms. This is necessary so that the specialist can correctly assess the degree of your disorder and prescribe the correct treatment.
In addition, in many states, including Illinois, providing false information to a therapist in order to obtain an ESA letter is a criminal offense punishable by law.
How do I request an emotional support animal if I can’t do it myself?
If you can’t see a therapist in person, you can get documents for emotional support animals online. To do this, you need to answer questions about your mental disorder on the website of one of the verified providers. Your answers will be forwarded to leading specialists who will decide whether you need an emotional support animal. If the answer is in your favor, you will receive the document in your email within 10 days.
Where can I find a suitable ESA?
When choosing an emotional support animal for yourself, first of all, rely on your own wishes and preferences. The ESA is not a service animal, so you don’t need to go to specialized animal training centers to get a companion.
You can buy an animal from distributors or adopt it from one of the shelters in Illinois. Although emotional support animals do not need to be able to perform any tasks, we still recommend teaching your pet at least basic commands. Thanks to this, the animal will become more obedient, and the time spent together will have a positive effect on your psychological state.
Emotional support animal in Illinois: Specific Protection
According to the ADA and Illinois law, only service animals have unlimited rights and the ability to accompany their owners wherever they go. For emotional support animals, unfortunately, freedoms are limited mainly to the sphere of housing.
Until recently, ESAs also had the opportunity to be near their owners during the flight. However, due to the lack of adequate training in emotional support animals, the government was forced to amend the Air Carrier Access Act and deprive ESAs of this privilege. Currently, only service dogs are allowed in the cabin of an aircraft during air travel, while ESAs on board have the same rights as pets.
Housing laws
According to the Fair Housing Act, the ESA is considered an assistance animal, so it has expanded freedoms in the field of housing. If you have an ESA letter, the landlord must allow you to live with the animal in the rented accommodation. You also cannot be charged an additional fee for the accommodation of the animal.
At the same time, the law protects the rights of landlords, so you must comply with the rules for living in the building and keep your apartment and animal clean. The landlord has the right to evict you if the animal behaves aggressively and poses a threat to other residents or systematically damages the property of the housing provider.
ESAs at work in Illinois
Although neither federal nor Illinois law provides additional protections for ESAs at work, many employers are willing to compromise with their employees. The presence of an emotional support animal in the workplace has a positive effect on the work capacity, productivity, and efficiency of its owner. Therefore, if you feel the need for ESA at work, discuss this possibility with the company management.
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