Husky Health Center and the Counseling Center are proud to provide mental health and medical care for students, but will not complete Emotional Support Animal (ESA) evaluations or documentation. Students sometimes ask whether the University of Washington can provide documentation supporting an ESA. While ESAs can be helpful for some individuals, creating documentation for ESA accommodation requests requires a formal disability evaluation that includes specialized training and assessment.
Students who are exploring an ESA for housing or other disability-related accommodations should work with an appropriate specialist who has expertise in disability assessment and, when relevant, human‑animal interaction. ESA evaluations must include an assessment of a student’s functional limitations, needs for housing accommodations, and the clinical rationale for an ESA as part of a disability treatment plan. Our clinicians do not conduct these assessments.
Why HHC and the Counseling Center Do Not Provide ESA Letters
Writing ESA letters requires specialized competencies in human‑animal interaction and disability evaluation. The American Counseling Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and the American Academy of Family Physicians have provided professional guidance that clinicians in settings like Husky Health Center and the Counseling Center should refrain from providing ESA documentation without the specialized training required to conduct disability assessments.
Like other college health services across the country, Husky Health Center and the Counseling Center provide primary care, and do not have the specialized training or tools required to ethically perform ESA-related disability evaluations. Asking a therapist or medical provider to make this type of determination can interfere with therapeutic relationships, place clinicians in a role outside their scope of practice, and increase the risk of inappropriate or insufficient documentation.
What UW Students Who Need Documentation Should Do
Students who believe they may qualify for an ESA as part of a disability should obtain a formal disability evaluation from a provider licensed in Washington and experienced in conducting such assessments. This may include psychologists, psychiatrists, or medical providers with specialty or sub-specialty training in functional assessment and disability documentation. Once students have completed an evaluation, Disability Resources for Students (DRS) can guide them through the accommodation request process.
Service Dogs vs. Emotional Support Animals
Service dogs are distinct from emotional support animals. Service dogs are trained to perform specific tasks that mitigate a disability and have public-access rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Emotional support animals do not have the same access rights and are considered disability-related housing accommodations rather than working animals. UW’s policies for service animals follow federal and state law. Students with service dogs can receive support through DRS if they wish, though documentation is not required for service dogs in most campus settings.
Related Links and Sources
- American Psychiatric Association
- American Academy of Family Physicians
- American Psychological Association
- American Counseling Association
- Human-Animal Interactions in Counseling Interest Network. (2019). Position statement on emotional support animals. American Counseling Association.