PSD Psychiatric Service Dog? - YorkieTalk.com Forums

michiko · 07-05-2008, 07:34 PM

Does anyone have your yorkie as PSD? I am a bit confused. Is that same thing as Emotional Support Dog that you can take any places?

I know that all the service dogs are for people with disability. For PSD.... does it have to be for someone who collects disability benefits or it doesn't have to be that severe mental health situation? People may have PTSD, Anxiety, or Depression.. it doesn't mean they are not capable of working... so I wasn't sure if there was some levels of disability to obtain a SD.

If anyone can help me get clarification, that will be great!

Nancy1999 · 07-05-2008, 08:47 PM

There have been several threads on this, and I know one person said that you can have you dog labled a service dog if you suffer from panic disorder. I believe she said that all you had to do is have your doctor fill out a form. Here's one thread about this: http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/off...cle-psd-s.html. This link describes the different types of categories. Service Dog, Therapy Dog: What's the Difference?. This link has badges. < Service Dog ID Badges and Pet Carrier / Luggage Tags by Service Dog Tags >

mscat · 07-05-2008, 09:06 PM

Hi,
I am disabled and have service dog. If you are interested in that then you will need to have a Psych. doctor write a letter. The letter needs to state why a service dog would be benifical to you, and it does need to say "service animal"
You are correct that there are many different conditions where a service dog is helpful. You will need to discuss it over with your doctor the reasons/ and benifits it will have for you personally.

Typically a person who is fully disabled and has proof of the disabilty can have a service animal. A service animal is specificaly trained to perform certain tasks for the disabled individual. The emotional support animal, is not considered a service animal and typically can't go where ever the person goes.
The catch is that you do not need to show proof on the training a service dog has, and the dog can be trained by the disabled individual .
The burden of proof of disability does fall on the individual. Meaning a person just can't say, "hey I am disabled" w/o any docuementation.
When you asked about the severity of the disability, that is up to your doctor to decide if a service would be approiate.

In my circumstances I am on full SSDI. However, many times with a PSD medication can help a person stablize and continue to work, therfore the nature of the disability is not severe, which could indicate there is not a need for a service animal.

michiko · 07-05-2008, 09:09 PM

So the letter has to be from a doctor.. not a therapist?

Nancy1999 · 07-05-2008, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michiko

So the letter has to be from a doctor.. not a therapist?

I would think a therapist would be just as good, especially if she's the one treating the disorder. This link says a doctor or therapist: http://www.drcnh.org/emotsupportweb.pdf

mscat · 07-05-2008, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michiko

So the letter has to be from a doctor.. not a therapist?

If you can get your therapist to write the letter then it may be acceptable. However, a psych Doctor is more authoritive, and is better equiped in dealing with such matters. For example, if you had to go to court to prove your dog was a service animal, or you were trying to have a dog in a no pet apartment / condo living situation.

Some therapist will not write such a letter. Mine would not.....

Nancy1999 · 07-05-2008, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mscat

If you can get your therapist to write the letter then it may be acceptable. However, a psych Doctor is more authoritive, and is better equiped in dealing with such matters. For example, if you had to go to court to prove your dog was a service animal, or you were trying to have a dog in a no pet apartment / condo living situation.

Some therapist will not write such a letter. Mine would not.....

That's hard to believe, I wonder why she wouldn't write the letter, was a licensed therapist treating your disorder? A licensed therapist should be every bit as "authoritive" as a doctor, and by doctor do you mean psychiatrist or regular MD?

mscat · 07-05-2008, 09:48 PM

No it is not hard to believe. I am talking about a Psychiatrist .The Psychiatrist is much more educated and does have the authority to give the medications and make propper dianosis .In my case my therapist and the pscyh. doctor work in the same place. The therapist does the talk therapy... And the Psych. doct. does the rest. This was my personal experience with my doctor and therapist.

I believe it is better to have a Psych doctor handle the letters anyway, because they are far more experienced and educated in disorders and how to treat them. The therapist i see is Licensed too, and It was handled by the Psych. Doctor.

Ivhana · 07-06-2008, 02:48 AM

I'm also looking into getting Brody trained to be a PSD. Thanks for posting all the links. I'll have to see about getting a letter. The trainer I was talking to said he's got a good start already with his AKC CGC cert.

michiko · 07-06-2008, 07:00 AM

I actually don't have a therapist.. but am thinking maybe she/he will be helpful. i have been working in social service field for 8 years and have Bachelor in health psychology and counseling. And I do know that I am just trying too hard to heal the pains that I am having hard time doing it on my own..

One of the things I haven't been to therapy is that I hate being labeled.... I was diagnosed with chronic illness (physical health issue) last year and I hate it... I am having hard time with that as well..

I have to give myself a lot of credits for being where I am today without any support.. well.. actually Haruka really changed my life to feel more positive actually... I do take Haruka everywhere I can possibly take ... Since I have no family here in US and etc... I don't feel alone ... because Haruka is with me. I also think that she reduces my anxiety a bit... I realized when she is not with me.. I get more nervous.. Anyway it is about time for me to figure out ways so I can move on and don't feel stuck..

I think Haruka can be trainable.. she is already registered as a therapy dog.. so I think she can do it! I just need to learn what and how I need to train her.. and of course find a doctor

Nancy1999 · 07-06-2008, 08:36 AM

I am surprised that with your background you have a problem with this. Remember the truly ill never seek treatment, occasionally someone else make them seek treatment. A mental illness is no different that a physical illness, should you be ashamed if you have pneumonia? I think it is very difficult to be at your highest functioning without counseling, most people are willing to live at rather low functioning levels, and those that choose some form of counseling usually are much healthier afterwards than the average individual.

Ivhana · 07-13-2008, 03:11 AM

I have a Dr. that gives me my meds and then a therapist I talk to also. The Dr. has refused to give me a note. She doesn't want me to have a "crutch". So I'll be talking to my therapist.

I've gotten a lot of info from this site:

Psychiatric Service Dog Society

Hope you're able to get what you need.

michiko · 11-02-2008, 05:49 PM

THanks for all your response and support. I actually have a chronic illness and recently started working with a specialist doctor and a therapist to deal with this diagnose. So they both agreed that Haruka will be helpful for me to manage my disability... I should be receiving the letter.

I read it somewhere.. I too worry that people may give me hard time because of size of Haruka... (3lb..)

romeos mommy · 11-02-2008, 06:04 PM

I work for a major transportation company and they do not consider PSD as a service animal on their transportation. I don't agree with them and argue with our corporate management concerning this issue.

They flat out refuse people with service animals for panic disorders.

I think it's not legal and they get away with it. I am ashamed to work for them.

just a heads up. A lot of people feel it is a way for people to get their pets to travel with them under this classification.

michiko · 11-02-2008, 07:28 PM

Mine probably won't say psychiatric service dog... I think the doctor just said that "service dog" because Haruka will be supporting me with my chronic illness as well... I think people don't need to tell people what disabilities.. then they don't need to know if it was physical or emotional disabilities. I am planning to print out ADA guideline..

Quote:

Originally Posted by romeos mommy

I work for a major transportation company and they do not consider PSD as a service animal on their transportation. I don't agree with them and argue with our corporate management concerning this issue.

They flat out refuse people with service animals for panic disorders.

I think it's not legal and they get away with it. I am ashamed to work for them.

just a heads up. A lot of people feel it is a way for people to get their pets to travel with them under this classification.

07-05-2008, 07:34 PM	#1
michiko The Yorkie Sitter Donating Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Boston Posts: 2,350	PSD Psychiatric Service Dog? Does anyone have your yorkie as PSD? I am a bit confused. Is that same thing as Emotional Support Dog that you can take any places? I know that all the service dogs are for people with disability. For PSD.... does it have to be for someone who collects disability benefits or it doesn't have to be that severe mental health situation? People may have PTSD, Anxiety, or Depression.. it doesn't mean they are not capable of working... so I wasn't sure if there was some levels of disability to obtain a SD. If anyone can help me get clarification, that will be great! __________________ Michiko (Ethicist) and Haruka(Fragrance of Spring Flowers) [/URL][/COLOR]

07-05-2008, 08:47 PM	#2
Nancy1999 I ♥ Joey & Ralphie! Donating Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Arizona Posts: 25,396 Blog Entries: 2	There have been several threads on this, and I know one person said that you can have you dog labled a service dog if you suffer from panic disorder. I believe she said that all you had to do is have your doctor fill out a form. Here's one thread about this: http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/off...cle-psd-s.html. This link describes the different types of categories. Service Dog, Therapy Dog: What's the Difference?. This link has badges. < Service Dog ID Badges and Pet Carrier / Luggage Tags by Service Dog Tags > __________________ NancyJoey Proud members of the CrAzYcLuB and YAP! ** Just Say No to Puppymills – Join YAP! Yorkshire Terrier Club of America – Breeder Referrals

07-05-2008, 09:06 PM	#3
mscat YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Hanford, CA Posts: 4,895	Hi, I am disabled and have service dog. If you are interested in that then you will need to have a Psych. doctor write a letter. The letter needs to state why a service dog would be benifical to you, and it does need to say "service animal" You are correct that there are many different conditions where a service dog is helpful. You will need to discuss it over with your doctor the reasons/ and benifits it will have for you personally. Typically a person who is fully disabled and has proof of the disabilty can have a service animal. A service animal is specificaly trained to perform certain tasks for the disabled individual. The emotional support animal, is not considered a service animal and typically can't go where ever the person goes. The catch is that you do not need to show proof on the training a service dog has, and the dog can be trained by the disabled individual . The burden of proof of disability does fall on the individual. Meaning a person just can't say, "hey I am disabled" w/o any docuementation. When you asked about the severity of the disability, that is up to your doctor to decide if a service would be approiate. In my circumstances I am on full SSDI. However, many times with a PSD medication can help a person stablize and continue to work, therfore the nature of the disability is not severe, which could indicate there is not a need for a service animal. __________________ "No matter how little money & how few possessions, you own, having a dog makes you rich." Last edited by mscat; 07-05-2008 at 09:09 PM.

07-05-2008, 09:09 PM	#4
michiko The Yorkie Sitter Donating Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Boston Posts: 2,350	So the letter has to be from a doctor.. not a therapist? __________________ Michiko (Ethicist) and Haruka(Fragrance of Spring Flowers) [/URL][/COLOR]

07-05-2008, 09:48 PM	#8
mscat YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Hanford, CA Posts: 4,895	No it is not hard to believe. I am talking about a Psychiatrist .The Psychiatrist is much more educated and does have the authority to give the medications and make propper dianosis .In my case my therapist and the pscyh. doctor work in the same place. The therapist does the talk therapy... And the Psych. doct. does the rest. This was my personal experience with my doctor and therapist. I believe it is better to have a Psych doctor handle the letters anyway, because they are far more experienced and educated in disorders and how to treat them. The therapist i see is Licensed too, and It was handled by the Psych. Doctor. __________________ "No matter how little money & how few possessions, you own, having a dog makes you rich."

07-06-2008, 02:48 AM	#9
Ivhana Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: VA Posts: 286	I'm also looking into getting Brody trained to be a PSD. Thanks for posting all the links. I'll have to see about getting a letter. The trainer I was talking to said he's got a good start already with his AKC CGC cert. __________________ Ivy, Mommy to Brody!

07-06-2008, 07:00 AM	#10
michiko The Yorkie Sitter Donating Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Boston Posts: 2,350	I actually don't have a therapist.. but am thinking maybe she/he will be helpful. i have been working in social service field for 8 years and have Bachelor in health psychology and counseling. And I do know that I am just trying too hard to heal the pains that I am having hard time doing it on my own.. One of the things I haven't been to therapy is that I hate being labeled.... I was diagnosed with chronic illness (physical health issue) last year and I hate it... I am having hard time with that as well.. I have to give myself a lot of credits for being where I am today without any support.. well.. actually Haruka really changed my life to feel more positive actually... I do take Haruka everywhere I can possibly take ... Since I have no family here in US and etc... I don't feel alone ... because Haruka is with me. I also think that she reduces my anxiety a bit... I realized when she is not with me.. I get more nervous.. Anyway it is about time for me to figure out ways so I can move on and don't feel stuck.. I think Haruka can be trainable.. she is already registered as a therapy dog.. so I think she can do it! I just need to learn what and how I need to train her.. and of course find a doctor __________________ Michiko (Ethicist) and Haruka(Fragrance of Spring Flowers) [/URL][/COLOR]

07-06-2008, 08:36 AM	#11
Nancy1999 I ♥ Joey & Ralphie! Donating Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Arizona Posts: 25,396 Blog Entries: 2	I am surprised that with your background you have a problem with this. Remember the truly ill never seek treatment, occasionally someone else make them seek treatment. A mental illness is no different that a physical illness, should you be ashamed if you have pneumonia? I think it is very difficult to be at your highest functioning without counseling, most people are willing to live at rather low functioning levels, and those that choose some form of counseling usually are much healthier afterwards than the average individual. __________________ NancyJoey Proud members of the CrAzYcLuB and YAP! ** Just Say No to Puppymills – Join YAP! Yorkshire Terrier Club of America – Breeder Referrals

07-13-2008, 03:11 AM	#12
Ivhana Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: VA Posts: 286	I have a Dr. that gives me my meds and then a therapist I talk to also. The Dr. has refused to give me a note. She doesn't want me to have a "crutch". So I'll be talking to my therapist. I've gotten a lot of info from this site: Psychiatric Service Dog Society Hope you're able to get what you need. __________________ Ivy, Mommy to Brody!

11-02-2008, 05:49 PM	#13
michiko The Yorkie Sitter Donating Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Boston Posts: 2,350	THanks for all your response and support. I actually have a chronic illness and recently started working with a specialist doctor and a therapist to deal with this diagnose. So they both agreed that Haruka will be helpful for me to manage my disability... I should be receiving the letter. I read it somewhere.. I too worry that people may give me hard time because of size of Haruka... (3lb..) __________________ Michiko (Ethicist) and Haruka(Fragrance of Spring Flowers) [/URL][/COLOR]

11-02-2008, 06:04 PM	#14
romeos mommy YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Pennsauken , NJ Posts: 4,068	I work for a major transportation company and they do not consider PSD as a service animal on their transportation. I don't agree with them and argue with our corporate management concerning this issue. They flat out refuse people with service animals for panic disorders. I think it's not legal and they get away with it. I am ashamed to work for them. just a heads up. A lot of people feel it is a way for people to get their pets to travel with them under this classification. __________________ Bernadette & Romeo