Emotional Support Animal (ESA) Letters for Florida Residents
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The most effective way to figure out if you are eligible for an emotional support animal is to have a consultation with a qualified mental health professional who is licensed in your state. At Pettable we facilitate these consultations by connecting you with someone for a telehealth consultation via phone, which is easy and extremely convenient. This eliminates the challenge of having to see a clinician in person physically and avoids long lines. Connect with experienced mental health professionals from the comfort of your own home to find out if you qualify for an ESA in Florida.
After undergoing a clinical evaluation and meeting your licensed mental health professional, if they determine you can benefit from an ESA, they will write an ESA letter for housing. In certain circumstances, you can request to receive your letter within 24-48 hours of your consultation.
Answer a few questions about your ESA needs
We'll match you to a professional in your state
Receive it within 24 hours of getting approved *
We'll help with any extra forms you need signed and our therapists are available to talk to your landlord anytime, for an additional fee.
* For Arkansas, California, Iowa, Louisiana and Montana residents, new laws requires those seeking an ESA letter to establish a client-provider relationship with the individual for at least 30 days prior to providing documentation, which will result in having two consultations before qualifying.
Anyone with a mental or emotional disability is eligible to get an ESA in Florida.
Florida recognizes the difficulties of having a mental or emotional disability. Due to this recognition, Florida supports and endorses the use of emotional support animals as a part of someone's mental health treatment.
There is no official ESA registration process in any state, including Florida. The only way to legally recognize an emotional support animal is to obtain an ESA letter from a mental health professional licensed in Florida or whichever state you seek accommodations in. Emotional support animals are welcomed into most housing situations, some airlines, and public areas where pets are allowed.
That said, for people who need and depend on ESAs, Florida has friendly policies, laws, and approaches toward emotional support animals. The best way to find out if you qualify for an emotional support animal in Florida is to connect with a mental health professional licensed in Florida.
In Florida, you need to know about a couple of important federal laws that govern emotional support animals. The two laws that you need to know are the Fair Housing Act and the Air Carrier Access Act.
The Fair Housing Act (or FHA) is a law that protects individuals with mental or physical disabilities from discrimination in housing accommodations. The FHA provides protections for those who need emotional support animals to aid their mental health condition. Under the Fair Housing Act, anyone with a mental or emotional condition that is alleviated by the presence of an emotional support animal is entitled to keep their ESA in their home. The only stipulation is that these individuals must have their disability recorded by a licensed mental health professional and receive written proof that their ESA helps with their condition (an ESA letter). Landlords who receive an ESA letter must provide reasonable accommodation for the tenant and their emotional support animal.
The Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) dictates whether service animals and emotional support animals are allowed onto flights. Emotional support animals used to be protected under this law and would fly for free, but that changed in 2021. Emotional support animal owners are now required to pay a fee and travel with their animals as if they were a standard pet. Psychiatric service dogs are still protected under the ACAA however, and must be accepted free of charge by all airlines.
Florida's regulation on this can be a bit confusing, but ultimately it appears that employers can determine whether or not to allow emotional support animals into the workplace.
Florida has no specific ESA housing or employment laws, but the state follows federal regulations outlined under the FHA and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). According to the 2022 Florida Statutes, discrimination is prohibited in housing provided to persons with a disability or disability-related need for an emotional support animal. According to the ADA, employers are only required to allow service animals, and emotional support animals lack the same protection.
That said, employers are also not allowed to discriminate based on a disability. If having your emotional support animal with you is critical to your ability to function within your workplace, we recommend chatting with your HR team about it to see if they can make a reasonable accommodation. An ESA letter can help show why having your support animal is necessary for your mental or emotional help.
When it comes to emotional support animals (ESAs), there are some prevalent myths to dispel about registration and documentation. There are no Florida or federal laws that require an ESA to be added to a registry of any kind, and there is no governmental certification needed for an assistance animal of any type. All you need is a Florida-certified LMHP to diagnose your condition and write you an official ESA letter; it simply provides medical verification for anyone whose disability is not readily apparent.
To qualify for an ESA in the Sunshine State, you must be diagnosed with a mental health condition that is relieved in some way by having this type of assistance animal in your rental home. Qualifying conditions include:
The easiest way to find out if you qualify is by working with a telehealth marketplace like Pettable. What's great about the process is we can connect you to professionals in your state who have extensive experience conducting mental health evaluations for support animals.
They will closely work with you and determine your needs, and in particular circumstances, you may qualify for and receive your ESA letter within 24-48 hours of the consultation.
When you have an ESA to care for, it can create a reliable routine for you to follow every day, which can have a stabilizing effect on many mental health conditions. Whether it’s a daily dog walk or scheduled snake feeding, these responsibilities can also boost your confidence.
Loneliness is common for many people suffering from a mental health disorder, especially if they live alone. An ESA can be the perfect roommate, providing well-needed affection and bringing joy with their sheer presence.
The biggest bonus associated with owning an ESA is the money you could save. In Florida, anyone with an ESA letter is exempt from pet rent, deposits, or fees for their support animal. Consider it your ESA’s way of contributing to your rent.
Psychiatric service dogs (PSD) and ESAs share many similarities. Still, the former must have the training to complete a specific task for their handler, like retrieving medication or performing some act during anxiety attacks.
Despite the assistance animals' differences from each other, the qualifying conditions to obtain a letter are remarkably similar. These conditions include depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, ADHD, bipolar disorder, phobias, and PTSD.
If you think you need more assistance and want to get a psychiatric service dog (PSD) in Florida, Pettable can help. Just take our quick assessment and we’ll connect you to a mental health practitioner licensed specifically in the Sunshine State. Once the LMHP diagnoses your mental health disorder, you can move on to the most important step: training. Pettable’s online PSD training program will give your dog all the tools it needs to perform tasks that specifically aid your disorder. We’ll also issue your official PSD letter, which while optional, can give you added peace of mind. Contact us today to get started!
Pettable boasts a robust network of seasoned mental health experts ready to assist you no matter where you are. They can furnish you with an ESA letter that holds validity both within and beyond your home state. Whether it's addressing inquiries from a landlord demanding additional documentation, your dedicated Pettable mental health specialist has your back.
1. Rest Assured with Our Effective Letters
We firmly believe that you shouldn't have to second-guess the efficacy of your letter. That's why, at Pettable, we back our services with a satisfaction guarantee – if your letter doesn't work, you'll get your money back.
2. Top-tier Mental Health Professionals
Our elite team of mental health professionals is primed to craft an ESA Letter prescription that's a surefire solution for wherever you live.
3. Unmatched Customer Support
We understand that navigating the approval process for your furry companion's housing can be nerve-wracking. That's why we invest substantially in our team of dedicated support specialists to ensure your needs are met and your worries are eased.
4. Licensed Across All 50 States
Our expansive network of mental health professionals spans the entire nation, and we have a robust team to ensure we can meet any timeline with ease.
5. Human Connection and Thorough Evaluations
To ensure the effectiveness of your letter, it's important to have a live consultation with a mental health professional. At Pettable, we ensure that our clinicians adhere to HUD standards and conduct thorough phone consultations to truly understand you and your mental health situation.
1. We Guarantee Our Letters Will Work For You
We believe you should not have to worry about your letter working or not. That's why at Pettable we offer a satisfaction guarantee - meaning your letter works or you get your money back.
2. World Class Mental Health Professionals
We have built a team of world class mental health professionals who can write you a PSD Letter prescription guaranteed to work anywhere you go.
3. Unparalleled Customer Support
We know getting your animal approved to travel or live with you can be stressful, which is why we invest so much in our team of dedicated support specialists to make sure you are always taken care of and have the support you need!
4. Licensed in all 50 states
Our network of mental health professionals is deep and spans across the entire country. Additionally, we have a deep team of mental health professionals to make sure we can meet any timeline.
5. Best In Class Legal Support
We are here to make sure your housing and travel needs are taken care of so you don't worry. Our legal team is dedicated to having your back should you need it!
6. Human Connection & Legitimate Evaluations
In order for your letter to work you need to have a live consultation with a mental health professional. At Pettable we make sure our clinicians adhered to HUD standards and conduct consultations over the phone to get to know you and your mental health situation well.
Pettable is the best provider because we're committed to making sure the process works for you. That means working with the best and most experienced mental health professionals in the psychiatric service dog letter space, as well as providing a guarantee that your letter will work for you. We back all of this up with outstanding customer support and a commitment to making sure you have an incredible experience.
We broke down the different services offered by every ESA service. And we looked for unbiased reviews from 3rd party sites.
MSW, LCSW
Jennifer Bronsnick is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Anxiety Treatment Specialist, & Heartmath Certified Trainer. She provides customized workshops and trainings to working professionals and teams to help build resilience and reduce stress with practical strategies.
MSW, LCSW
I graduated with a Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee before obtaining my Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in 2021. I have eight years of experience in the mental health field working in and with various populations, including case management, intake coordination, and residential, inpatient, and outpatient programs. I am certified in Brainspotting to help individuals deeply process negative emotions and trauma/significant life events. Additionally, I utilize Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and safety planning in sessions/groups.
LCSW
As a clinical social worker, I have been able to work within multiple types of settings, such as hospitals, community centers, and family welfare. I enjoy having the clinical and administrative experience to holistically serve those I work with.
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