Emotional support animals? FMLA for depression?

[GoodNP]

You know how you go through phases where everyone coming through your door has the same problem? Lately for me that has been people asking for FMLA and/or some letter stating the need for an emotional support animal.

So, I'm just curious about how the rest of you handle these situations.

I've done some research on "service animals", and there is a WHOLE LOT of gray area. I can't find any national certifying bodies for these animals. And there are really two issues here: 1. the NEED for the animal, and 2. the qualifications of the animal itself.

Don't get me wrong, I fully believe that animals provide mental health benefit. I know at the end of a hard day mine do! However, they are not on any treatment guidelines that I'm aware of, and I don't like being used to avoid paying a pet deposit or having to move to a new apartment because the property doesn't allow pets.

Regarding FMLA - this has always seemed nebulous as well, regardless of the medical condition. But particularly for something like anxiety & depression, how I am supposed to quantify how many days per week/month/year a person needs to miss work? (and what is the benefit anyway?)

[AnnieNP, MSN, NP]

I have had patients ask me for a letter stating that they need an emotional support animal too!!! I tell them I am not qualified to determine if they do and refer them to a Psychiatrist who determines the need. I have only had one patient follow through and she does need the animal. The ones who wanted it for the Landlord got pissy and let it drop. As far as FMLA no two are alike. I really hate the paperwork.

[Oldmahubbard]

As I understand FMLA, it holds a person's job if they have to be absent due to a personal or family illness. It doesn't guarantee the hours off will be paid. That is based on the PTO policy of the employer.

It holds the person's job, and I believe the employer also cannot harass or otherwise discipline the employee for the absenteeism, if FMLA time is used. It can be a Godsend to people going through an acute medical problem, who otherwise would have to resign or face huge problems on the job.

Unfortunately it is vulnerable to great abuse. Especially in the case of nebulous, chronic and highly subjective problems like anxiety, depression, back pain and several others.

It is case by case. I am very reluctant to fill it out for patients with a nebulous problem whom I don't know well.

[Jules A, MSN]

Therapist fills it out and I will sign FMLA if reasonable, usually parents needing time off work to take child with mental health problems to appointments. I don't do disability unless someone is significantly disabled, neuro condition, psychosis at baseline etc. I won't sign off on a therapy animal until they institute training requirements as this has become a borderline attention getting dream and a detriment to both the animal and the patient's growth in my opinion.

[drd18, BSN, RN]

Similar to what another poster said, the primary benefit is that these days they miss will not count as an absence for them as long as they follow the correct call-out protocol. This can be because they know they have say 2 chemo appts a month, or can also be for a family member- like they need certain # of days a month to take their ill mother to appts. However, they are not getting extra pay or benefits unless they choose to use their own PTO hours. The mental health seems very tricky, and I can only assume providers are taking their patient's word for it on how many days they need to miss a month, or are going off past hx if they are their mental health provider. I work on the receiving end of this paperwork for employees and I still don't understand how providers quantify this since any reasoning is kept private from us unless the employee chooses to talk about it.

[rn_patrick, NP]

Previous practice eventually said that they were not doing the paperwork/letters for Emotional Support Animals. Apparently legal was concerned about lawsuits from people abusing the system. I know I had two patients state to me my landlord said I can't have pets and this means he has to let me. With several seeing eye dogs and other highly trained essential animals being attacked and harmed by "Fake service dogs" I think that the Airlines, national organizations for blind and disabled people are going to push to make a standard.

As a former landlord the patient is right I'm looking at a possible easy lawsuit if I say no. "My medical professional said I get this accommodation and you would not let me." Other tenants may resent that they may have had to give up their pets prior to moving in or want pets and can't have them. Highly trained service dogs don't bark unless their is an emergency.It may do thousands of dollars of damage to the unit (Which is why I had a no pets policy in the first place). If you ever have had to remove subfloor because a cat urinated through the carpet, pad, and that smell won't come out you know what I am talking about.

This animal may bark or make noise all the time. Many tenants choose no pets buildings for that reason. Leading to other tenants to move out. Finally their pet might be on a "Banned breed" list and now I can't get a policy to cover the building, or I have to pay 2x as much. Then there is also if said animal hurts a person or a child. The patient's above have nothing so your sitting there with a policy and money in the bank.

I don't agree with breed bans, but it's right there in the policy.

Hopefully the big corporate landlords do some lobbying on this problem.