Emotional Support Animal Assessments

If you’ve suffered a trauma or have difficulty in social situations, you could be a candidate for an emotional support animal. To find out, the expert psychiatry team at Spectrum Behavioral Health in New Lenox and Hinsdale, Illinois, provides emotional support animal assessments for children, teenagers, and adults. Call or use the online scheduler to set up an in-person or telehealth evaluation today.

What are emotional support animal assessments?

An emotional support animal assessment at Spectrum Behavioral Health involves a psychiatric evaluation to determine whether you have a mental health condition that could benefit from an emotional support animal. The animal is typically a dog or another well-behaved pet.

You can bring the animal to public places to calm your fears or better cope with stressors at work, school, or other social settings — as long as the animal you use is well-trained and doesn’t cause undue hardship or disturbances.

Emotional support animals can be highly beneficial for people struggling with depression, anxiety, autism, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), grief, and other mental health challenges.

What are the benefits of emotional support animals?

The advantages of emotional support animals for people with a mental health condition include:

• Less stress
• Reduced anxiety
• Diminished depression
• Mood improvements
• Better quality of life
• Lower risk of complications
• Healthier behavior patterns

Support animals can make it easier to overcome challenging situations in a safe, healthy way.

What happens during emotional support animal assessments?

During emotional support animal assessments at Spectrum Behavioral Health, your provider completes a psychiatric evaluation, asking questions about your emotions, mental health history, medications, mood, behaviors, and more. They use this information to diagnose your condition and develop an appropriate treatment plan.

What should I expect after an emotional support animal assessment?

After your assessment, the Spectrum Behavioral Health team recommends a treatment plan. They determine if you’re a candidate for an emotional support animal and discuss how to obtain or train it. With a few exceptions, you can take an emotional support animal with you wherever you go.

You might also undergo cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), or another form of psychotherapy with the Spectrum Behavioral Health team and take advantage of medication management. You can meet with your provider for weekly therapy sessions or follow-up evaluations at one of the offices or via telehealth.

Follow up with your therapist to ensure that your treatment plan is effective and long-lasting.

Call the office today or use the online booking feature to schedule an in-person or telehealth emotional support animal assessment at Spectrum Behavioral Health.