Letters of Support and Animal Policies

Letters and documentation

We are here to support you. You may at some point require documentation of the treatment you have received at CS to verify a diagnosis, to document mental health reasons for academic withdrawal, or to coordinate with another treatment provider, among other reasons.  If you require a letter from a Counseling Services mental health clinician, please note the following: 

• Letters are provided at the discretion of Counseling Services clinicians according to your clinical history, current functioning, and relevant legal and ethical statutes 

• Counseling Services clinicians follow the Americans with Disabilities Act (2009) guidelines when providing “Documentation of Psychological Impairment” forms for the Disability Resource Center (DRC) 

• Letters will be provided only when a clinical relationship has been established with a Counseling Services therapist   

• All requests for letters must be made at least five working days in advance of when it is needed 

• You must fill out a Release of Information before a letter will be given, even if you are requesting a letter made out to yourself 

Confirmation of Appointment(s)

If you just need a confirmation of your appointment(s), Counseling Services' front desk staff can provide this for you - call 805-756-2511 for more information.

Service Animals

Counseling Services complies with all ADA requirements and welcomes appropriately trained and specifically designated service animals as defined in the ADA 2010 to the Counseling Services space.  Please work with the Disability Resource Center to get more information about the process of obtaining a service animal. 

Emotional support animals

In general, approved Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) are not permitted in campus buildings apart from Campus Housing. Counseling Services does not permit ESAs in the building in compliance with Campus Administrative Policy 353. Emotional Support Animals, sometimes used as part of a treatment plan as therapy animals, are not considered service animals under the ADA. 

Letters and other documentation for emotional support animals are only provided in the most rare of circumstances because there is currently no established literature base for the clinical efficacy of emotional support animals.  Additionally, though we love animals and many of our providers have important animals in their lives, we do not have training in the assessment of animal behavior or impact to complete necessary documentation for ESAs.    The documentation we would provide when indicated for established clients would only be about the student's mental health symptoms and diagnosis.