Name
Paws, Policy, and Practice: Navigating Service Dog Access in Integrated Healthcare
Description

A service dog can be life-changing for patients with physical, psychiatric, and developmental disabilities. Yet many healthcare teams feel uncertain about definitions, eligibility, documentation, and ethical boundaries. In this interactive, case-based learning hour, a multidisciplinary team representing physician, behavioral health, and psychology perspectives uses real-world vignettes to clarify what distinguishes service dogs from therapy and emotional support animals, who may appropriately qualify, and how integrated care professionals can engage responsibly in assessment and care planning. Participants will explore practical realities through a team-based lens, including workflow impact, access and equity barriers, financial considerations, and how to identify reputable training programs. Attendees will leave with clear frameworks, shared language, methods for educating PCPs, and actionable strategies to confidently and ethically support patients seeking service dogs within integrated care settings.

Speakers
Mary Reagan, JD, MS, BCBA, LBA, IBA
Kent Corso, PsyD, BCBA-D
Laura Sidari, MD
Content Level
All Audience
Tags
Behavioral Medicine Topics such as insomnia or medication adherence, Self-care/Self-management, Team-based care
Session Type
Concurrent
Objective 1
Differentiate service dogs from therapy dogs and emotional support animals, including key legal, functional, and clinical distinctions relevant to integrated healthcare practice.
Objective 2
Evaluate patient cases to determine when a service dog may be clinically appropriate and articulate the ethical and professional role of integrated team members in assessment, documentation, and care planning.
Objective 3
Apply a practical, team-based framework to address common barriers, resource considerations, training standards, educating PCPs, and “stuck points” when supporting patients seeking service dogs within integrated care settings.
Content Reference 1

Iezzoni, L. I., & Higgins, K. K. (2024). Service Animals in Health Care Settings. JAMA, 331(21), 1854–1855. https://doi-org.ezproxysim.flo.org/10.1001/jama.2024.4132

Content Reference 2

Lopez, I. (2025). Paws for thought: advocating for the disabled population through service dog education in medical school. Disability & Society, 40(6), 1740–1745. https://doi-org.ezproxysim.flo.org/10.1080/09687599.2024.2391783

Content Reference 3

Leighton, S. C., Hofer, M. E., Miller, C. A., Mehl, M. R., Walker, T. D., MacLean, E. L., & O’Haire, M. E. (2025). Obstacles to inclusion and threats to civil rights: An integrative review of the social experiences of service dog partners in the United States. PLoS ONE, 20(3). https://doi-org.ezproxysim.flo.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0313864

Content Reference 4

Singleton, J. K. (2023). Benefits of Being Teamed with a Service Dog for Individuals Living with Visible and Invisible Disabilities. HEALTHCARE, 11(22), 2987. https://doi-org.ezproxysim.flo.org/10.3390/healthcare11222987

Content Reference 5

Nieforth, L. O., Schwichtenberg, A. J., & O'Haire, M. E. (2023). Animal-Assisted Interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review of the Literature from 2016 to 2020. Review journal of autism and developmental disorders, 10(2), 255–280. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40489-021-00291-6