-The College will require a statement from a Mental Health Professional who is providing ongoing therapeutic treatment for the individual’s disability and the necessity for the requested accommodation.
-Must be a professional whose licensing is from student’s home residence state or South Carolina. This approval should be based on a therapeutic treatment plan. The mental health professional must not be related to the student and college personnel, or contracted services cannot provide the documentation.
- The medical documentation must indicate that the student has substantial limitations to one or more life functions and that the animal would provide emotional support or other assistance that would ameliorate one or more of the symptoms of the disability. Columbia College, in consultation with the student (and other parties as deemed appropriate), will consider the criteria below in determining the making of reasonable accommodations and housing assignments for individuals with ESAs:
- Age of Animal (animal must be at least 1 years old)
- Vaccination status of Animal (animal must be fully vaccinated)
- Animal must be housebroken AND crate trained.
- Size of Animal (what type of residence best accommodates the handler and animal)
- Type of Animal (reptiles and exotic species will not be allowed).
*IMPORTANT*: Students who are approved for an ESA will ONLY be allowed 1 ESA.
*No ESA is allowed on campus until after the request has been officially approved and written confirmation made by Accessibility Services and the Director of Housing. Failure to abide will result in the animal being banned from campus.
Do you agree to all the above statements?