1. JAN Webcast Best Practices
West Virginia University
REHABILITATION COUNSELING
Best Practices
Employment and Service Dogs: Perspectives from Assistance Dog Experts
JAN Webcast
Margaret K. Glenn, EdD, CRC
Associate Professor of Rehabilitation Counseling, Switzer Fellow
West Virginia University
Marcie Davis, President of Davis Innovations, Inc.
Founder of International Assistance Dog Week, Author of “Working Like Dogs: The Assistance Dog Guidebook,” Host of the Working Like Dogs radio show

2. Definition
What is a service dog?

3. Service Dog Definition under the ADA
A dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability.

4. Definition
What types of service do service dogs provide?

5. Definition Examples of tasks: Guiding people who are blind;
Alerting people who are deaf;
Providing physical assistance to someone who uses a wheelchair such as retrieving dropped items or pulling a wheelchair;
Protecting a person who is having a seizure;
Reminding a person with mental disabilities to take prescribed medications;
Calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder during an anxiety attack, etc.
Definition

6. Service Dog Super Powers
I help to:
Lower blood pressure,
reduce epinephrine and norepinephrine,
reduce anxiety,
increase endorphins,
increase oxytocin.
What's your superpower?
INSERT SUPER POWER DOG SHOT HERE
Service Dog Super Powers
n e u r o c h e m i c a l s
c o n n e c t i o n w i t h o t h e r s
p h y s i c a l & p s y c h o l o g i c a l p a i n
b l o o d p r e s s u r e

7. What this looks like for the person with a disability
Increased confidence
Decreased health concerns
Increased independence
Increased social interactions
What this looks like for the person with a disability

8. What might this look like at work?
Healthy work relationships
Modification of tension
Productivity increases
“Winston’s naked!”
What might this look like at work?

9. ADA Access
Where are service dogs allowed?

10. ADA Access
ADA Title II and III - State and local governments, businesses, & nonprofit organizations that serve the public generally must allow service animals to accompany people with disabilities in all areas of the facility where the public is normally allowed to go.

11. Service Dogs and the ADA
Does Title I of the ADA require employers to automatically allow employees with disabilities to bring their service animals to work?

12. Service Dogs and the ADA
Rests on the standard of reasonable accommodation

13. Service Dogs and the ADA: Questions from employers
What are some of the questions an employer can ask an employee or applicant about their service dog? What kind of documentation can employers ask for?

14. Service Dogs and the ADA : Main questions for the employment arena
Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
Accommodation documentation
Allows for medical needs
&
What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?
Specifics about training
Service Dogs and the ADA : Main questions for the employment arena

15. Service Dogs and the ADA : Potential concerns in Accommodation
Allergies
Fear of dogs
Disruption in the workplace
Etiquette
Service Dogs and the ADA : Potential concerns in Accommodation

16. Service Dogs and the ADA: Disruption
A person with a disability cannot be asked to remove his service animal unless:
The dog is out of control and the handler does not take effective action to control it or
The dog is not housebroken.
Undue hardship is determined by employer.
ADA Title II and Title III - Must offer the person with a disability the opportunity to obtain goods or services without the animal’s presence
Service Dogs and the ADA: Disruption

17. Service Dogs and the ADA: What you will most likely experience

18. How do you create a successful partnership in the workplace?
Service Dogs at Work
How do you create a successful partnership in the workplace?
What issues should you anticipate and be prepared to address?

19. So how do we make it work at work?
Exploratory Study of Elements of Successful Service Dog Partnerships in the Workplace
Categories
Dog preparation
Monitoring
Employee competence
Legal knowledge
Information and education
Coworker preparation
Switzer Distinguished Research Fellowship, National Institute on Disability & Rehabilitation Research
27 Medications
Force hospitalizations
So how do we make it work at work?

20. Dog Preparation Maintenance of behavior and task completion is
expected of the service dog team.
AKA - Training a Dane to ride in a plane

21. Monitoring
Every owner is responsible for his/her dog’s behavior (and well-being).

22. Feeding
Bathing
Behavior
Vet Care
Creating boundaries (physical and social)
Walking dog
Rest breaks for dog during the day
Employee Competence
Able to articulate the specific job related or supportive task(s) that will include the service dog.

23. An informed understanding by employer & employee or applicant of the parameters, including limits, regarding the person with disabilities' legal rights, both state & federal, to the use of service dogs in the workplace.
Legal Knowledge

24. Information & Education
Availability of educational materials about service dog teams in the workplace for potential employers & job seekers

25. Service Dogs at Work
How can an employer and the employee prepare for a service dog to come to work?

26. Service Dogs at Work: Remember
Communication is key
Addressing it as an accommodation
Talking to the employee about his/her individual needs is important
Think of the service dog as an assistive device
&
A new coworker!
Service Dogs at Work: Remember

27. Service Dogs at Work: Tips on welcoming your new colleague

28. Questions? Resources JAN Resources on Service Animals
Glenn, M. (2013). Exploratory study of the elements of successful service dog partnerships in the workplace, ISRN Rehabilitation, Vol. 2013,
Questions? Resources

29. We would like to thank our rock star canine models
Hearts of Gold Service Dogs
Human Animal Bond Org & WVU
Morgantown, WV
Gander the Service Dog
Operation Fetch with Veteran Traveler
Sir Thomas Parkinson Service Dog
Rethy -
Parker Pup Therapy Dog -
We would like to thank our rock star canine models

30. West Virginia University
REHABILITATION COUNSELING
Questions? Contact information:
Margaret Glenn, EdD
Marcie Davis