Emotional Support Animals: An Overview of Practical and Legal Issues for Social Workers.

Limited literature exists to guide social workers in the effective and ethical use of emotional support animals (ESAs) in practice. This article deals with practical issues these professionals face in dealing with requests for ESA authorization. The article provides an overview of relevant U.S. regulations (as of mid-2019) governing housing, travel, workplaces, and higher education; examines the uses, efficacy, and special concerns regarding ESAs; and presents recommendations for the use of ESAs in social work practice. Ethical implications for social workers dealing with client assessment and ESA authorization are discussed. The authors also address the intrinsic nature of human and ESA well-being and its relevance to client-centered social work practice. In addition, the authors discuss opportunities for incorporating ESAs into social work education.

Policy Roles in Promoting Affordable Housing for Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence.

Survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) face housing insecurity when escaping violence. The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act policies were put in place to protect this population. This article uses policy analysis to understand the provisions they provide for survivors. The case of a small city will be presented to understand the local implementation of these policies with regard to survivors' access to affordable housing in tight housing markets. Finally, recommendations will be presented to strengthen the policies to better meet IPV survivors' housing needs.

Economic empowerment of impoverished IPV survivors: a review of best practice literature and implications for policy.

Best practices in advocating for economic empowerment of impoverished intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors require the comprehensive and holistic organization of program and service delivery systems. This article outlines the best practices literature that addresses IPV in the lives of impoverished women, as well as the literature that specifically examines the interventions to economically empower IPV survivors--whether impoverished or not. This article concludes with suggestions for policy makers on how to incorporate these best practices into the Violence Against Women Act and for practitioners to ensure a comprehensive approach to interventions for impoverished IPV survivors.