Mission
Psychiatric Service Dog Partners’ purpose is to promote the mental health of people using service dogs for psychiatric disabilities by educating, advocating, providing expertise, facilitating peer support, and promoting responsible service dog training and handling.
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How we work toward our mission
Psychiatric Service Dog Partners (PSDP) is a US-based nonprofit that works toward its mission internationally by advancing the public information on this website, hosting a private online peer guidance group, facilitating conventions for psychiatric service dog users, fairly advocating for wisely-considered and experience-driven laws and policies, expertly consulting with other parties (attorneys, businesses, medical facility administrators, policymakers, et al.), and making presentations and media appearances.
PSDP does not provide dogs, train dogs, or certify service dog teams. Our job is to help you minimize mistakes and maximize successes when it comes to psychiatric service dogs, so please consider our resources as early as possible. We are an all-volunteer group run by people with disabilities; we rely on passion and public support to provide our resources at cost or free of charge.
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PSDP’s Board of Directors in 2014
History
In the middle of 2012, after many years of valuable service to the service dog community, our predecessor organization started to wind down. Many of the experienced volunteers from Psychiatric Service Dog Society (PSDS) wanted to continue to fill the need and serve the community.
On July 18th of 2012, these friends were compelled to form Psychiatric Service Dog Partners (PSDP) as an unincorporated association, organized for sustainable success. PSDP was originally a stopgap to make sure psychiatric service dog users still had an annual convention and especially a congenial discussion list—to become known as the “Peer Guidance Group“.
By 2015, PSDP had steadily grown into its own as a well-rounded and successful organization in our niche. Our volunteer leaders made PSDP a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to make room for this and future growth. With no paid staff (and a meager operating budget), PSDP earned a prominent place among service dog groups over the years, thanks to impassioned dedication, a supportive community, and our pursuit of constructive relationships.
Today, PSDP continues to encourage solidarity in the service dog community through efforts such as the USAUSA coalition (started in 2016) and other purpose-driven outreach. Our outward-facing programs and partnerships are guided by the belief that we should strive for what is right and reasonable in light of everyone’s needs, not just our own.
Within the psychiatric service dog family, we remain dedicated to fostering the guidance and refuge that we experienced when we began this journey many years ago. At its core, PSDP lives as the product of an enduring love.
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Non-discrimination policy
PSDP does its best not to unjustly discriminate on the basis of veteran status, military status, race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, political ideology, religion, religious affiliation, creed, age, marital status, pregnancy or maternity, family status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability, or whether you prefer the term “service dog” or “assistance dog”! We genuinely strive to create environments that are safe, respectful, inclusive, and welcoming for all who can be a part of and benefit from them.