This psychiatric service dog task list can help current and future psychiatric service dog users decide what your dog can do to help!
It doesn’t mean that your psychiatric service dog should be trained to do all tasks on the list, you can just consider it as a guide for someone with a psychiatric disability to know what tasks your dog can do. Each individual has different needs so this might be fulfilled in a variety of ways, of course each dog has its unique capabilities, you can choose the tasks you need and start the training.
We group the behavior types into “Work or task”: work means dogs’ instances cued non-intentionally by something else in the environment or person’s body while tasks means their instances can be cued by intentional commands. Actually it is very hard to say whether an assistance is work or is a task, so you can see for some items, the assistance type is marked as work or task. Anyway, our target is the person is getting needed assistance for their disability.

Work:
Symptom Assistive Behavior
Aggressive driving Alert to (incipient) episode
Change in breathing pattern Alert to (incipient) episode
Disorganization Remind handler to perform daily routines
Difficulty assessing emotions Provide reliable signals to handler regarding emotions
Dissociative (flashback) Ground handler/Tactile stimulation to interrupt or deep pressure therapy
Dissociative fugue Guide home, to a safe place, or assist crossing streets
Distractibility Tactile stimulation or deep pressure therapy
Hallucination Hallucination discernment—alert to real people or noises
Hyperfocus/Hyperlocomotion Alert to (incipient) episode
Hypersomnia Wake up handler
Irritability Alert to (incipient) episode
Muscle tension Alert to (incipient) episode
Memory loss Remind to take medication
Olfactory or behavioral cue Alert to (incipient) episode
Task:
Symptom Assistive Behavior
Memory loss Find keys or telephone

Work or task:
Symptom Assistive Behavior
Apathy/disengagement Tactile stimulation or deep pressure therapy
Catatonic behavior Ground handler
Chills Pressure and warmth stimulation
Depersonalization Tactile stimulation or deep pressure therapy
Difficulty initiating movement Tactile stimulation to “break the spell”
Disorganized speech or behavior Ground handler
Fear Guide handler to a safe place
Feelings of isolation Tactile stimulation or deep pressure therapy
Flashbacks or distress Ground handler
Hypervigilance Ground Handler
Intrusive thoughts/images Tactile stimulation or deep pressure therapy
Psychosis Ground handler
Sensitivity to sound Close door to block noise
Social withdrawal Initiate desired/needed interpersonal interaction
Trembling Tactile stimulation or deep pressure therapy

SDTSI’s Certified Intensive Psychiatric Service Dog Training is sold at the affordable price of $349 for 6 modules of training, the price also includes the dog certification fee ($130) and is available on Service Dog Training School International website. https://www.servicedogtrainingschool.org/

19H Maxgrand Plaza, No 3 Tai Yau St San Po Kong KN, Hongkong

Service Dog Training School International (SDTSI), a dog training school born by the dream of providing dog-friendly, valid, and effective service dog training courses worldwide.