Elimination of Barriers Initiative (EBI) - Overview
The prejudices held by many members of society has helped create a discriminatory social climate for persons with mental illnesses, making it much more difficult to sustain employment, find a home, obtain health insurance, or achieve a basic quality of life.
Because of this, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) launched the Elimination of Barriers Initiative (EBI) to identify effective approaches in addressing the stigma and discrimination associated with mental illnesses.
The Elimination of Barriers Initiative (EBI) is a 3-year initiative launched in September 2003 by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA] aimed at identifying effective public education approaches to counter the stigma and discrimination associated with mental illnesses.
To visit the EBI web site, please click http://www.allmentalhealth.samhsa.gov/aboutebi.html
General Anti-Stigma Materials
Materials for General Public
- Download Selected NMHA Publications Free of Charge!
- Mental Health Information Center
- Bazelon Center Publications
Materials for Workplace
Materials for Schools
Serious emotional disturbances (SEDs) affect about 5 to 9 percent
of teenagers in America. This means that SEDs—diagnosable disorders
in children and adolescents that severely disrupt daily functioning—affect
about one in 15 teens or, on average, two students in every high
school classroom.
Growing evidence shows that when schools address mental health issues they can boost academic achievement, reduce absenteeism, and increase graduation rates.
To help schools reap these benefits, the EBI has developed a variety of materials. These include a guide for school administrators, a teacher training package, and several other tools, all designed to help educators make mental health a part of their classrooms.
Booklet: [view in PDF format or as HTML]
Eliminating Barriers for Learning: An Administrator’s Guide
This brief booklet invites school administrators to use the teacher training package developed by the EBI. It explains how the training package can help teachers and schools achieve their academic objectives and provides the practical information administrators need to implement the training.
Training Package: [view in PDF format or as HTML]
Eliminating Barriers for Learning: Social and Emotional Factors That Enhance Secondary Education
The training package consists of four modules, each with a trainer’s outline and trainer’s notes, slides, and handouts. The modules aim to:
- Increase knowledge of adolescent mental health, including risks and protective factors
- Show teachers and staff how to develop an action plan to help students who need additional support
- Suggest ways to promote a mentally healthy learning environment through instructional techniques that take into account individual differences and the classroom climate
- Help staff identify school and community resources and partnerships to promote youth mental health
Like most forms of in-service education and professional development training, Eliminating Barriers for Learning emphasizes knowledge and skill development.
1127 11th St., Suite 925 Sacramento, CA 95814 | Tel: (916) 557-1166 | Fax: (916) 447-2350
