Elimination of Barriers Initiative

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.

What is the EBI?
President Bush's New Freedom Initiative calls for community and societal integration of persons with includes mental illnesses. With this in mind, CMHS developed the EBI to work with States and other stakeholders to reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness. Over a three-year period, the EBI will test campaign models and public education materials in eight pilot States: California, Florida, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin. Pending the evaluation, CMHS will distribute evidenced-based public education practices to States and communities nationwide.

What are the EBI's objectives?
The EBI's objectives are to combat stigma and discrimination, reduce barriers to treatment, and build public support for the principle of recovery as well as an array of accessible, quality community-based services.

The EBI team, a group of communications, mental health, and evaluation experts including the Gallup Organization, Vanguard Communications, the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania, and James Bell Associates, will work with the pilot States and other key stakeholders to

• Partner with community and consumer groups to broaden the reach of the EBI statewide;
• Convene a kick-off town meeting in each pilot State to engage a broad spectrum of stakeholders in a dialogue about stigma and discrimination and involve them in the EBI;
• Develop a portfolio of radio, television, and print public service announcements and other education materials that the pilot States can use in outreach to the public; and
• Build the pilot States' communications capacity through the delivery of communications training and technical assistance.

What are the pilot States' roles?
Pilot States will not be required to provide matching funds to participate in the EBI. Although, certain activities should be initiated in order to specifically tailor the demonstration public education campaigns to fully meet the unique communications needs of each State.

Over the next three years, with extensive and ongoing support and technical assistance from the EBI Team, it is anticipated that the pilot States will engage in the following activities, as needed, to implement the EBI:

• Assist in the development of a strategic marketing plan that addresses stigma and discrimination on the State level;
• Develop a database of and build relationships with key stakeholders;
• Use and, when appropriate, adapt EBI materials in State and local public education efforts designed to reduce stigma and discrimination;
• Disseminate EBI messages to the public by gaining public exposure for the PSA campaign;
• Recruit and train a team of public speakers to give anti-stigma/discrimination presentations at schools, congregations, and community centers throughout the State; and
• Use the ADS Center Web site, already devoted to anti-stigma/discrimination education and information, as an intranet for information, materials, and dissemination.

What are the roles of CMHS and the EBI Team?

• CMHS, working through the EBI Team, will develop, produce, and distribute demonstration public education materials to media outlets, partners, and the public throughout the eight pilot States.
• CMHS and the EBI Team will convene key public and private sector representatives, including the pilot States and consumers, in a National-State Partnership Committee that will advise on the strategic planning, implementation, and evaluation of the EBI.
• CMHS will initiate outreach efforts to major consumer, volunteer, and family organizations to encourage broad support for the Initiative.
• CMHS is committed to an intensive training and technical assistance program to maximize benefits from the EBI, along with a thorough evaluation to gauge the Initiative's impact in the pilot states.

For more information about the EBI, please contact Paolo del Vecchio, CMHS, at pdelvecc@samhsa.gov.