What is EIA?
Eggshells in Action (EIA) was created by MH Safe’s Trauma-Informed Initiative (TRI – pronounced “try”) to bring together anyone who has mental health needs, disabilities, or fragilities who are stuck in processes that are causing them distress.
Why “eggshells?” The term “eggshells” comes from the “eggshell tort rule” which allows for especially vulnerable parties to be able to recover damages when they are wronged. Also called the “eggshell skull rule” or “thin skull rule,” you can learn more about it at https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/eggshell_skull_rule
What is the purpose of Eggshells in Action (EIA)?
The goal of Eggshells in Action is to bring together vulnerable parties to create and share resources for empowerment, accessibility, and support when they find themselves in adversarial processes where there are parties who are causing them distress.
Sometimes these third parties are causing this distress out of ignorance of the impact, sometimes they are indifferent to the distress or they see it as not part of their role, and sometimes they are actually causing the distress intentionally (think about someone who hires an attorney to intimidate another person, on purpose, and pressure them to settle).
What kinds of processes does EIA provide resources and support for?
- Investigations
- Legal Conflicts (Demand Letters, Lawsuits, etc)
- Seeking Disability Accommodations or Leaves of Absence
- Internal Workplace or School Processes Including Discipline, Performance Review, Etc.
- Misconduct Proceedings and Grievances
- Professional Certification Processes and Inquiries
- Dispute Resolution Processes
- Whistleblower and Retaliation Processes
Note that these processes are not inherently inappropriate or stressful but they may be triggered due to biases, they may include elements where some parties are leveraging the stress of the process for intimidation, and they may involve insensitivity to parties’ distress or deliberate triggering of the distress.
How can I report an incident where an organization or party is causing me potentialy inappropriate distress through a process like the ones listed above?
Click here to submit an anonymous survey. You can remain anonymous and if you choose to name the organization, EIA can look into providing them trauma-informed resources
What are examples of EIA’s programs and resources?
EIA Provides a Means to Document Distress
Click here to submit an anonymous survey. You can remain anonymous and if you choose to name the organization, EIA can look into providing them trauma-informed resources
EIA Shares Resources With Organizations to Make Them Aware of Ways to Reduce Distress
Our addendum campaigns show them tools to Demystify Distress, have trauma-informed and bias-resistant practices (including unbiased e-mail communication practices), and other resources from the Mental Health Safe Project’s free addendum resource campaigns.
EIA Reminds People They’re Not Alone
By EIA’s existence, anyone who is going through distress will realize they are not alone. They can also get involved in EIA and fill out this form to be on an EIA mailing list to be part of our community, or join MH Safe’s Empowerment Support Group community at link.
EIA Does Education for All Parties Involved
EIA conducts trainings to help people learn ways to prevent problems. Some examples include:
Preventing and Managing Distress During Investigations: Trauma-Informed Tools
(7/9/25 for the Association of Workplace Investigators (AWI) in Australia and New Zealand)
The Practical Realities of Workplace Complaints, Investigations, and Mediations
(9/16/25 for Mediate.com)
Misconduct, Complaints, and Trauma
(10/9/25 for Mediate.com)
EIA Gives People Tools to Be Empowered When Facing Distress and Unfairness
EIA develops tools to help you make your own decisions about how to respond when a party is causing you distress. For example, we have Accessible Opposition Kits available at www.mhsafe.org/aok
How can I be updated about EIA?
Stay tuned for more updates including resources for when opposing counsel and opposing parties put vulnerable people through distress. E-mail tri@mhsafe.org to get involved.