Within an experimental vignette design, 224 certified teachers participated in this online study by completing a researcher created rating scale that assessed expectations for a child described in a randomly assigned vignette; a child without mental illness, a child identified with an emotional behavioral disorder, and a child identified as returning from acute psychiatric care. Results from the current study revealed reliable scales; learning, cooperation, self-control, and teacher self-efficacy. Findings indicated teachers reported significantly different expectations for children identified with mental illness in comparison to typical children in the areas of self-control and cooperation; specifically, teachers reported lower expectations for students to use self-control and cooperate if they have a history of the label Emotional Behavioral Disability (EBD). Further, teacher certification in the area of special education was a predictor for ratings of teacher self-efficacy to work with children labeled with EBD or a psychiatric hospitalization. In the whole sample, special education certification was a predictor variable for ratings of expectations for teacher self-efficacy. Years experience also predicted teacher self-efficacy. The results of the current study help support the argument for teachers to receive more training to assist children with mental illness and psychological problems, as participant responses clearly indicated a need for additional training and assistance when presented with challenging cases in the real world.