ValueOptions Joins Fellow Industry Players in Support of ABHW's Stamp Out Stigma Campaign Launch

Campaign Aims to Reach 1 Million People in 2014

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Apr 02, 2014, 11:06 ET

NORFOLK, Va., April 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- ValueOptions^®, Inc., a health improvement company specializing in mental and emotional wellbeing and recovery, today announced its partnership with the Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness (ABHW) in Stamp Out Stigma, an initiative aimed at changing the perceptions and reducing the stigma surrounding mental illness and substance use disorders.

"ValueOptions has long worked to bring the dialogue about mental illness and substance use from a whisper to an open conversation," said President and CEO, Heyward Donigan. "And we are proud to stand with other industry stakeholders to address the common misperceptions of mental illness and substance use disorders. By using our collective reach to put an end to stigma, instances of people seeking the help they need to recover can only increase."

Though 1 in 4 Americans will experience a mental illness in a given year, less than one-third will seek help. Stamp Out Stigma aims to change these numbers by educating the public on the prevalence of mental illness and substance use disorders, and empowering individuals whose lives are affected by these disorders with a variety of resources. Stamp Out Stigma offers online tools, such as personal stories shared on social media, as well as campaign pledge cards and wristbands to help ignite the conversation about mental illness and substance use disorders.

"Mental health and substance use disorder diagnoses are more prevalent than heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, migraines, osteoporosis and asthma, yet misconception and misinformation have left many people with mental illness and substance use disorders afraid to talk about their experiences or to seek help," said Pamela Greenberg, President and CEO of ABHW.

Joining ABHW and six ABHW member companies in support of the campaign, including Aetna Behavioral Health, Beacon Health Strategies, Cenpatico, Cigna, MHN and New Directions Behavioral Health, ValueOptions will promote Stamp Out Stigma resources to key audiences such as internal employees, providers, community groups, vendors, partners and employer clients. The initiative expects to reach more than 1 million individuals in 2014.

For more information on Stamp Out Stigma, visit www.stampoutstigma.com.

About ValueOptions^®
ValueOptions is a health improvement company that serves more than 32 million individuals. On behalf of employers, health plans and government agencies, we manage innovative programs and solutions that directly address the challenges our health care system faces today. A national leader in the fields of mental and emotional wellbeing, recovery and resilience, employee assistance, and wellness, ValueOptions helps people make the difficult life changes needed to be healthier and more productive. With offices nationwide and a network of more than 130,000 provider locations, ValueOptions helps people take important steps in the right direction. We help them live their lives to the fullest potential. Visit www.valueoptions.com for more information.

About ABHW

The Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness (ABHW) is the national voice for specialty behavioral health and wellness companies. ABHW member companies provide specialty services to treat mental health, substance use and other behaviors that impact health to the nearly 125 million people served by our members. For more information, please visit http://www.abhw.org.

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